Chapter 1-5
How does Karana describe the Island of the Blue Dolphins?
The island is two leagues long and one league wide. The island is shaped like a fish or a dolphin. It is very windy, almost treeless, and features springs, mesas, cliffs, rocky ledges, hills, reefs, canyons, and coves.
For what reasons is Karana unable to determine what happens between her father and the Aleut hunter as the batle begins?
Everything happens so quickly that Karana cannot tell whether her father raises his hand first or whether the Aleut hunter shoves her father first.
Why didn't the ship wait for Ramo?
Karana sees Ramo on the shore and realizes that her brother did not make it aboard the ship. The seas are stormy, and the ship will be driven into the rocks if it remains longer. Karana makes a split second decision to dive into the water and swim to shore rather than leave her brother all alone.
Why does Ramo have a forlorn look on his face when Karana swims ashore?
Ramo has a forlorn look on his face because he realizes that the boat is not returning and that he and Karana are now alone on the island.
What are pelts?
skins of an animal with the fur or hair still on them
Why does Chief Chowig refuse to share some of the tribe's white bass with the Aleut hunters?
Chief Chowig refuses the Aleuts' request for fish because he believes the hunters are capable of fishing for themselves. The chief also feels that his priority is feeding his own people. In their past visit, the Aleuts forced the islanders to do all the hunting. This has made Chief Chowig distrust the Aleut people.
What was Karana and Ulape's role during the battle?
Karana and Ulape watch from a cliff. Ulape throws one rock, but mostly the girls watch helplessly, afraid to throw more because they might hit their own warriors.
What happens to Ramo when he sets off to the cliff alone?
Ramo is attacked by the wild dogs and killed before he ever reaches the cliff. He tries to defend himself, and he kills two dogs but is overcome. Karana had warned Ramo that he was still a young boy, not a man. She did not want him roaming the island alone. Bue he did not listen, and it led to his death.
How does Karana know that she is going in the right direction while on the open water?
Karana uses the stars to navigate. She especially relies on the North Star, which her people call "the star that does not move."
people who avoid work or responsibility; lazy; do not work
What does Captain Orlov offer the tribe as payment after the hunt? Do you think he ever intended to fulfill the terms of the original trade agreement?
Chief Chowig asks for equal shares of goods to be paid for the otter pelts that are collected. Captain Orlov reluctantly agrees. However, once it is time to pay, Captain Orlov offers only one chest filled with beaded necklaces. His evasiveness and dishonesty make it apparent that he did not intend to deal honestly with Chief Chowig.
At one point, Karana sees a white puff of smoke come from the deck of the ship. She then hears a loud noise echoing against a cliff and notices five of the tribe's warriors lying still. Using those details, what do you think is happening there?
Aleuts on the ship shoot a cannon at the island. The ammunition is loud and passes right over Karana. Five members of her tribe are killed by the blast.
Why do you think Karana sets the houses on fire?
After Ramo's death, Karana finds living in the village intolerable. She is haunted by the memories of the people who used to live there. To distance herself from her old life and the death of her brother, she decides to set the village on fire and move to another area.
Karana tears a piece of fiber from her skirt and pushes it into the crack in the boat to hold back most of the water.
What is a cormorant?
a large seabird that has a long neck and a long, hooked bill
What does Kimki decide to do to try to save the struggling members of the tribe? What dangers might Kimki encounter on his ocean journey?
Kimki decides to head east in a canoe to a lang he visited as a boy. Once there, he will make a new place for the tribe to start fresh. He faces many possible dangers alone on the open sea, such as storms, leaks in his canoe, thirst, hunder, and getting lost.
What does Karana think caused her father to be weakened and thus unable to survive the battle?
Karana and her people believe that giving his real name to the Russian captain weakened Cheif Chowig before the battle.
Why is Karana reluctant to make weapons at first?
Karana uses the root of a tree, which she shapes to a point and hardens in a fire. She attaches this to a wood shaft using the sinews of a seal she kills. Karana is reluctant to make the weapon because the laws of her tribe forbid women from making weapons. She fears that if she breaks the law, terrible things will happen. After thinking about it, the necessity overrules her fear.
Why is Karana so hesitant to turn back toward the island, even though she knows that is the safest option?
Karana does not want to turn back because of all the hard work she has put in to get this far. She also is afraid to return to the island where she will be all by herself.
pitifully sad
How do the discarded otter carcasses change the appearance of Coral Cove?
The beach is strewn with carcasses of the otters, and the waves are red with blood.
In Karana's tribe, many jobs were always done by men and other jobs were always done by women. After the battle, this must change. The women and children must take on new tasks in order to survive. What tasks were given to Karana? Ulape? Ramo?
Karana's job was...
Ulape's job was....
Ramo's job was....
Why does Karana throw the trinkets into the ocean?
Karana realizes that the trinkets were brought by the Aleut people. These are the same people who killed most of her tribe including her father.
What specific event causes Karana to make the hard decision to turn back?
Karana turns back toward the island when water begins seeping into the boat again.
an event that is taken as a sign of good or bad things to come