Review: Who is Captain Nemo?
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 06 19, 2011
Who is Captain Nemo?  Is he the antithesis of a 19th century capitalist?  Is he the result of capitalism, using technology to gain the liberty of a higher standard of living which it allows?  Is he despot, savior, evil or compassionate?Nemo epitomizes a vision of humanity which is arrogantly attempting to create a peaceful world through technology.  The battle is clearly in vain as the characters are hindered by the passions of their natures.Nemo is the rebel, the nationless man, who has turned away from the machine mentality, dollar diplomacy and imperialist expansionism of his age.Verne creates a self-contained world for Nemo, one in which there is no dependency on capitalism.  All that Nemo needs is produced by the Nautilus.This freedom is decadent.  The Nautilus produces no surplus value other than to provide for the whims of Nemo, a person dehumanized by the progress of the developing western world.  A world he doesn't understand or is in touch with.Even in his act of political intervention against imperialism through the financing of the liberation movement of the Cretans from the Turks was decadent.  The money came from the sea, it was put back into circulation, it wasn't the result of production or creativity.  There is no net gain to society by this action.  The people could have been better provided for by encouraging production and industry.Though Nemo was creative enough to produce the Nautilus to escape his world of torment, he's nothing more than a narcissist.  Racing back and forth across the oceans is an act of conspicuous and selfish consumption.Nemo's goal is conquest of the sea, to make nature a possession, something no longer mysterious and otherworldly, but just a part of the humanized world, as if that's possible.Though Nemo suffers great loss, he blames the world, not himself.  He sees himself as virtuous, as a victim of industry and progress.  He is a paradox of the world.His is a world running from machines and science in a machine.  A world free from governments and country in which he governs.  A world free from captivity in which he holds others captive.  A world from which he takes freely, but gives nothing to in return.  Nemo is everything he disdains.All of this is lost to Nemo, an obscurity of self, hidden behind his anger and self exile.  Reckless abandon seems to be his only motive.  His disgust with society has robbed him of all virtue, all concern for others.In making his journey of discovery around the world, Nemo fails to make the most important discovry there is, what it means to be human.