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Chapter 3
Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in Blueback, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Nature, Belonging, and Conservation
Family and Love
Greed and Environmental Destruction
The Ocean and Life’s Mysteries
Time, Change, and Continuity
Summary
Analysis
Abel swims with Blueback as often as he can. Blueback displays different moods, but he’s mostly mischievous. As spring turns into summer, more boats start to come through Longboat Bay, and Abel worries that a spearfisher might catch Blueback. So, although Abel has kept Blueback to himself up to this point, Abel’s mother helps tell everyone that arrives in the bay to leave the big blue groper alone. Everyone listens to Dora Jackson, Abel’s mother, whom they respect. Mad Macka, an abalone diver, seems to know and be fond of Blueback already.
Abel and Blueback have become good friends. Although he’s a fish, not a human, Blueback isn’t any less of a beloved companion to Abel. The blue groper has his own distinct personality, too, which shines through his playful interactions with Abel. Because Abel cares about his friend, he wants to protect Blueback from people who might see the fish only as food or a prize. But Abel can’t keep Blueback safe on his own. The entire community of Longboat Bay must help make sure Blueback thrives, just as everyone works together to take care of the bay out of respect for the sea and one another.
Themes
Throughout the season, Blueback remains safe. He also becomes more well-known, and Abel hopes that no one would try to kill Blueback just for fun and a bit of fame. Soon, Abel is old enough to go diving by himself, and he spends as much time with Blueback as he can. Abel also often watches Mad Macka’s boat in the bay. Macka works by himself, diving for abalone with only the help of an air hose connected to an air compressor on his boat. Abel’s mother believes diving alone is too dangerous and gets nervous every time she sees his “lonely” boat on the water.
Abel implicitly disapproves of people who would selfishly kill an impressive fish just to show off and boost their prideful egos. Meanwhile, Abel’s own friendship with Blueback continues to develop happily. At the same time, hearing his mother worry about Mad Macka teaches Abel that it’s safer to have help from other people than to try to do things all on one’s own. For Abel, this idea reminds him of the dangers of loneliness and emphasizes that it’s better to be surrounded by friends, family, and peers.
Themes
One day, when he’s 12 years old, Abel realizes Mad Macka is in trouble. His air compressor stopped working while he was underwater. Abel and his mother rush to Macka’s boat. Dora dives to find out what happened to Macka while Abel fearfully prays that a shark won’t take both Macka and his mother. Dora resurfaces to explain to Abel that Macka likely suffered a heart attack and drowned. Then she asks Abel to help her pull Macka’s body into the boat. As Abel does so, he notices how quiet the bay is.
Abel and Dora don’t hesitate to try to help Mad Macka, demonstrating how much they care about other people in their community. Additionally, Abel’s fear of losing his mother shows how much he loves her and how important she is to him. Realizing that Macka has died is a formative moment for Abel. Macka’s tragic accident is Abel’s first real encounter with death, and Abel seems to grow older after this event. The sudden quiet of the bay reflects the stillness of Macka’s lifeless body and Abel’s somber emotions.
Themes
