Previous
Chapter 16
Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in The Beach, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Tourism and Authenticity
Power, Control, and Human Nature
War, Violence, and Escapism
Secrecy, Fear, and Paranoia
Summary
Analysis
Richard learns from Françoise and Étienne that the island with the beach is about a kilometer or two away swimming, which is a long distance to travel with rucksacks, particularly for Richard. They decide to make smaller plastic bags with only the most essential items in them. They hide their rucksacks in the meantime and prepare to swim.
While Richard dreams of getting away from his old life, he has to deal with practical concerns like transporting his belongings across vast distances of water. This shows how Richard can’t help bringing civilization with him as he goes.
Themes
Richard, Étienne, and Françoise start off their swim confidently, but by the time they pass the halfway point, Richard starts to feel afraid. Still, as they go farther, although Richard aches, he begins to feel that their idea might actually work. He thinks of other things, like how when he gets back to England, he should finally pass his driving test. When they finally reach land, Richard is so exhausted that he encourages everyone to spend the night right there, then head on to try to find the beach in the morning.
While the novel often presents Richard in a satirical light, showing the limits of his understanding, it also shows moments of genuine character growth for him. In this case, the long swim helps Richard learn that he is capable of doing more than he realizes. The physical effort that goes into the swim makes his challenges back home in England, like a driving test, feel insignificant in comparison.
Themes
