In the Pacific there is an island shaped like a big fish sunning itself in the sea. Around it, blue dolphins swim, otters play, and sea elephant and birds abound. A young Indian girl lives and waits for her people to return for her, from the land to the east. Karana with her long black hair and her dark skin, held her own on an island after her people had left for a new place.
She was sure they would come back the next spring, but after two springs she learned to live on her own. I really admire her strength and her will power. She faces so many different adventures that you can relate to your life in a different fashion. Living on your own brings in many new ideas and adventures.
Karana has many hard decisions to make, when she has to decided to go with childhood teaching or fending for herself. ' I wonder what would happen to me if I went against the law of our tribe which forbade the making of weapons by women… would the four winds blow in from the four directions of the world and smother me as I made the weapons? Or would the earth tremble, as many said, and bury me beneath its falling rocks?'
The choice to build weapons saves her life and brings her a wonderful friend. 'He stood facing me, his front legs spread as if he was ready to spring. The arrow struck him in the chest.' This dog had been her enemy he killed her brother and she had vowed revenge on him she had gotten what she wanted, yet she had not killed the dog just wounded him. 'Why I did not send the arrow I cannot say. I stood on the rock with the bow pulled back and my hand would not let it go. The big dog lay there and did not move and this may be the reason.
If he would have gotten up I would have killed him. I stood there for a long time looking down at him and then I climbed off the rocks and picked him up.' This dog became her friend and he salvation. It must have been lonely and she made many friends, otters, she had birds anything to keep her busy. Each spring she hoped that her people would return and take her to the far off land which they had left for. Each spring she grew more and more restless for human contact. Till it came the Aleuts the hunters, they had come before.
They had come to hunt otter. When they came the first time they had caused her people much pain taking the lives of their men and their leaders. Karana had longed for human contact but not with them they were the enemy. She hid away many days in a cave only leaving at night for food and water. Till one of the Aleut women found her home. Karana was cautious but interested. She befriended this enemy they would talk for hours while the men were hunting.
They without saying goodbye Karana’s friend left her. She must have a lot of strength to not go running after her. If I was there I would have even gone with my enemy than stay another day. But Karana with her faith believed her people would return. They did after five years, they came back. Her people never made it to the land in the east there ship sunk. One man came to the island to see if there were any remains to bring to there land.
He told her of the tragic accident and told her that he would take her to the land to the east. She was overwhelmed with happiness but as well with sadness her people had never reached the far off land. She was leaving her home and her friends. I can understand why she left but I cannot understand how she left. That is the mystery of the story. You can see why you might stay or leave and compare it to what you know of the girl and the Island of the Blue Dolphins.
Author: Wilma Daniels