The Aleuts’ visit to the island influences how Karana spends her winter, not just how and what she eats. Even as Karana lives alone on the island, she still has to change her behavior to respond to these colonial forces. Making the earrings to match Tutok’s necklace is a way for Karana to make sure she remembers Tutok. Meanwhile, imagining conversations with Tutok shows that Karana is feeling increasingly lonely without a human friend on the island.