Jean Passepartout () is a fictional character in
Jules Verne's novel ''
Around the World in Eighty Days'', published in 1873. He is the French
valet
A valet or varlet is a male servant who serves as personal attendant to his employer. In the Middle Ages and Ancien Régime, valet de chambre was a role for junior courtiers and specialists such as artists in a royal court, but the term "valet ...
of the novel's English main character,
Phileas Fogg
Phileas Fogg () is the protagonist in the 1872 Jules Verne novel ''Around the World in Eighty Days''. Inspirations for the character were the American entrepreneur George Francis Train and American writer and adventurer William Perry Fogg.
...
. His surname translates literally to "goes everywhere", but “passepartout” is also an idiom meaning "
skeleton key
A skeleton key (also known as a passkey) is a type of master key in which the serrated edge has been removed in such a way that it can open numerous locks, most commonly the warded lock. The term derives from the fact that the key has been r ...
" in French. It can also be understood as a play on the English word ''
passport''—-or it’s French equivalent —-and on the French word (everywhere).
Fictional biography
At the beginning of the novel, Passepartout has just been hired by Phileas Fogg after Fogg's previous valet failed to meet his exacting standards on 2 October 1872 at twenty eight minutes past eight. Passepartout, who has lived an irregular and well-travelled life, is looking forward to a restful employment, as Fogg is known for his regular habits which never take him further afield than the
Reform Club
The Reform Club is a private members' club on the south side of Pall Mall in central London, England. As with all of London's original gentlemen's clubs, it comprised an all-male membership for decades, but it was one of the first all-male cl ...
.
Ironically, on Passepartout's first day at work, Fogg makes a bet with his friends at the Club that he can circumnavigate the world within 80 days and Passepartout is obliged to accompany him. In addition to the wager, the valet has an additional incentive to complete the journey quickly: he left a
gaslight
Gas lighting is the production of artificial light from combustion of a gaseous fuel, such as hydrogen, methane, carbon monoxide, propane, butane, acetylene, ethylene, coal gas (town gas) or natural gas. The light is produced either direct ...
burning in his room and the resulting expense of wasted gas will be docked from his salary.
In the journey, Passepartout plays a critical role in Fogg's adventures, such as rescuing a young woman named
Aouda from a forced
sati
Sati or SATI may refer to:
Entertainment
* ''Sati'' (film), a 1989 Bengali film by Aparna Sen and starring Shabana Azmi
* ''Sati'' (novel), a 1990 novel by Christopher Pike
*Sati (singer) (born 1976), Lithuanian singer
*Sati, a character in ''Th ...
and becoming a friend of Fix, a police detective who suspects Fogg of robbing a bank. Passepartout learns of Fix's suspicions, but keeps them to himself as he believes Fogg already has enough to worry about concerning his wager, and comes to suspect Fogg may possibly have committed the crime considering the extraordinary spending his master does through the trip's more desperate moments. Due to his silence, however, Fogg and Fix never have a chance to discuss the case in neutral territory, and Fix arrests Fogg as soon as they return to England. This critically delays Fogg before he is exonerated and the company arrives in London, seemingly too late and leaving Passepartout in almost suicidal despair at his foolishness.
The next day at home, Aouda proposes to Fogg to help him in his hard life ahead. While searching for a minister to marry the couple, Passepartout discovers that the date is one day earlier than he thought, due to the party having traveled east across the
International Date Line. Once Fogg learns of the error, he dashes to the Reform Club and arrives just in time to win the bet.
Fogg marries Aouda, with Passepartout giving away the bride, and divides the net proceeds from the journey between Passepartout and Fix - but not without deducting the cost of the gaslight use from Passepartout's share.
The character of Passepartout serves several purposes in the narrative - as a point-of-view character for Verne's French readers and as
comic relief
Comic relief is the inclusion of a humorous character, scene, or witty dialogue in an otherwise serious work, often to relieve tension.
Definition
Comic relief usually means a releasing of emotional or other tension resulting from a comic epis ...
, both in his reactions to the strange places and events he encounters, and in a tendency to get trapped, abducted, or, on at least one occasion, left behind.
Other appearances
* In
Philip José Farmer
Philip José Farmer (January 26, 1918 – February 25, 2009) was an American author known for his science fiction and fantasy novels and short stories.
Obituary.
Farmer is best known for his sequences of novels, especially the ''World of Tiers ...
's 1973 novel ''
The Other Log of Phileas Fogg
''The Other Log of Phileas Fogg'' is a science fiction written by American author Philip José Farmer in 1973. Reviving the Phileas Fogg character created by Jules Verne, the novel has also been classified as steampunk and a parallel novel. It ...
'', Passepartout is merely a code-name. Like Phileas Fogg, Passepartout is actually an agent of the Eridanians, a race of aliens hiding on Earth and opposed to the Capellans, whose servants include
Captain Nemo
Captain Nemo (; later identified as an Indian, Prince Dakkar) is a fictional character created by the French novelist Jules Verne (1828–1905). Nemo appears in two of Verne's science-fiction classics, ''Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Seas'' ...
and
Professor Moriarty.
* In
Kevin J. Anderson's 2002 novel ''
Captain Nemo: The Fantastic History of a Dark Genius'', he is one of the officials captured by
Robur during the
Crimean War
The Crimean War, , was fought from October 1853 to February 1856 between Russia and an ultimately victorious alliance of the Ottoman Empire, France, the United Kingdom and Piedmont-Sardinia.
Geopolitical causes of the war included the ...
