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Island Of The Blue Dolphins Essay

Decent Essays

In the book Island of the Blue Dolphins by Scott O’Dell, a young woman named Karana is stranded on an island where she must fend for herself. She was left behind when a group of foreigners were picking up her people but a storm was approaching. Karana must cope with living without any human communication and wait in hope for someone to one day find her. The theme of the book is isolation as Karana is in a state of solitude, away from the reaches of human society. However, she does learn that there are many friends in nature even though they are not human. The theme is supported by the characters, setting, and conflict over the progression of Karana surviving without any other human to interact with. To begin with, Karana is the main protagonist …show more content…

The conflict relates to the theme by the way Karana expresses her loneliness on the Island of the Blue Dolphins. In chapter 10 page 31, Karana is afraid of being alone on her home island forever, living out her days in misery and hopelessness. She suffers from bad dreams and does not eat much however she still does not fully give up, setting matters in her own hands to leave the island if it’s worth the risk which she does but fails. The conflict creates fear and torment inside Karana showing that she must handle her situation in the best way possible to survive. She has no one to talk to and express herself which makes her lonely and have mixed feelings of anger and sorrow. In chapter 28 page 85, Karana says “I came to the mound where my ancestors had sometimes camped in the summer. I thought of them and of the happy times spent in my house on the headland, of my canoe lying unfinished beside the trail. I thought of many things, but stronger was the wish to be where people lived, to hear their voices and their laughter.” Karana has a turmoil in her which is to cope with being alone. She misses her people and the strong bonds they had with her, wishing to join them wherever they are. Karana is always being reminded of the isolation she must endure yearning for the day when someone will find

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