Island of the Blue Dolphins: Difference between revisions

Browse history interactively ← Previous edit Next edit →Content deleted Content addedVisual WikitextInline

Revision as of 05:03, 6 February 2023 editPartofthemachine (talk \| contribs)Extended confirmed users, Pending changes reviewers17,977 edits Undid revision 1137734534 by 43.252.113.94 (talk)Tag: Undo ← Previous edit		Revision as of 05:04, 6 February 2023 edit undo43.252.113.94 (talk) I will give this book 0/100000000000Tag: RevertedNext edit →
Line 24:		Line 24:
	'''''Island of the Blue Dolphins''''' is a 1960 ] by American writer ], which tells the story of a girl named Karana, who is stranded alone for years on an island off the ] coast. It is based on the true story of ], a ] Native American left alone for 18 years on ] during the 19th century.		'''''Island of the Blue Dolphins''''' is a 1960 ] by American writer ], which tells the story of a girl named Karana, who is stranded alone for years on an island off the ] coast. It is based on the true story of ], a ] Native American left alone for 18 years on ] during the 19th century.

			The book is okay
	''Island of the Blue Dolphins'' won the ] in 1961.<ref name=isbndb> {{Webarchive\|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160716144415/http://isbndb.com/d/book/island_of_the_blue_dolphins_a02.html \|date=2016-07-16 }}. ISBNdb (2009). Retrieved 2009-08-26.</ref> It was adapted into a ] in 1964. O'Dell later wrote a sequel, '']'', published in 1976. ''Island of the Blue Dolphins'' has been the subject of much literary and pedagogical scholarship related to survival, feminism, the resilience of Indigenous peoples, and beyond.

	==Historical basis==
	The novel is based on the true story of "]," a ] ]n who lived alone for 18 years on ], one of the ] off the ] coast.<ref name=":0">Sonneborn, Liz. “Juana Maria.” A to Z of Women: American Indian Women, Facts On File, 2020, <nowiki>http://search.credoreference.com/content/entry/fofiwte/juana_maria/0</nowiki>.</ref><ref name=":1">Carlson, Cheri. “Park Shares Story behind O’Dell Book, Gets Award.” Ventura County Star (CA), 8 Apr. 2019, p. A3. Access World News.</ref>

	Around 1835, the Nicoleño people were taken aboard a ship headed for California with the intention that missionaries would convert them upon arrival on the mainland.<ref name=":0" /> Once aboard the ship, the Lone Woman realized that her infant was still on the island, prompting her to jump off the ship and care for her child.<ref name=":0" /> Due to inclement sea-faring weather, the ship could not return and she lived on the island for nearly two decades before being discovered and taken to the mainland in 1853 by sea otter hunter Captain George Nidever and his crew.<ref name=":0" /> According to Nidever, the Lone Woman lived in a structure supported by whale ribs and stashed useful objects around the island.<ref name=":0" /> She was baptized and given the Christian name Juana Maria, assigned to her by the Santa Barbara Mission where she eventually was brought. No one alive at that time spoke her language, so she struggled to communicate using a form of sign language.<ref name=":0" /> Just as the other Nicoleño Natives, who had previously been brought to the mainland, the Lone Woman died of dysentery after seven weeks.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":1" />

	In 2009, the University of Oregon archaeologist ] found two old redwood boxes eroding from an island sea cliff, with whalebone placed on top of them. With colleagues René Vellanoweth, Lisa Barnett-Thomas, and Troy Davis, Erlandson salvaged the boxes and other artifacts before they were destroyed by erosion. Vellanoweth and Barnett-Thomas examined the contents in a San Nicolas Island laboratory, documenting nearly 200 artifacts of Nicoleño, Euro-American, and Native Alaskan manufacture.<ref>Erlandson, Jon M., Lisa Thomas-Barnett, René L. Vellanoweth, Steven J. Schwartz, & Daniel R. Muhs. 2013. "From the Island of the Blue Dolphins: a unique 17th-century cache feature from San Nicolas Island, California". ''Journal of Island and Coastal Archaeology'' 8:66–78.</ref> The boxes appear to have been cached intentionally sometime between 1725 and 1743. It was also believed the Lone Woman lived in a cave on the island.<ref>{{Cite news\|url=https://www.vcstar.com/story/news/special-reports/outdoors/2019/04/05/national-park-service-uncovers-story-behind-island-blue-dolphins/3317192002/\|title=How the true story behind 'Island of the Blue Dolphins' is being kept alive\|last=Carlson\|first=Cheri\|date=April 5, 2019\|newspaper=]\|access-date=2019-05-20\|df=mdy-all}}</ref>

