Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in The Whale Rider, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Humans and Nature
Maori Identity
Gender and Power
Familial Love
Summary
Analysis
Back in Whangara, Nanny Flowers makes fun of Rawiri for spending so long away. Then, seven-year-old Kahu gives him a big hug and tells him about school and her baby sister. Kahu takes Rawiri to the shed where his motorbike is parked, and he breaks down in tears. That evening, Porourangi and Ana arrive with their new baby, Putiputi, and everyone celebrates Rawiri’s return with a lively feast. Porourangi admits that Koro Apirana is still looking for a male heir, and the next day, Rawiri notices that he still ignores Kahu when she approaches him. Nanny Flowers compares Kahu to her cousin Mihi, a powerful female chief who forced men to respect her. Rawiri watches Koro Apirana go to the school with a group of seven boys—potential heirs—and turn Kahu away when she tries to follow.
Rawiri’s homecoming shows how deeply his family loves him—even if he’s never the center of attention because he’s personally removed from most of the family drama. Travel has given him the time and space he needed to reevaluate his upbringing and set new goals for adult life. But he has clearly realized that his future lies back home in Whangara and decided that his duties to his family and community matter the most. Above all, he sees himself as responsible for supporting his brother through the stresses of chieftainship and helping to heal Kahu and Koro Apirana’s broken relationship. As the family’s basic dynamics clearly haven’t changed while he was away, he may be the only one who can reestablish harmony.
Themes
Rawiri starts working in a local lumberyard, and some days, he gives Kahu a ride back from school on his way home. One day, she tells him she wishes she were a boy, because then Koro Apirana would love her. She sends out invitations to her school graduation. Nanny Flowers attends the ceremony in a gaudy outfit, with the seat next to her empty because Koro Apirana never shows up. Kahu sings, performs gymnastics, and dances with her classmates. Then, she gives a speech in Maori, which is all about her love and respect for Koro Apirana. The family cheers her on, overwhelmed by pride for her accomplishments and sorrow that Koro Apirana does not recognize them. On the way home, Kahu says it’s okay that Koro Apirana didn’t attend, because “it’s not [his] fault […] that I’m a girl.”
Kahu’s comments suggest that she has started to internalize Koro Apirana’s sexism and blame herself for his rejection. In turn, this process shows how women who grow up in patriarchal societies can learn to simply accept male domination as a norm. Fortunately, the rest of the family takes Kahu’s side and sees Koro Apirana’s behavior as unacceptable. Kahu’s event at school shows not only her varied talents, but also her understanding of Maori culture and her family’s unique legacy. Her maturity suggests that she would be a talented leader to her people, and her ability to forgive Koro Apirana’s worst behavior further suggests that she is growing up to be upstanding and incorruptible.
Themes
