Skepticism and the Scientific Climate 

An aspect of discussion among scholars is the impact of the theme of man vs. nature and the particular message Verne was attempting to convey (Allen 409). This dominating role nature relates to the scientific discoveries of the time; when the novel was written in 1863, the scientific community was expanding with revolutionary theories regarding climate and geology (Bressan). Bressan and Allen suggest that Verne toyed with the concept of man’s control of nature, and how much man can prevent disaster from occurring. In the end will nature always triumph over humanity’s efforts, or do we control our fate?