Island of the Blue Dolphins Questions and Answers
Island of the Blue Dolphins
How does Karana change throughout the story of the Island of the Blue Dolphins?
As the book progresses, Karana becomes more independent and more skilled at surviving on her own. When the book opens, Karana is describing live with her village, when she lived as part of a tribe....
Island of the Blue Dolphins
Why does Karana destroy the village in Island of the Blue Dolphins?
Karana destroys the village because it reminds her "of all the people who (are) dead and those who (are) gone". She burns it down so that she will no longer hear "their voices speaking", and so...
Island of the Blue Dolphins
How is the main conflict in Island of the Blue Dolphins resolved?
It would depend upon what you consider the main conflict. There is the obvious conflict of man vs. nature, with Karana and her brother (and ultimately just Karana) left alone on a deserted island...
Island of the Blue Dolphins
What are three main events in Island of the Blue Dolphins and what is the point of them?
Island of the Blue Dolphins is based on the true story of a Native American woman who spent 18 years alone on San Nicolas Island, off the coast of California (from about 1835 to 1853). In the...
Island of the Blue Dolphins
In Island of the Blue Dolphins, what is the solution to the problem: Karana is accidentally left behind when her...
Karana is not really left behind accidentally; it is her brother, Ramo, who is left when the ship sails. Karana is told they cannot go back for him because the tides have made it dangerous to...
Island of the Blue Dolphins
What is the problem in the story "Island of the Blue Dolphins"? What is the solution in the story?
I think this question is asking about the story's main conflict. If that is the case, then I would suggest that the main conflict is a man vs. nature conflict; however, the book begins with a man...
Island of the Blue Dolphins
What is the conflict in Island of the Blue Dolphins?
Island of the Blue Dolphins, by Scott O'Dell, revolves around the story of Karana, a young girl living with the rest of her tribe on an island. The tribe takes a large hit after a battle with a...
Island of the Blue Dolphins
What evidence shows that karana took pride in her appearance even though she was alone on the island?
Even though she lives alone on the island, Karana takes great pride in her appearance. In chapter 18, we are told that Karana takes time to make a yucca skirt for herself even as she spends time...
Island of the Blue Dolphins
What types of figurative language is used in Island of the Blue Dolphins"?
The most predominant type of figurative language is Karana's standard use of metaphor to describe her surroundings. She teases her brother for doing this very thing in Chapter 1, but the reader...
Island of the Blue Dolphins
In Island of the Blue Dolphins, what did they make weapons out of?
In Ch. 9, we see that Karana begins to make weapons because Ramo has been killed and she needs to be able to defend herself from the wild dogs on the island. She gathers enough wood on the beach to...
Island of the Blue Dolphins
In Island of the Blue Dolphins, why did Karana decide to leave the island?
It is possible that this question is asking about several different times in the book because Karana does try to leave the island twice and succeeds in leaving on the third attempt. The first time...
Island of the Blue Dolphins
Why did Karana decide not to build her house near the sea elephants?
Karana does not build her house near the sea elephants because they are extremely noisy. The thing that made me decide on the place to build my house was the sea elephants. (p. 69) The cows are...
Island of the Blue Dolphins
What are some causes and effects in the story Island of the Blue Dolphins?
The plot of the story is driven by a series of causes and effects. For example,Cause: The Aleuts try to cheat the islanders out of payment for the otter they catch.Effect: There is a fierce...
Island of the Blue Dolphins
In Island of the Blue Dolphins, Karana considers her sister, Ulape, vain. What two statements of proof does she offer...
In Chapter 4, as Captain Orlov is opening up the black chest, Karana tells us that Ulape "drew in her breath in excitement" to see the sparkly necklaces. This is the first clue we get about Ulape's...
Island of the Blue Dolphins
How does Rontu change Karana's life in Island of the Blue Dolphins?
In this book, Rontu changes Karana’s life mainly by making her much less lonely than she had been before she got him. By the time that Karana gets Rontu, she has been alone for months. The dogs...
Island of the Blue Dolphins
What did Karana do to the birds?
Karana discovers two birds and their babies and sets about domesticating them. She puts them in a cage and keeps them as companions, and when they get too big for the cage, she clips their wings so...
Island of the Blue Dolphins
How has Karana's attitude toward the island changed when she returns?
Karana originally leaves the island with her people, sailing aboard a ship belonging to white missionaries. Her brother Ramo is meant to come along on the voyage too, but he gets left behind....
