The Nautilus as a Technological Utopia: From Jules Verne’s Literary Conception to Contemporary Technological and Social Reality

Abstract

The submarine Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea by Jules Verne represents one of the most coherent technological utopias in nineteenth-century literature. This article approaches the Nautilus as a hybrid construct that operates simultaneously as a fictional engineering model, a technological utopia, and a critical framework for examining the relationship between humans and technology. Adopting an interdisciplinary methodology that combines literary analysis with the history of technology, the study explores how Verne integrates contemporary scientific knowledge—particularly in hydrodynamics, energy systems, and naval engineering—into a coherent narrative structure. It further examines the transition from the literary conception of the Nautilus to modern submarine technologies, highlighting both continuities and divergences. Special emphasis is placed on the pedagogical function of Verne’s work within children’s and young adult literature, as the Nautilus serves as a model for understanding fundamental technological concepts. The article argues that its enduring relevance lies not in its predictive capacity, but in its ability to articulate both the possibilities and limitations of technological progress within a broader social context.