Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in James and the Giant Peach, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Children vs. Adults
Assumptions vs. Curiosity
Nature and Growing Up
Fun, Nonsense, and Absurdity
Summary
Analysis
When the sun rises, everyone stands and stretches. Then, the Centipede notices that there’s land below them. Everyone celebrates and peers down at the vast city below them, which is spotted with tall buildings. The Old-Green-Grasshopper doesn’t think this is England and James agrees—this must be America. The peach crossed the Atlantic overnight. The Centipede is thrilled at this turn of events, but the Earthworm cuts him off. He insists they need to figure out how to get down to land. The Ladybug suggests they ask James. James thinks if they cut down a few seagulls at a time, they’ll slowly descend and reach the ground.
Unlike his companions, the Earthworm hasn’t learned the importance of not making assumptions or jumping to conclusions. It’s still in his nature to panic and assume that things won’t go well—even though James has proven himself more than capable of rescuing the peach and his friends from danger. The Ladybug, on the other hand, now sees James as a competent young man, ready for the next chapter of his life.
Themes
