Beast Themes

Peter Benchley
This Study Guide consists of approximately 9 pages of chapter summaries, quotes, character analysis, themes, and more - everything you need to sharpen your knowledge of Beast.

Beast Themes

Peter Benchley
This Study Guide consists of approximately 9 pages of chapter summaries, quotes, character analysis, themes, and more - everything you need to sharpen your knowledge of Beast.
This section contains 360 words
(approx. 2 pages at 300 words per page)
Buy the Beast Short Guide

Beast Summary & Study Guide Description

Beast Summary & Study Guide includes comprehensive information and analysis to help you understand the book. This study guide contains the following sections:

This detailed literature summary also contains Related Titles on Beast by Peter Benchley.

Preview of Beast Summary:

Beast echoes Benchley's Jaws (1974; see separate entry). Benchley replaces the white shark in this novel with a near mythical creature, Architeuthis dux, the giant squid. Homer refers to it in The Odyssey, and seafaring Norsemen made it part of their mythology. Shore dwellers have long known of its existence because dead specimens have occasionally washed up on beaches. Few have seen live giant squid and marine biologists still have not learned much about their life processes.

Accordingly they retain their mystery, and their size and power make these usually peaceful creatures a source of possible menace.

It is this potential on which Benchley capitalizes. As Darling says of the terror experienced by his assistant: "The thing has opened a dark door inside this young man. It's weird how things we don't understand can arouse demons we don't even know we have." This capacity for terror is what Benchley...

This section contains 360 words
(approx. 2 pages at 300 words per page)
Buy the Beast Short Guide
Copyrights
Gale
Beast from Gale. ©2005-2006 Thomson Gale, a part of the Thomson Corporation. All rights reserved.