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Chapter 5
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
Near the end of the school year, Abel’s mother writes to Abel with bad news and good news. The bad news is that a new abalone diver is coming to Longboat Bay this summer, and he has a worrying reputation for being a “reef stripper.” The good news is that Mad Macka’s family has given Macka’s boat to Abel. Abel counts down the days until the summer holiday.
The new abalone diver being a “reef stripper” means that he overfishes, which harms reefs. Abel’s mother cares deeply about the sea and her home, so she doesn’t want this diver to hurt Longboat Bay. Meanwhile, Mad Macka’s boat gets a new life with Abel, demonstrating that even though Macka is gone, his goodwill lives on through his family’s kindness to Abel. Now that Abel has a new way to explore the bay, he misses the sea and yearns to return home even more.
Themes
Abel returns to Longboat Bay for the summer holiday. He celebrates as soon as he can see and smell the ocean again. The next day, Abel swims with Blueback and cleans up Macka’s boat. Over the next few days, Abel’s mother teaches him how to sail the boat.
Abel immediately feels rejuvenated by returning home. Being near the sea again brings him joy and new energy. Abel clearly benefits from being in the place where he feels he truly belongs. The time Abel spends with Blueback and his mother emphasizes how much Abel loves his family and enjoys their companionship.
Themes
One day, Abel takes his new boat into the open sea with his mother. As they’re fishing, a pod of whales emerges around them. Abel’s mother recounts that the Jacksons first came to Longboat Bay to hunt whales. Abel wonders if the whales remember that time. Abel’s mother says she used to feel bad about that piece of history. But now that the sea has “taken its fair share” of the Jackson family, she hopes that the sea and the Jackson family are even.
The Jacksons have depended on the sea for their livelihoods for many generations. By this point, the histories and fates of Longboat Bay and the Jackson family seem intertwined. Historically, in Australia, the whaling industry came close to driving whales to extinction. This real-world context might explain why Dora feels some regret that the Jacksons killed whales. Now, Dora hopes there is more balance between humans and nature in Longboat Bay. Notably, Abel wishes he could find out what whales remember, exhibiting his curiosity about sea creatures and the unknown once more.
Themes
