# Chapter XVI explained — Before Adam > Chapter companion for Before Adam by Jack London. ## What happens Red-Eye pursues the Swift One through the trees, nearly killing her, but the narrator and Big-Face intervene. Old Saber-Tooth attacks, killing Big-Face, and the narrator and Swift One escape. The narrator chases the Swift One in a love-maddened pursuit, eventually catching her in a nest-shelter. They live together until lightning destroys their nest, forcing them to return to the caves, where the narrator evicts Lop-Ear and settles with the Swift One, leading to trouble with Red-Eye. ## Themes in this chapter ### Fear and Survival The chapter highlights the constant threat of violence and death from Red-Eye, Saber-Tooth, and other predators, with survival hinging on accidents and quick decisions. ### Violence and Atavistic Aggression Red-Eye's brutal pursuit of the Swift One, the narrator's mad charge, and Saber-Tooth's attack exemplify primal violence and aggression. ### Primitive Society and Social Organization The dynamics of the horde, including mate-taking, cave eviction, and the role of the alpha male (Red-Eye), illustrate early social structures. ## Character check-ins ### Red-Eye Chases and nearly kills the Swift One; fights the narrator and Big-Face; is thwarted by Saber-Tooth's attack. ### The Swift One Pursued by Red-Eye; rescued by the narrator; leads the narrator on a love-chase; eventually mates with the narrator. ### Big Face Allies with the narrator against Red-Eye; killed and eaten by Saber-Tooth. ### Old Saber-Tooth Attacks the group, killing Big-Face; inadvertently saves the narrator and Swift One from Red-Eye. ### Lop-Ear Evicted from the cave by the narrator when the narrator and Swift One return to live with the horde. ## Key lines > It was a mere accident⁠—the sheerest accident. Else would I have died, there in Red-Eye’s clutch, and there would have been no bridging of time to the tune of a thousand centuries down to a progeny that reads newspapers and rides on electric cars⁠—ay, and that writes narratives of bygone happenings even as this is written. The narrator reflects that only a pure accident saved him from Red-Eye, and without that chance, his lineage would never have survived to produce modern humans who read newspapers and ride electric cars. _Highlights the theme of chance and the narrator's self-awareness of his role as an ancestor._ > Such was the madness of love⁠ ⁠… with me. With the Swift One it was different. She was very wise. She did not take any real risks, and I remember, on looking back across the centuries to that wild love-chase, that when the pigs delayed me she did not run away very fast, but waited, rather, for me to take up the pursuit again. The narrator admits he was driven mad by love, taking reckless risks, while the Swift One was cautious and deliberately slowed her flight to let him catch up. _Contrasts the narrator's impulsive passion with the Swift One's calculated wisdom._ > Thus did the Swift One and I get our wedding breakfast. They were delicious. It was easy to catch birds in the spring of the year. The narrator and Swift One caught two fighting birds for their first meal together as a mated pair, noting that spring made bird-catching easy. _Describes a simple, primal wedding feast._ ## Links - HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/before_adam_se/chapters/xvi - Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/before_adam_se - All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/before_adam_se/chapters