(a) Even though Fogg loses time due to being wrongly arrested and imprisoned, he makes every effort to reach London on time. He arranges a special train from Liverpool. He does not quit when he feels that there is some faint chance of a win. Later, when Passepartout discovers that it is Saturday and not Sunday, and that there is still a chance of winning, Fogg puts aside everything and rushes headlong to the Reform Club. He does not give up in spite of all the obstacles, and comes out a winner, both in winning the bet and the love of a good woman.
(b) The most important theme in the extract is time. Fogg’s wager is a race against time, and his adventures illustrate repeatedly that time is fickle, and either works for or against them. In many cases, time foils their plans, when the delays build up and the train to Liverpool leaves without them. In the end, though, it is time that helps wins Fogg his bet, since they gained a day when crossing the International Date Line. The ultimate message is that no one can control time; time will work the way it wants to work, and humans are at its mercy. Time is the only solution to problems.