Characters
This character spends 18 years living on the island, and is the protagonist and narrator of the book.
Who is Karana? (also Won-a-pa-lei)
This is the island on which the story took place.
What is Island of the Blue Dolphins or San Nicoleno?
This is the reason that the Aleuts came to the island.
What is to hunt sea otter?
Karana was saddened by seeing the Aleuts do this when they returned.
What is killing the sea otter?
Karana injured this animal, but then helped him heal from his wounds.
Who is Rontu?
"...the water was so clear that it was like the air around me."
What is a simile?
This character has yellow eyes and grey fur. He was once the leader of the wild dogs.
Who is Rontu?
This is the village that Karana grew up in.
What is Ghalas-at?
This character was killed during a disagreement between himself and Captain Orlov.
Who is Chief Chowig?
Karana watched two of these do battle in hopes that one would be killed so she could harvest the teeth.
What is a sea elephant?
Karana used this body part of an animal to make her fence.
What are the ribs from a whale?
"Tell me why it is that you are such a handsome dog and yet such a thief."
What is personification?
This woman is Karana's friend and gave her a necklace.
Who is Tutok?
Karana and Ramo were gathering these when the ship arrived.
What are roots?
Ramo went back to the village for this item and was left behind by the boat.
What is a spear?
Karana burned down all of the huts here after her people left.
What is Ghalas-at?
Karana used the bull sea elephant tooth to make this kind of weapon.
What is a spear?
"The moon smiled at me."
What is personification?
This confident, enthusiastic, and mischievous character is Karana's little brother.
Who is Ramo?
All of the villagers have one, but they don't tell just anyone, or it gives away their power.
What is a secret name?
This was the cause of Ramo's death.
What are wild dogs?
Tutok gave one to Karana as a gift of friendship.
What is a beaded necklace?
This animal is sometimes known as a devilfish.
What is a squid?
"But the morning broke clear and in front of me lay the dim line of the island like a great fish sunning itself on the sea."
What is a simile?
These people come to Ghalas-at to hunt otter.
Who are the Aleuts?
This is something that Karana decided to make even though tribal law said women must never do it.
What is make weapons?
This is the location of the Lone Woman's eventual death.
What is at Mission Santa Barbara, California?
What is a cormorant feather skirt?
This creature sometimes wraps its baby in kelp so it can not float away.
What is a sea otter?
"The sea is smooth", Ramo said, "It is a flat stone without any scratches."
What is a metaphor?
This character is Karana's older sister. When she leaves the island she paints the "unmarried" symbol on her face.
Who is Ulape?
Captain Orlov offered this as payment. It was full of beads, but no spearheads.
What is a chest?
This is the location where the hunters caught sea otter.
What is Coral Cove?
Soon after the Aleuts arrived, this good fortune came to Ghalas-at.
What are the fish that washed up on the shore?
Karana watched two males of this species fight on the beach.
What are sea elephants?
"...the dunes were covered with mats of sand flowers, which are red and have tiny eyes that are sometimes pink and sometimes white."
What is a personification?
He is the Russian leader of the Aleut ships.
Who is Captain Orlov?
This character becomes the new chief, but soon leaves to find somewhere else for the tribe to live.
Who is Kimki?
Karana hunted this creature, also known as a squid.
What is a devilfish?
This was the place where Karana watched for incoming ships.
What is Tall Rock?
This animal killed Ramo.
What are wild dogs?
"Then it grew larger and was a gull with folded wings."
What is a metaphor?