Content Warning: This section contains descriptions of suicide, gore, and drug use.

The Prologue of The Beach reveals the confusion of protagonist and narrator Richard’s mind. He was born in 1974 during the height of the Vietnam War, and thoughts of the war pervade his consciousness. This section references opera music, which could be referring to Philip Glass’s famous opera, “Einstein on the Beach,” written in 1975 and carrying thematic elements of the uncertainty of war. Richard claims to “walk through the valley of death [but] […] fear no evil” (1), establish his lust for danger and adventure.

Richard arrives in Bangkok, Thailand, and is dropped off on the Ko Sanh Road, a place for backpackers to find their footing. He goes to a local eatery where a man, whom Richard assumes is using heroin, points to a nearby guesthouse. Richard takes a room at the guesthouse, though it is shabby; he hears roaches crawling around. A French couple is also staying at the guesthouse, but the other nearby rooms appear empty until a Scottish man arrives around 2:00am, swearing to himself.