	In 2012, Naval archaeologist Steve Schwartz believed he discovered the buried location of that cave based upon a century old map and began an investigation, working with archaeologist René Vellanoweth and his students from California State University, Los Angeles.<ref>{{cite news \|last=Chawkins \|first=Steve \|url=http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-lone-woman-cave-20121027,0,1564818.story \|title='Island of the Blue Dolphins' woman's cave believed found \|newspaper=] \|date=October 30, 2012 }}</ref><ref name=":1" /> The team’s work resulted in the opening of the cave being excavated, but Commanders at the Navy base on the island ordered Schwartz to halt the dig in 2015.<ref name=":1" /> The following year, Professor Patricia Martz started an online petition to stop the Navy’s plans to move artifacts from San Nicolas Island to a further facility in China Lake as there would be inadequate climate controls to preserve the integrity of the artifacts and allow them to remain close to where they were excavated.<ref name=":2">Sahagun, Louis. “Petition Demands Navy Stop Artifact Removal Critics Object to Storage at Icehouse at China Lake Facility.” San Diego Union-Tribune, The (CA), 3 Apr. 2016, p. 33. Access World News.</ref> Despite gaining over 390 signatures, representatives from the Navy responded to the petition and formally expressed the safety and regulatory requirements met by China Lake.<ref name=":2" /> As such, the articles from San Nicolas were moved.<ref name=":2" />

	==Plot summary==
	The main character is a Nicoleño girl named Won-a-pa-lei, whose secret name is Karana. She has a brother named Ramo and a sister named Ulape. Her people live in a village called Ghalas-at and the tribe survives by gathering roots and fishing.

	One day, a ship of Russian fur hunters and ] led by Captain Orlov arrive and persuade the Nicoleños to let them hunt ] in exchange for other goods. However, the Russians attempt to swindle the islanders by leaving without paying. When they are confronted by Karana's father ] Chowig, a battle breaks out. Karana's father and many other men in the tribe die in battle against the well-armed Russians.

	Later, the "replacement chief" Chief Kimki leaves the island on a canoe for new land in the East. Eventually, he sends a "giant canoe" to bring his people to the mainland even though he himself does not return. The white missionaries come to Karana's village and tell them to pack their goods and go to the ship. Karana's brother Ramo runs off to retrieve his fishing spear. Although Karana urges the captain to wait for Ramo to return, the ship must leave before a storm approaches. Despite restraint, Karana jumps off the ship and swims to shore and the ship departs without them.

	While awaiting the return of the ship, Ramo is brutally killed by a pack of ]. Alone on the island, Karana takes on traditionally male tasks, such as hunting, making ]s, and building ] to survive. She vows to avenge her brother's death and kills several of the dogs, but has a change of heart when she encounters the leader of the pack. She tames him and names him Rontu.

	Over time, Karana makes a life for herself, even successfully hunting a giant devilfish (a massive octopus or squid) with Rontu. She builds a home made of ] bones and stocks a cave with provisions in case the Aleuts come back, so she can hide from them. She also tames some ]s and an otter, named Mon-a-nee, while feeling a close kinship to the animals (the only inhabitants of the island beside herself).

	One summer, the Aleuts return and Karana takes refuge in the cave. She observes the Aleuts closely and realizes that a girl named Tutok takes care of the domestic duties including getting water from the pool near Karana's cave. Fearful of being discovered, Karana goes out only at night, yet the curious girl stalks Karana, and the two meet. Karana and Tutok exchange gifts and she realizes how lonely she has been. The next day, Karana sees the ship with Tutok departing. Sadly, she returns to her house and starts rebuilding.

