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Chapter 1
Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in Island of the Blue Dolphins, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
The Natural World
Solitude
Friendship
Gender Roles and Survival
Colonialism, Violence, and Indigenous Culture
Summary
Analysis
Karana’s father allows Captain Orlov and the Aleut hunters to camp on higher ground. The Island of the Blue Dolphins is two leagues long and one league wide—it looks like a dolphin. It’s windy, so rocks are polished smooth. Karana’s village, Ghalas-at, is on a small mesa near Coral Cove and a spring. The Aleuts pitch tents a half-league to the north, near another spring.
Given the size of the island, Karana makes it seem like the Island of the Blue Dolphins really isn’t big enough to accommodate both the tribe and the Aleut hunters. The Aleuts are invaders and trespassers, and their presence on the island isn’t at all welcome.
Themes
That night, Karana’s father warns people not to visit the Aleuts. He insists they’re too different to befriend; they can only profit from this relationship. The villagers obey, but someone always keeps watch on the Aleuts. Ramo brings news that Captain Orlov combs his beard in the morning, and Karana’s older sister Ulape shares that there’s an Aleut woman with the hunters. Nobody believes this.
Recall that the Aleuts’ last trip to the island ended terribly—because of this, it makes sense that Karana’s father doesn’t want anyone fraternizing with the Aleuts. The Aleuts have proven themselves untrustworthy and dangerous. This fact also implies that it’s unlikely the tribe will actually profit from this relationship.
Themes
The Aleuts also watch Ghalas-at; this is how they learn of the village’s good fortune. It’s early spring, when fishing is poor. But one afternoon, Ulape discovers a school of huge white bass stuck on the shore in the cove. She fetches the other women and they all run to grab the fish. The bass are so big that it takes two women to carry each one. Everyone in the village eats well that night—but in the morning, two Aleuts come to Ghalas-at, demanding a share of the bass. Karana’s father refuses to share. The villagers enjoy the rest of the fish and celebrate that night, but they don’t know yet that their good fortune with the bass will cause trouble.
This event with the bass allows Karana to demonstrate how well her tribe works together to accomplish a task. Ulape knows she can’t handle the bass herself, but when all the women work together to snag the fish, the entire tribe profits. They don’t share with the Aleuts because they don’t consider the Aleuts friends—their business relationship with the Aleuts is tense and fraught. The Aleuts’ demand for fish makes them seem entitled, which also shows how little they respect Karana’s tribe.
Themes
