Island of the Blue Dolphins

by

Scott O’Dell

Karana’s Father/Chief Chowig Character Analysis

Karana, Ulape, and Ramo’s father, Chowig, is the chief of the Native American tribe on the Island of the Blue Dolphins. Chowig is his “secret name”; he usually goes by another name that Karana never shares with readers. So, Karana is surprised when her father shares his secret name with Captain Orlov. Chief Chowig is a suspicious man who remembers how badly things ended the last time the Aleuts came to hunt otter in the kelp beds around the island. Because of this, he negotiates with Captain Orlov for half the profits from the otter pelts, which is supposed to equal three huge chests of jewelry and weapons. But ultimately, Captain Orlov goes back on his word and leads the Aleuts in slaughtering most of the tribesmen, including Chief Chowig. After this, many in the tribe believe that Chief Chowig didn’t survive the battle because he shared his secret name with Captain Orlov.

Karana’s Father/Chief Chowig Quotes in Island of the Blue Dolphins

The Island of the Blue Dolphins quotes below are all either spoken by Karana’s Father/Chief Chowig or refer to Karana’s Father/Chief Chowig. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
The Natural World Theme Icon
).
Chapter 1 Quotes

Behind in the boat stood a tall man with a yellow beard. I had never seen a Russian before, but my father had told me about them, and I wondered, seeing the way he stood with his feet set apart and his fists on his hips and looked at the little harbor as though it already belonged to him, if he were one of those men from the north whom our people feared. I was certain of it when the boat slid into the shore and he jumped out, shouting as he did so.

Related Characters: Karana (speaker), Karana’s Father/Chief Chowig, Captain Orlov
Page Number: 4
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 2 Quotes

“The Aleuts come from a country far to the north,” he said. “Their ways are not ours nor is their language. They have come to take otter and to give us our share in many goods which they have and which we can use. In this way we shall profit. But we shall not profit if we try to befriend them. They are people who do not understand friendship.”

Related Characters: Karana’s Father/Chief Chowig (speaker), Karana, Captain Orlov
Page Number: 9-10
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 24 Quotes

Ulape would have laughed at me, and others would have laughed, too—my father most of all. Yet this is the way I felt about the animals who had become my friends and those who were not, but in time could be. If Ulape and my father had come back and laughed, and all the others had come back and laughed, still I would have felt the same way, for animals and birds are like people, too, though they do not talk the same or do the same things. Without them the earth would be an unhappy place.

Related Characters: Karana (speaker), Rontu/The Leader, Karana’s Father/Chief Chowig, Ulape, Mon-a-nee/Won-a-nee
Page Number: 149
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 27 Quotes

Like two giants they crashed against each other. They rose high in the air, bending first one way and then the other. There was a roar as if great spears were breaking in battle, and in the red light of the sun the spray that flew around them looked like blood.

Slowly the second wave forced the first one backward, rolled slowly over it, and then as a victor drags the vanquished, moved in toward the island.

The wave struck the cliff. It sent long tongues streaming around me so that I could neither see nor hear. The tongues of water licked into all the crevices, dragged at my hand and at my bare feet gripping the ledge. They rose high above me along the face of the rock, up and up, and then spent themselves against the sky and fell back, hissing past me to join the water rushing on toward the cove.

Related Characters: Karana (speaker), Karana’s Father/Chief Chowig
Page Number: 161
Explanation and Analysis:

Night came, but the earth still rose and fell like a great animal breathing. I could hear rocks tumbling from the cliff, falling down into the sea.

All night as we lay there in the house the earth trembled and rocks fell, yet not the big one on the headland, which would have fallen if those who make the world shake had really been angry with us.

Related Characters: Karana (speaker), Karana’s Father/Chief Chowig
Page Number: 163
Explanation and Analysis:
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Karana’s Father/Chief Chowig Quotes in Island of the Blue Dolphins

The Island of the Blue Dolphins quotes below are all either spoken by Karana’s Father/Chief Chowig or refer to Karana’s Father/Chief Chowig. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
The Natural World Theme Icon
).
Chapter 1 Quotes

Behind in the boat stood a tall man with a yellow beard. I had never seen a Russian before, but my father had told me about them, and I wondered, seeing the way he stood with his feet set apart and his fists on his hips and looked at the little harbor as though it already belonged to him, if he were one of those men from the north whom our people feared. I was certain of it when the boat slid into the shore and he jumped out, shouting as he did so.

Related Characters: Karana (speaker), Karana’s Father/Chief Chowig, Captain Orlov
Page Number: 4
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 2 Quotes

“The Aleuts come from a country far to the north,” he said. “Their ways are not ours nor is their language. They have come to take otter and to give us our share in many goods which they have and which we can use. In this way we shall profit. But we shall not profit if we try to befriend them. They are people who do not understand friendship.”

Related Characters: Karana’s Father/Chief Chowig (speaker), Karana, Captain Orlov
Page Number: 9-10
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 24 Quotes

Ulape would have laughed at me, and others would have laughed, too—my father most of all. Yet this is the way I felt about the animals who had become my friends and those who were not, but in time could be. If Ulape and my father had come back and laughed, and all the others had come back and laughed, still I would have felt the same way, for animals and birds are like people, too, though they do not talk the same or do the same things. Without them the earth would be an unhappy place.

Related Characters: Karana (speaker), Rontu/The Leader, Karana’s Father/Chief Chowig, Ulape, Mon-a-nee/Won-a-nee
Page Number: 149
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 27 Quotes

Like two giants they crashed against each other. They rose high in the air, bending first one way and then the other. There was a roar as if great spears were breaking in battle, and in the red light of the sun the spray that flew around them looked like blood.

Slowly the second wave forced the first one backward, rolled slowly over it, and then as a victor drags the vanquished, moved in toward the island.

The wave struck the cliff. It sent long tongues streaming around me so that I could neither see nor hear. The tongues of water licked into all the crevices, dragged at my hand and at my bare feet gripping the ledge. They rose high above me along the face of the rock, up and up, and then spent themselves against the sky and fell back, hissing past me to join the water rushing on toward the cove.

Related Characters: Karana (speaker), Karana’s Father/Chief Chowig
Page Number: 161
Explanation and Analysis:

Night came, but the earth still rose and fell like a great animal breathing. I could hear rocks tumbling from the cliff, falling down into the sea.

All night as we lay there in the house the earth trembled and rocks fell, yet not the big one on the headland, which would have fallen if those who make the world shake had really been angry with us.

Related Characters: Karana (speaker), Karana’s Father/Chief Chowig
Page Number: 163
Explanation and Analysis: