Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in Island of the Blue Dolphins, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
The Natural World
Solitude
Friendship
Gender Roles and Survival
Colonialism, Violence, and Indigenous Culture
Summary
Analysis
The white men’s ship doesn’t come back to the island all spring or summer, though Karana watches for it every day—and she watches for the Aleuts’ red ship. Karana ponders what to do if the Aleuts return. She figures she can hide in the cave she set up for illness, since it’s difficult to access and the Aleuts don’t know about the spring near it. But she decides if she’s going to stay there, she needs a canoe in case she has to flee. So, Karana decides to improve her canoe. It takes days to dig the canoe out of the sand, but it helps that it’s warm enough for Karana to sleep on the beach.
Even though Karana is settling in on the island, she’s still focused on being ready to leave with the white ship at a moment’s notice. But she also knows that she needs to prepare for the Aleuts’ return, which isn’t guaranteed but seems likely to happen. So even though Karana is alone on the island, her activities are still being dictated by colonial forces—one that might kill her, and one that will take her away.
Themes
The canoe is still too big for Karana to easily get in and out of the water, so she decides to take it apart and make it smaller. When she’s done, the canoe isn’t as pretty as it once was—but she can lift it. All summer as she works on the canoe, Rontu is nearby. He sleeps in the shade, chases the pelicans, and quickly learns his name. Karana speaks to him often and Rontu learns several words. But even when he doesn’t understand, he still cocks his head as though he does. Now, Karana isn’t lonely anymore.
Canoes, Karana implied earlier, were designed for men in her tribe or for groups of people. As a single woman, she needs to make the canoe useable, which means using everything she knows about canoes to turn it into something appropriate for a single teenage girl. This task seems easier now that Karana has a friend. Rontu makes her solitude easier to bear.
Themes
When Karana finally finishes the canoe, she and Rontu take a trip around the entire island. It takes all day, but once the canoe proves dependable, Karana starts taking other trips. There are lots of sea caves on the island, and one day, Karana and Rontu explore one just under the headland. Once they make it through the narrow opening, they find a relatively large, black, smooth room. The gold light illuminates the fish in the water. This room opens into another small, dark room that Karana finds disturbing. But she can see a tiny spot of light ahead, so she lets the canoe drift toward it.
Finishing the canoe gives Karana freedom that she hasn’t had before. This smaller canoe isn’t difficult to use, and it allows Karana to become even more knowledgeable about her home. Going on these expeditions with Rontu, meanwhile, highlights how close Karana and Rontu have become. Even though Karana is sometimes disturbed or nervous about what she finds, with Rontu around, she knows she isn’t going to have to do something scary alone.
Themes
Karana and Rontu come out in a room like the first one. It’s high tide, but there’s still a rock shelf—this is a perfect place to stash a canoe. If Karana cuts a trail from her house, she’ll be able to get to the water much faster. She tells Rontu this is a great discovery, but he’s busy watching a massive devilfish (octopus) swimming near the surface. Karana lets the canoe drift closer and slowly picks up her spear. Devilfish can be dangerous, with their many strong arms and sharp beak. But as Karana leans out to use her spear, the devilfish releases a cloud of ink.
Finding this cave allows Karana to ensure her safety, as storing her canoe here will make it way more accessible for her (especially if she has to leave quickly in the event the Aleuts return). Karana knows very well that there are some animals she has to approach with caution, such as a devilfish—especially one of this size. And Rontu proves a helpful friend, as he’s the one who first sights the devilfish.
Themes
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The devilfish appears ahead of the canoe, but it’s too fast. Karana can’t catch up. Rontu doesn’t acknowledge Karana when she says he has a lot to learn about devilfish. Instead, he stares at the water, confused—especially when there’s no devilfish once the black ink cloud clears. Devilfish is a delicacy, but they’re hard to catch. Karana decides to spend the winter making a special spear to catch it and heads home to Coral Cove. Winter is coming, so Karana hides the canoe on the beach. In the spring, she’ll take it to the cave she found. With the cave, the dog, and the thrill of hunting the devilfish, Karana is happy.
Rontu’s confusion about the devilfish adds lightness and humor to this passage; readers at all familiar with dogs can imagine how silly he looks. His humorous confusion, combined with Karana’s happiness, gives the impression that Karana is settling into her life as a single person on the island—and is even enjoying it. In particular, the thrill of the devilfish hunt gives her something to look forward to. And that isn’t something she would’ve been able to do before, as part of the tribe.
Themes
