Island of the Blue Dolphins

by

Scott O’Dell

Rontu/The Leader Character Analysis

Rontu is Karana’s dog. Before she captures and tames him, she refers to him as “the leader,” as he’s the leader of the wild dogs’ pack. She believes he came to the Island of the Blue Dolphins with the Aleuts, as he looks nothing like the dogs that are native to the island—he has thick gray fur, yellow eyes, and is bigger than the native dogs. At first, Karana blames him for killing Ramo and vows to kill him in return. But when the dog doesn’t fight back after Karana shoots him in the chest, Karana brings him home, tends to his wounds, and ultimately decides she likes having an animal friend around. At this point she names him Rontu, which means “fox eyes.” Rontu is extremely loyal to Karana and only leaves her a couple of times, either to breed or fight with the other wild dogs. He goes everywhere with her, even in the canoe. Rontu’s favorite things to do are chase the gulls and bark at the various fish and birds on the island. He’s especially interested in the devilfish (octopus), even though the devilfish injures him when Karana ultimately catches it. As he gets older, Rontu spends more and more time sleeping in the sunshine. He dies at Karana’s feet after uncharacteristically refusing to bark at the gulls. Karana buries him on the headland with his favorite stick.

Rontu/The Leader Quotes in Island of the Blue Dolphins

The Island of the Blue Dolphins quotes below are all either spoken by Rontu/The Leader or refer to Rontu/The Leader. 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 9 Quotes

As I lay there I wondered what would happen to me if I went against the law of our tribe, which forbade the making of weapons by women—if I did not think of it at all and made those things which I must have to protect myself.

Would the four winds blow in from the four directions of the world and smother me as I made the weapons? Or would the earth tremble, as many said, and bury me beneath its falling rocks? Or, as others said, would the sea rise over the island in a terrible flood? Would the weapons break in my hands at the moment when my life was in danger, which is what my father had said?

Related Characters: Karana (speaker), Rontu/The Leader
Page Number: 51-52
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 15 Quotes

Why I did not send the arrow I cannot say. I stood on the rock with the bow pulled back and my hand would not let it go. The big dog lay there and did not move and this may be the reason. If he had gotten up I would have killed him. I stood there for a long time looking down at him and then I climbed off the rocks.

Related Characters: Karana (speaker), Rontu/The Leader
Page Number: 91
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 18 Quotes

Often I would put on the skirt and the sandals and walk along the cliff with Rontu. Sometimes I made a wreath of flowers and fastened it in my hair. After the Aleuts had killed our men at Coral Cove, all the women of our tribe had singed their hair short as a sign of mourning. I had singed mine, too, with a faggot, but now it had grown long again and came to my waist. I parted it and let it fall down my back, except when I wore a wreath. Then I made braids and fastened them with long whalebone pins.

I also made a wreath for Rontu’s neck, which he did not like. Together we would walk along the cliff looking at the sea, and though the white men’s ship did not return that spring, it was a happy time. The air smelled of flowers and birds sang everywhere.

Related Characters: Karana (speaker), Rontu/The Leader
Page Number: 110-11
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 20 Quotes

The star passed out of sight and another took its place. The tide lifted the canoe higher in the room, and as the water lapped against the walls it sounded like the soft music of a flute. It played many tunes through the long night and I slept little, watching the stars change. I knew that the skeleton who sat on the ledge playing his flute was one of my ancestors, and the others with the glittering eyes, though only images, were too, but still I was sleepless and afraid.

Related Characters: Karana (speaker), Rontu/The Leader
Related Symbols: Karana’s Canoe
Page Number: 123-24
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 22 Quotes

At first, knowing that I could now leave the cave and move back into my house on the headland, I was happy. But as I stood there on the high rock looking down at the deserted harbor and the empty sea, I began to think of Tutok. I thought of all the times we had sat in the sun together. I could hear her voice and see her black eyes squinting closed when she laughed.

Below me, Rontu was running along the cliff, barking at the screaming gulls. Pelicans were chattering as they fished the blue water. Far off I could hear the bellow of a sea elephant. But suddenly, as I thought of Tutok, the island seemed very quiet.

