Chapter 21 and 22 Summary and Analysis

Chapter 21—Time to Choose—Part II

Bernard is angry at continuing development on Tahiti. He accuses the bulldozers and concrete mixers as being somehow robots that only seek to pave over all of nature. He dislikes the concrete quay and docks Joshua at an undeveloped point in the harbor with several of his friends' boats. Bernard feels pity for the rat that raids the boats for food. When the weather is bad, the boats are forced to go to the protected concrete quay, but return to the undeveloped site as soon as possible. They plant grass and banana trees and dream of planting pandanus shrubs near the concrete quay. Then, Bernard and his friends face a move to develop their spot. Despite their protests, the spot is developed and Bernard becomes interested in the "Friends of the...