Question

Describe, ‘Winning heart over money,’ as the central idea of the novel, ‘Around the World in Eighty Days.’

Hint:

While explaining the central idea of a novel, connect the theme with the major events and character development in the story.

Answer 1

Step 1: Introduction to the Novel.
“Around the World in Eighty Days” is written by Jules Verne.
The novel revolves around Phileas Fogg, who accepts a wager of twenty thousand pounds to travel around the world in eighty days.
Step 2: Importance of Money in the Beginning.
Initially, the journey begins as a matter of pride and money.
Fogg is determined to win the bet and prove his punctuality and determination.
Money appears to be the main motivation behind the adventure.
Step 3: Winning Hearts Over Money.
However, during the journey, Fogg rescues Aouda from danger and later marries her.
He also earns the loyalty and love of his servant, Passepartout.
At the end of the novel, although he almost loses the bet, he realizes that the true gain of the journey is love and companionship.
Thus, human relationships and emotions become more valuable than money.
Step 4: Conclusion.
The novel clearly conveys that winning hearts and forming meaningful relationships is more important than winning money.
Therefore, “Winning heart over money” stands as the central idea of the novel.