The Blue Lagoon · Chapter
XXI: The Garland of Flowers explained
Dick and Emmeline discover the body of Paddy Button on the reef, a moment of playful prank turning into a horrifying confrontation with death.
What happens
Dick and Emmeline discover the body of Paddy Button on the reef, a moment of playful prank turning into a horrifying confrontation with death. Emmeline's wreath of flowers becomes a garish crown on the corpse, and Dick's instinct is to flee in terror, dragging the unconscious Emmeline away.
Themes in this chapter
Death and Mortality
The sudden, grotesque discovery of Paddy's corpse forces Dick and Emmeline to confront death directly, shattering their innocence.
Innocence and Loss
The children's playful intent with the wreath is violently overturned by the reality of death, marking a loss of childhood naivety.
The Sublime and Terrible Nature
The beautiful reef and ocean setting contrast starkly with the horror of the decaying body, highlighting nature's indifference.
Characters to notice
- Dick
Discovers Paddy's body, initially planning a prank, then flees in horror with Emmeline.
- Emmeline
Makes a flower wreath for the prank, screams and loses consciousness upon seeing the corpse.
- Paddy Button
Found dead on the reef, his face partially destroyed by rock larvae, a crab emerging from his mouth.
Key passages
“He held her to him as he stared at the terrible figure lying upon its back, hands outspread. Then, wild with terror, he dragged her towards the little boat.”
Dick clutched Emmeline while gazing at the horrifying corpse, then, overcome by panic, pulled her to the boat.
Dick's instinctive flight from the horror of Paddy's body.
“Emmeline screamed, and screamed, and would have fallen, but the boy caught her in his arms—one side of the face had been destroyed by the larvae of the rocks.”
Emmeline screamed repeatedly and nearly collapsed, but Dick caught her; part of Paddy's face had been eaten away by rock larvae.
The gruesome detail of Paddy's decomposition and Emmeline's reaction.