Dec 18, 2009

Island of the Blue Dolphins | Social Concerns

On more than one occasion O'Dell has stated that he is a preacher at heart. He feels strongly about certain moral and social issues, and he seeks to convey his views to his young readers — and to influence them; so his writings are intentionally, but not obtrusively, didactic. He says that one of his reasons for writing Island of the Blue Dolphins was his concern about the natural world and man's tendency to exploit and destroy the environment — specifically the wanton killing of sea otters and other forms of wildlife. Consciously reflecting Dr. Albert Schweitzer's "reverence...