Around the World in Eighty Days

Phileas keeps not only a passport but also an itinerary. In this carefully maintained itinerary, he records all aspects of the voyage necessary to make informed decisions about travel and complete the journey on time. The narrator describes the notebook as exceptionally organized: It is a “methodical record” that is “divided into columns, indicating the month, the day of the month, and the day for the stipulated and actual arrivals at each principal point” (39). This description illustrates the strict order the protagonist maintains throughout the novel, a character trait that symbolizes his role within the theme of Victorian Honor, Integrity, and Ideals.

Clocks are important symbols in the theme of Punctuality, Time, and Time Management. Passepartout’s pocket watch is a representation of his unique characterization. Like Passepartout himself, the timepiece is slightly off, its sense of time somewhat askew and more based on sentimentality than accuracy. In this sense, the watch aids the juxtaposition of the valet with his master, who practices an exaggerated adherence to accuracy. Once Passepartout becomes less fickle, dedicating himself to Phileas’s purpose and legacy, the pocket watch is referenced once again; in this moment, though, the timepiece is synchronized with the latter part of the journey due to passing the meridian. This change represents Passepartout’s character development and functions as an important plot device as well, providing tension when it initially appears that Phileas has lost the wager.