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Chapter 17
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
That evening, Françoise points out some of the stars for Richard while Étienne is trying to sleep. They start talking about the universe and how if it’s largest, then there could be parallel worlds where things are totally different, or perhaps only a little different. Françoise asks Richard to tell her about other worlds. In a dream, Richard kisses Françoise, then watches Étienne wakes up in disbelief. Still in the dream, Étienne falls back asleep, then Richard continues to kiss Françoise.
Several passages in the book blur the line between fantasy and reality. This reflects the perspective of narrator Richard who does indeed often struggle to tell the difference between real life and fantasy. Part of the reason why Richard wants Françoise is because he can’t have her, which is also true of the secluded beach on a national park that he is heading to.
Themes