Island of the Blue Dolphins
Why does Karana, the narrator, decide not to shoot the wounded dog? Cite textual evidence to support your answer.
In the novel Island of the Blue Dolphins, the main protagonist, Karana, is also the narrator of the story, as the story is written from her perspective. Karana is trying to kill the wild dogs that...
Island of the Blue Dolphins
What is the problem in chapter 11 of Island of the Blue Dolphins?
The problem that Karana faces in chapter 11 of this great novel is deciding where she should build her home. She realizes that the island is her home, at least until the white men return, and that...
Island of the Blue Dolphins
In Island of the Blue Dolphins, how does Karana describe her little brother?
The book opens to Karana and her little brother, Ramo, gathering roots in a canyon above Coral Cove. She quickly identifies Ramo as being half her age, six years old, and small, active and...
Island of the Blue Dolphins
Please explain some of the major decisions the characters make in Island of the Blue Dolphins, by Scott O'Dell.
As in any story (and as in life), the characters in Scott O'Dell's Island of the Blue Dolphins make many decisions which affect the entire course of their lives. A group of natives live...
Island of the Blue Dolphins
In Island of the Blue Dolphins, chapter 9, why did Karana burn the village instead of trying to salvage some things?
There are presumably a number of reasons Karana decides to burn the village without salvaging anything. First, all her fellow villagers have already left the island. Karana is the only inhabitant...
Island of the Blue Dolphins
Describe Ramo's fate in Island of the Blue Dolphins.
Ramo dies in tragic circumstances after being set upon by a pack of ravenous dogs. For a brief moment, he was Chief Tanyositlopaim, the last of the male islanders. As he was next in line to be...
Island of the Blue Dolphins
Why didn't Karana build her house near the sea elephants in Island of the Blue Dolphins?
When Karana made the decision to build a more permanent home on the island, she narrowed her search based on three criteria. She wanted her home to be protected from wind and weather, near a spring...
Island of the Blue Dolphins
Why must Karana make weapons for herself in Island of the Blue Dolphins?
Karana needs to make herself weapons to protect herself from the dogs and to kill them to avenge her brother's death. Karana finds a rock where she can store food until the ship comes in. She does...
Island of the Blue Dolphins
Describe how Karana’s attitude towards the dogs changes in Island of the Blue Dolphins.
It is perfectly understandable that Karana should feel so much hatred and resentment towards the pack of wild dogs roaming around the island. After all, they did kill her brother Ramo. Under the...
Island of the Blue Dolphins
Why did the author choose to write Island of the Blue Dolphins from Karana's point of view?
There are two major reasons to write the novel from Karana's point of view. First, she is the major character, and is alone for much of the text; telling the story from an omniscient POV (point of...
Island of the Blue Dolphins
How did Karana hurt her leg in Island of the Blue Dolphins?
In this book, Karana hurts her leg in the time after she has already been left on the island all alone. You can find this right at the end of Chapter 13. She ends up hurting her leg when she has...
Island of the Blue Dolphins
In Island of the Blue Dolphins, what are Karana's strengths and weaknesses?
Karana, the protagonist of Island of the Blue Dolphins, lives by herself on an island for the majority of the novel. Her experiences, words, and thoughts in the book are the imagination of author...
Island of the Blue Dolphins
Why can Karana neither eat nor sleep well in Island of the Blue Dolphins?
When the first winter storm strikes in the novel, Karana realizes that the winter season and the tumultuous weather it will bring will prevent ships from sailing; thus, she has to wait months until...
Island of the Blue Dolphins
What happens to Ramo in Island of the Blue Dolphins?
In chapter 8 of Island of the Blue Dolphins, Ramo and Karana return to their village to find it completely deserted. Since the wild dogs have eaten all the food, Ramo and Karana spend the day...
Island of the Blue Dolphins
In Island of the Blue Dolphins, what is the conflict in chapter 13?
Chapter 13 begins with Karana proceeding with her plan to somehow get a tooth from a sea elephant. She needs the tooth in order to finish the spear that she needs for protection and hunting. Once...
Island of the Blue Dolphins
What color of eyes does the leader of the wild dogs have in Island of the Blue Dolphins?
At the beginning of chapter 14 of Island of the Blue Dolphins, Karana must go get water from the spring. Due to her injured leg, this is a very difficult journey. Along the way, she encounters the...
Island of the Blue Dolphins
In Island of the Blue Dolphins, why does Karana no longer like living in the village?
Karana ceases living in the village because it reminds her of the terrible events that led to her isolation on the island. After the battle and strife brought on by the Aleutian hunters, which...
