# XXIII: They Move Away explained — The Blue Lagoon

> Chapter companion for The Blue Lagoon by H. de Vere Stacpoole.

## 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.

## Themes 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.

## Character check-ins

### Dick

Prepares the dinghy, rows along the lagoon, and seeks a new home.

### Emmeline

Carried asleep to the dinghy and awakens as they reach shore.

## Key lines

> 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._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_blue_lagoon_se/chapters/part-iii-xxiii-they-move-away
- Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_blue_lagoon_se
- All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_blue_lagoon_se/chapters