The Blue Lagoon · Chapter
XXIII: They Move Away explained
Dick prepares the dinghy with supplies and water, then carries the sleeping Emmeline aboard.
What happens
Dick prepares the dinghy with supplies and water, then carries the sleeping Emmeline aboard. He rows along the lagoon, avoiding the reef where birds circle a grim spot, and searches for a new home. After traveling four and a half miles, he finds a broad, parklike sward with shallow, windswept water. As the boat touches shore, Emmeline awakens.
Free preview opens on this chapter — companions, themes, and character notes appear beside the text.
Narrative arc
Story tension across the book — this chapter sits in Exposition.
- Setup
- Escalation
- Breaking point
- Aftermath
- Closing
This is the story's dramatic climax because it marks the emotional and psychological peak where the protagonis…
Full beat labels and climax notes unlock in the reader.
Follow the arc while readingThemes in this chapter
- Isolation and Survival
Dick gathers supplies and searches for a permanent shelter, highlighting the struggle to survive alone on the island.
- The Sublime and Terrible Nature
The lagoon is described as a 'lake in the midst of the ocean,' with beautiful yet ominous elements like the distant reef and birds circling a grim spot.
Characters to notice
Key passages
“He was seeking a new home, in fact.”
Dick is actively looking for a place to settle permanently.
This line explicitly states the purpose of the journey.
“A lake in the midst of the ocean, that is what the lagoon really was.”
The lagoon feels like a lake surrounded by the vast ocean.
Highlights the unique geography and the theme of the sublime.