, along with
Captain Nemo
Captain Nemo (; later identified as an Indian, Prince Dakkar) is a fictional character created by the French novelist Jules Verne (1828–1905). Nemo appears in two of Verne's science-fiction classics, ''Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Seas'' ...
and
Cyrus Smith
Cyrus Smith (named Cyrus Harding in some English translations) is one of the protagonists of Jules Verne's 1875 novel ''The Mysterious Island''. He is an officer in the Union Army during the American Civil War. He is a very skilled man and a fine ...
.
In other media
Film
* In the 1919 film version, ''
Around the World in Eighty Days'', Passepartout was played by
Eugen Rex
Eugen is a masculine given name which may refer to:
* Archduke Eugen of Austria (1863–1954), last Habsburg Grandmaster of the Teutonic Order from 1894 to 1923
* Prince Eugen, Duke of Närke (1865–1947), Swedish painter, art collector, and pat ...
.
* In the 1956 film version, ''
Around the World in 80 Days
''Around the World in Eighty Days'' (french: link=no, Le tour du monde en quatre-vingts jours) is an adventure novel by the French writer Jules Verne, first published in French in 1872. In the story, Phileas Fogg of London and his newly employe ...
'', Passepartout was played by the actor
Cantinflas
Mario Fortino Alfonso Moreno Reyes (12 August 1911 – 20 April 1993), known by the stage name Cantinflas (), was a Mexican comedian, actor, and filmmaker. He is considered to have been the most widely-accomplished Mexican comedian and is cel ...
.
* In the more loosely adapted 2004 film version, ''
Around the World in 80 Days
''Around the World in Eighty Days'' (french: link=no, Le tour du monde en quatre-vingts jours) is an adventure novel by the French writer Jules Verne, first published in French in 1872. In the story, Phileas Fogg of London and his newly employe ...
'', Passepartout was a Chinese fugitive whose real name is Lau Xing, who took the name to avoid custody by British authorities. He was played by
Jackie Chan
Fang Shilong (born 7 April 1954), known professionally in English as Jackie Chan and in Chinese as Cheng Long ( zh, c=成龍, j=Sing4 Lung4; "becoming the dragon"), is a Hong Kong actor, filmmaker, martial artist, and stuntman known for ...
.
Television
* In the 1972
animated series
An animated series is a set of animated works with a common series title, usually related to one another. These episodes should typically share the same main characters, some different secondary characters and a basic theme. Series can have eith ...
, he was voiced by
Ross Higgins Ross or ROSS may refer to:
People
* Clan Ross, a Highland Scottish clan
* Ross (name), including a list of people with the surname or given name Ross, as well as the meaning
* Earl of Ross, a peerage of Scotland
Places
* RoSS, the Republic of So ...
. This version had a pet
monkey named Toto.
* In the 1981 animated adaptation, ''
Around the World with Willy Fog'', which depicts the cast as
anthropomorphic animals
Anthropomorphism is the attribution of human traits, emotions, or intentions to non-human entities. It is considered to be an innate tendency of human psychology.
Personification is the related attribution of human form and characteristics t ...
, Passepartout is renamed Rigadon (although he is named Passepartout in some translations), and emphasis is placed on his background as a former circus performer, hence, his desire to get away from a lifestyle that involves much travel. This adaptation also graces Rigadon with a companion in the form of Tico, his circus partner, offering the character someone he can interact with on his own level. Rigadon was voiced by
Cam Clarke
Cam Clarke is an American voice actor, known for his work in animation, video games and commercials. Among his notable roles are Leonardo and Rocksteady in the 1987 ''Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles'' animated series, Shotaro Kaneda in the 1989 ...
in the dubbed English version of the series.
* In the 1989 television mini-series, ''
Around the World in 80 Days
''Around the World in Eighty Days'' (french: link=no, Le tour du monde en quatre-vingts jours) is an adventure novel by the French writer Jules Verne, first published in French in 1872. In the story, Phileas Fogg of London and his newly employe ...
'', the role is played by
Eric Idle.
* In ''
The Secret Adventures of Jules Verne
''The Secret Adventures of Jules Verne'' is a Canadian science fiction television series that first aired in June 2000 on CBC Television in Canada. The series first ran in the United States on cable on The Sci-Fi Channel (now Syfy), and last ...
'' he is played by
Michel Courtemanche.
* In the 2008 ''Rocket! Take Us to the Moon. New
From the Earth to the Moon
''From the Earth to the Moon: A Direct Route in 97 Hours, 20 Minutes'' (french: De la Terre à la Lune, trajet direct en 97 heures 20 minutes) is an 1865 novel by Jules Verne. It tells the story of the Baltimore Gun Club, a post-American Civil W ...
'' animated series.
Jean Passepartout was subtly implied to have a son, whom he put under the care of Phileas and Aouda Fogg. His son is the lead character of the series, with the future Japanese girl Matogawa Eri as both his co-star and love interest. Jean Passepartout was voiced by Watanabe Kazushige (渡辺一茂), while his son was voiced by Sakai Chika (酒井智加).
* In the
2021 series, from PBS's Masterpiece Theatre, he is played by
Ibrahim Koma
Ibrahim Koma (born 5 November 1987) is a French actor. He began his career as a child actor in the film ''We Need a Holiday'' (2002) and the soap opera ''Sous le soleil'' (2002–2008). He has since starred in the films ''Asphalt Playground'' (20 ...
.
Video games
* In the 2014 ''
80 Days'' game based on the book, Passepartout is the
player character, accompanying Phileas Fogg around the world in a text based world, designed around a branching plot format.
References
* "Around the World in Eighty Days" by Jules Verne .
{{DEFAULTSORT:Passepartout, Jean
Around the World in Eighty Days characters
Literary characters introduced in 1873
Fictional servants
Fictional valets
Fictional French people in literature
Sidekicks in literature
Male characters in literature
es:Passepartout (La vuelta al mundo en ochenta días)