Related Characters: Karana (speaker), Rontu/The Leader, Tutok/The Girl
Page Number: 139-40
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 23 Quotes

On sunny days I would wear them with my cormorant dress and the necklace, and walk along the cliff with Rontu.

I often thought of Tutok, but on these days especially I would look off into the north and wish that she were here to see me. I could hear her talking in her strange language and I would make up things to say to her and things for her to say to me.

Related Characters: Karana (speaker), Rontu/The Leader, Tutok/The Girl
Related Symbols: The Cormorant Skirt
Page Number: 144
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:
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Rontu/The Leader Quotes in Island of the Blue Dolphins

The Island of the Blue Dolphins quotes below are all either spoken by Rontu/The Leader or refer to Rontu/The Leader. 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 9 Quotes

As I lay there I wondered what would happen to me if I went against the law of our tribe, which forbade the making of weapons by women—if I did not think of it at all and made those things which I must have to protect myself.

Would the four winds blow in from the four directions of the world and smother me as I made the weapons? Or would the earth tremble, as many said, and bury me beneath its falling rocks? Or, as others said, would the sea rise over the island in a terrible flood? Would the weapons break in my hands at the moment when my life was in danger, which is what my father had said?

Related Characters: Karana (speaker), Rontu/The Leader
Page Number: 51-52
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 15 Quotes

Why I did not send the arrow I cannot say. I stood on the rock with the bow pulled back and my hand would not let it go. The big dog lay there and did not move and this may be the reason. If he had gotten up I would have killed him. I stood there for a long time looking down at him and then I climbed off the rocks.

Related Characters: Karana (speaker), Rontu/The Leader
Page Number: 91
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 18 Quotes

Often I would put on the skirt and the sandals and walk along the cliff with Rontu. Sometimes I made a wreath of flowers and fastened it in my hair. After the Aleuts had killed our men at Coral Cove, all the women of our tribe had singed their hair short as a sign of mourning. I had singed mine, too, with a faggot, but now it had grown long again and came to my waist. I parted it and let it fall down my back, except when I wore a wreath. Then I made braids and fastened them with long whalebone pins.

I also made a wreath for Rontu’s neck, which he did not like. Together we would walk along the cliff looking at the sea, and though the white men’s ship did not return that spring, it was a happy time. The air smelled of flowers and birds sang everywhere.

Related Characters: Karana (speaker), Rontu/The Leader
Page Number: 110-11
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 20 Quotes

The star passed out of sight and another took its place. The tide lifted the canoe higher in the room, and as the water lapped against the walls it sounded like the soft music of a flute. It played many tunes through the long night and I slept little, watching the stars change. I knew that the skeleton who sat on the ledge playing his flute was one of my ancestors, and the others with the glittering eyes, though only images, were too, but still I was sleepless and afraid.

Related Characters: Karana (speaker), Rontu/The Leader
Related Symbols: Karana’s Canoe
Page Number: 123-24
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 22 Quotes

At first, knowing that I could now leave the cave and move back into my house on the headland, I was happy. But as I stood there on the high rock looking down at the deserted harbor and the empty sea, I began to think of Tutok. I thought of all the times we had sat in the sun together. I could hear her voice and see her black eyes squinting closed when she laughed.

Below me, Rontu was running along the cliff, barking at the screaming gulls. Pelicans were chattering as they fished the blue water. Far off I could hear the bellow of a sea elephant. But suddenly, as I thought of Tutok, the island seemed very quiet.

Related Characters: Karana (speaker), Rontu/The Leader, Tutok/The Girl
Page Number: 139-40
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 23 Quotes

On sunny days I would wear them with my cormorant dress and the necklace, and walk along the cliff with Rontu.

I often thought of Tutok, but on these days especially I would look off into the north and wish that she were here to see me. I could hear her talking in her strange language and I would make up things to say to her and things for her to say to me.

Related Characters: Karana (speaker), Rontu/The Leader, Tutok/The Girl
Related Symbols: The Cormorant Skirt
Page Number: 144
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: