Quote 1
"How beautiful it is! How beautiful!" exclaimed Conseil.
"Yes," I said, "it's a wonderful sight. Isn't it Ned?
"Hell, yes," riposted Land. "It's superb! I hate to have to agree. We've never seen anything like it. But this sight may cost us dear. To be frank, I think that we're seeing things here that God wished to hide from man's eyes."
Ned was right. It was too beautiful. (2.15.52-5)
Even Aronnax, a man ready to sacrifice his freedom to explore the unknown, realizes that some things are best left unexplained. Do you think that this principle applies to Nemo's past, or not?
"And so, captain," Conseil said seriously, "if by chance this were the last of its race, would it be better to spare it—in the interests of science?"
"Perhaps," responded the Canadian; "but in the interests of the table, it is better to hunt it."
"So go ahead, Master Land," replied Captain Nemo. (2.5.44-6)
Ned lets his stomach, not his brain, do the thinking. It's surprising that Nemo doesn't intervene. But if Nemo doesn't view Ned's prey as "oppressed," we're guessing he actually doesn't care that much what Ned does.