ISLAND OF THE BLUE DOLPHINS - FREE PLOT ANALYSIS

CHAPTER 22

Summary

Karana left the cave and the necklace and did not sleep near there that night. Instead, she slept on the headlands, which seemed safer.

The next morning she went to where she could watch the cave entrance and waited. Tutok returned, singing. When she did not find Karana, she left. Karana ran after her. She put on the necklace that Tutok had left the previous night. They both admired the necklace as they had admired the cormorant skirt. Then they told each other the names of things in their surroundings. Tutok wanted to know Karana's name. Karana told her that her name was Won-a-pa-lei. She did not let her know her secret name.

After Tutok left, Karana moved back into the cave. Again, she felt that the cave was safe. The following day, Tutok returned and they had a long visit, although time flew for them. That day Karana told Tutok her secret name. And, that night she began making a gift for Tutok.

There were many visits. Then, one day Tutok did not come. This made Karana uneasy. She feared that the Aleut men would come to the cave. Again, she moved out of the cave and observed the entrance to the cave from a hidden spot.

Finally, Karana went to a place where she could see the ship, if it was still there. She found that it was there, but she could see that the Aleuts were preparing to leave.

When Karana again observed the site of the ship, it was gone. She was happy that she could again wander the island unafraid, but she was also sad because her friend was gone.

Notes

KaranaÂ’s trust of Tutok developed over time. At first Karana did not want to stay in the cave because of fear that the other Aleuts might find out from Tutok that she was there. And, she did not want to tell Tutok her secret name. Then, one night Karana felt safe enough to stay overnight in the cave. The next day, she told Tutok her secret name.

CHAPTER 23

Summary

After the hunters left, Karana found a wounded otter. She began to care for it and nursed it back to health. The otter became her friend and she gave it a name, Mon-a-nee, meaning "Little Boy with Large Eyes." When a time came that several days in a row she was unable to catch fish for Mon-a-nee, he left. Karana could not find him because it was impossible to distinguish him from the other otters.

Karana , after much searching, found stones to make earrings that matched the necklace that she had received from Tutok. Then, much work was required to sand them and to put holes in them. Finally, they were ready. Karana walked the island wearing her cormorant skirt with her necklace and earrings, Rontu at her side and thoughts of Tutok on her mind.

Notes

Karana seems to be lonelier after her time with Tutok than she was before Tutok arrived on the island.

CHAPTER 24

Summary

Tainor and Lurai, the birds whose wings Karana had clipped, raised a family in the tree where they were born. Again, Karana clipped their wings and they also became tame.

Karana also had a gull that she rescued when she found that it had a broken leg. Tainor and Lurai and their offspring, along with the gull and Rontu were Karana's family.

Karana found Mon-a-nee again and discovered that Mon-a-nee was a female and that she had two babies. She renamed her Won-a-nee, the feminine version of Mon-a-nee. She spent time with Won-a-nee and her family and enjoyed watching Mon-a-nee teach her family to lay abalones on their chests and crack them open using rocks.

After this time Karana never killed another otter. She never killed another cormorant or seal or wild dog or sea elephant.

Notes

As Karana's relationships with animals grew, so did her aversion to killing. And this aversion extended even to those animals with whom she did not develop any close personal relationship, such as the sea elephants and seals.