Who Impey Barbicane is
While others complain that peace has made their guns unnecessary, he finds a new target in the Moon. He is serious rather than loud, and he thinks carefully before speaking to the restless club.
What Impey Barbicane wants
Barbicane wants to prove that a shell can be fired from Earth toward the Moon. He supports his proposal with calculations and asks the Cambridge Observatory to examine whether the plan is possible. His practical nature shows in his attention to speed, strong walls and the preparations needed for the launch.
Impey Barbicane and the others in the story
J. T. Maston, the club's secretary and a gifted mathematician, is Barbicane's closest friend and devoted supporter. Captain Nicholl takes the opposite position, betting that the gun and its shell will fail. Nicholl's objections make Barbicane check his work, giving their rivalry a useful place in the project.
Michel Ardan brings a different kind of confidence when he asks to travel inside the shell. Barbicane is cautious at first, but he and Nicholl agree to join the French adventurer. Their shared risk turns an old rivalry into cooperation without removing their differences in temperament.
Questions
Who is Impey Barbicane?
Impey Barbicane is the Baltimore Gun Club's president and the practical leader behind its proposed Moon shot.
Why does Barbicane want to shoot at the Moon?
He wants to show that the project can be done, giving the club's artillery skills a new purpose after the war.
How is Barbicane connected to Captain Nicholl?
They are longstanding rivals, with Barbicane making shells and Nicholl making armor plate. Nicholl challenges the Moon project before agreeing to share its risks.
