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Chapter 83
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 follows the guards with their prisoners, but soon, he can’t hear them anymore. He gets angry at Daffy for distracting him and nearly getting him captured with the others. Daffy protests that Richard should have broken Sal’s orders and intervened to help the newcomers at once. All of a sudden, Richard hears several bursts of gunfire. He realizes that Zeph, Sammy, and the Germans have actually been shot. Richard nearly throws up. Soon after, Daffy disappears.
The gunfire is a moment of realization for Richard as he finally experiences the dangers of the man guarding the marijuana. Still, even this moment doesn’t fully convince Richard of the danger because he didn’t see the shooting happen. Richard’s vomiting shows how in spite of how he thinks he wants danger, on a physical level, his body rejects it.
Themes