Island of the Blue Dolphins
In Island of the Blue Dolphins, what evidence is there of Karana's resourcefulness and ability to solve problems on...
In chapter 16 Karana continues to demonstrate the resourcefulness and problem solving abilities that the reader has become accustomed to throughout the first half of the book. In this chapter,...
Island of the Blue Dolphins
In Scott O'Dell's Island of the Blue Dolphins, what is Karanas' history and what is her future?
In Scott O'Dell's Island of the Blue Dolphins, Karanas is a young girl of a tribe that lives on an island they call Ghalas-at (the Island of the Blue Dolphins) with her family, including her...
Island of the Blue Dolphins
What new problem does Matassaip present to the group as a major threat?
In chapter 6, the village chief, Kimki, has been gone quite awhile. He took a canoe across the ocean to try and reach a land he had been to as a boy (probably Southern California), to get help for...
Island of the Blue Dolphins
Give an example of figurative language i the story of "Island of the Blue Dolphins"...
When looking for examples of figurative language in 'The Island The Blue Dolphins' look for places where the writing appeals to the reder's senses, whether that is in a good way, or a 'bad' way.'...
Island of the Blue Dolphins
Karana and the other members of the tribe were highly superstitious people. Choose an example from the novel,...
A great example of the superstitious nature of Karana's people happens in the first chapter of Island of the Blue Dolphins by Scott O'Dell. Karana's father is the chief of their tribe, and he is...
Island of the Blue Dolphins
In "The Island of the Blue Dolphins", why did Chowig reveal his secret name after introducing himself to...
It is inexplicable to the islanders why Chief Chowig gives his secret name after introducing himself to Orlov, a stranger. Karana, who is narrating the story, expresses surprise at his action....
Island of the Blue Dolphins
What did Karana use to cook seeds and cover the embers with?
Fod cooking seeds, Karana "wove a tight basket of fine reeds...dried (it) in the sun...gathered lumps of pitch...softened them over the fire, and rubbed them on the inside of the basket so...
Island of the Blue Dolphins
Why did Karana kill ten cormorants?
The reason that Karana killed these ten birds was that she wanted to make a skirt for herself. She was going to use the birds' skins and feathers to make herself a skirt. Because she wanted this...
Island of the Blue Dolphins
In chapter 4 of Island of the Blue Dolphins, what did Karna say that weakened her father?
In chapter four, the characters in Island of the Blue Dolphins determine that Karna’s father was weakened enough to be killed by the Aleuts because he had given the captain his real, true, and...
Island of the Blue Dolphins
In Chapter 1 of Island of the Blue Dolphins, why did Karana continue digging instead of going to the village?
Karana actually keeps digging twice even though she sees the Aleut ship. Karana and Rano have been sent to go dig roots. It is not easy work and so she wants to be sure she has his help. So, when...
Island of the Blue Dolphins
In Island of the Blue Dolphins, what is Karana's reaction to being stranded?
Based in part on a true story, Island of the Blue Dolphins is Scott O'Dell's 1960 novel about a young Indian girl who is marooned on an island and lives there alone for many years. Karana, the...
Island of the Blue Dolphins
In Island of the Blue Dolphins, what are Karana's goals?
Island of the Blue Dolphins is a historical children's novel by Scott O'Dell. Karana, the protagonist, is marooned on an island after her tribe is attacked. Throughout the book, she shows a drive...
Island of the Blue Dolphins
What is a characterization of Karana in Island of the Blue Dolphins?
One can describe Karana as willful. She does what she thinks best. When she sees that Ramo has been left behind on the beach, she jumps off the boat and goes back to him. Others try to stop her,...
Island of the Blue Dolphins
What is Karana's father's name?
In this book, Karana's father is the chief of the island. At the beginning of the book, the Aleuts and their Russian captain come to hunt for sea otters on the island. When they get there, they...
Island of the Blue Dolphins
Why is it a problem that Chief Chowig tells Captain Orlov his secret name? My class is doing a written response for...
There are many indigenous cultures throughout the world where revealing one's real name to outsiders is considered taboo. Generally, this is because a name isn't just a name in such societies; it's...
Island of the Blue Dolphins
In Island of the Blue Dolphins, what are Karana's hopes and dreams?
Island of the Blue Dolphins is a 1960 Newbury Medal-winning book by Scott O'Dell about a young Indian girl who survives alone on an island. Karana, the protagonist, is marooned on an island after...
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