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Chapter 57
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
Later that day, Richard dives off the waterfall that day to celebrate escaping the Thai man. He looks up the cliff and can tell Jed disapproves. When they reunite, Jed observes that Richard is high. Richard says it’s been a while since he smoked dope, but Jed says this is a different type of high. Still, he allows Richard to tell everyone about the Thai man with the gun, so that the rest of the camp won’t get the idea that the two of them have secrets.
The differing attitudes of Jed and Richard show how Jed is more mature than Richard—at least better understands the potential danger that the man with the rifle posed. While Richard doesn’t want to hear it, Jed correctly identifies that Richard seeks out adrenaline as a high, and Jed can sense how this is dangerous.
Themes
Richard wants to tell his fishing friends about the Thai man, but first he goes to get food, where he runs into Unhygienix, Cassie, and Ella. Unhygienix is proud of how he thought to add papaya to the stew. Bugs discovered the papayas in an orchard full of monkeys recently. Richard gets indignant, saying he discovered the orchard weeks ago and that Bugs is lying about finding it himself. Richard then finds Jesse, who says Keaty left a note for him. The note says “Smoke this quick! Phosphorescence! Keaty!” Richard is confused, but Jesse advises him to smoke a joint Keaty left behind and walk toward the beach.
Themes
