Reading and Writing Assignments for 1/14/15 28th class

When Island of the Blue Dolphins opens, Karana, the central figure in the story, is a young girl who is obedient to her tribe’s traditions and rules. At first she is leaved by the others on the island, she even afraid of making weapons that will break the rules of island. But after she broke the rules, she becomes another girl, who is really brave. When she breaks the rules, she breaks the girl who is ordinary. She becomes a true herself. It seems like she is born to do this.

Oh my goodness, what  lovely lines: "But after she breaks the rules, she breaks the girls who is ordinary. She becomes true to herself. It seems like she is born to do this."  

You have put your finger on something I felt everytime I read about Karana making spears or hunting the devil fish. It's like being alone on the island freed her to become who she was all along.  And this is precisely the point you make. Fabulous insight into her character and the change she undergoes!!! You made my day 

Here is Alice's response:

 

When Island of the Blue Dolphins opens, Karana, the central figure in the story, is a young girl who is obedient to her tribe’s traditions and rules. But as the novel progresses, she began to change. Since that there were only herself on the island, she need to live, so Karana finally broke the rules and survives. When she needs food, Karana is not like before: she kills them. Before, she has been taught that she needs to care for the animals, but for living, she begin to have her own new choice.

That's an interesting perspective Alice. I hadn't thought of it that way, but it's true that in the beginning, Karana is worried about the animals, or at least the otters, getting hurt. But after she is alone on the island, she thinks nothing of making herself an otter Cape and she makes a spear in preparation for killing the sea elephants.  After she adopts an otter, she changes again, but there is a period where she is much tougher and harder as a result of being alone.  Nice that you picked up on that. 

Here is Mark's response to the assignment.

When Island of the Blue Dolphins opens, Karana, the central figure in the story, is a young girl who is obedient to her tribe’s traditions and rules. But as the novel progresses other people were gone and her brother died, she was lonely and very angry because the wild dogs killed her only one left family, Ramo. So she tried to kill the wild dogs many times. But one day she saw the leader dog was lying on the ground and it was almost die so she thought it was poor just like her so she helped the dog and named him Rontu and they became good friends. Karana also made friends with the sea otters, and the birds. So she became a merciful girl and she did not kill the animals on the island anymore. Although she went away with the white men at last, her memories are there, deep in her head.

Mark, You picked the perfect word to describe Karana's transformation, "merciful." That is what she becomes toward the animals because they have become her "good friends" and she can't bear to hurt them.  I like, too, that you make a connection between Rontu's  appearing helpless and lonely, in your words "poor like her," and her williness to help the dog she had previously hated so much.  Your last sentence is very nice, too, because it expresses what in English, we would call a "bittersweet" ending, which is precisely how the book concludes.  Very nice work.