	More time passes, and Rontu dies. Karana soon finds a young ] that looks like Rontu and takes him in naming him Rontu-Aru. One day, Karana sees the sails of a ship, but it moors off-shore and leaves. Two years later in the spring, the boat returns. Karana dresses in her finest attire, a dress of ] feathers, and waits on the shore for the boat. Her rescuers make a dress for her, as they believe her dress of cormorant feathers is not appropriate for the mainland. She does not like the dress, but Karana realizes that it is part of her new life. The ship takes Karana, Rontu-Aru, and her two birds to the ] in ], ]. There, Father Gonzales tells her that the ship that had taken her tribe away had sunk before it could return to the Island of the Blue Dolphins for her.

	== Publication ==

	=== First Edition ===
	After witnessing animal cruelty near his home, O’Dell first wrote ''Island of the Blue Dolphins'' to promote a respect for all forms of life in 1960.<ref name=":3">Wilson, Nance S. “O’Dell, Scott.” Continuum Encyclopedia of Children’s Literature, edited by Bernice E. Cullinan and Diane Goetz Person, Continuum, 2006, <nowiki>http://search.credoreference.com/content/entry/kidlit/o_dell_scott/0</nowiki>.</ref> Its first submission was turned down, as the publisher believed the story should feature a male protagonist.<ref name=":4">“Another Look at: Scott O’Dell’s Island of the Blue Dolphins.” Booklist, vol. 103, no. 16, Apr. 2007, pp. 54–54.</ref> Yet, O’Dell felt strongly about Karana’s presence and looked to other publishing companies.<ref name=":4" /> Although he wrote the novel with the intended audience of adults, O’Dell’s next publisher suggested that it would be better for children and it was published that same year.<ref name=":3" /> Soon after in 1961, it had tremendous success and was awarded the Newbery Medal.<ref name=":3" />

	=== Critical Edition ===
	The 50th Anniversary edition of ''Island of the Blue Dolphins'' includes a new introduction by Newbery Medalist ] and also includes extracts from Father Gonzales Rubio in the ]'s Book of Burials.<ref name=":5">O’Dell, Scott, and Sara L. Schwebel. Island of the Blue Dolphins: The Complete Reader’s Edition. Complete Reader’s Edition, University of California Press, 2016.</ref> Island of the Blue Dolphins: The Complete Reader's Edition, a ] edited by Sara L. Schwebel, was published in October 2016 by the ].<ref name=":5" /> It includes two chapters deleted from the book before publication.

	=== Sequel ===
	O'Dell later wrote a sequel, ], published in 1976.{{Citation needed\|date=May 2022}}

	==Film adaptation==
	{{main article\|Island of the Blue Dolphins (film)}}

	A film adaptation of ''Island of the Blue Dolphins'' was released on July 3, 1964.{{Citation needed\|date=May 2022}} It was directed by ] and starred ] as Karana. Jane Klove and ] adapted the script from O'Dell's novel, and the film was produced by ] and ]. The film was made on a slight budget but did receive a wide release three months after its New York premiere.<ref>. Rottentomatoes.com. Retrieved 2010-06-15.</ref><ref>Thompson, Howard (July 4, 1964). (Review). ''The New York Times''. Retrieved 2010-06-15.</ref> Howard Thompson writing for '']'' characterized it as a children's film.<ref>{{cite news \|title=Movie Review – Island of Blue Dolphins' Has Premiere – NYTimes.com \| work=The New York Times \| date=4 July 1964 \|url=https://movies.nytimes.com/movie/review?res=9403E6DC123CEE3ABC4C53DFB166838F679EDE\| last1=Thompson \| first1=Howard }}</ref> Kaye won a ] for ] for her performance.<ref></ref> The film earned an estimated $2 million in rentals in North America.<ref>"Big Rental Pictures of 1964", ''Variety'', 6 January 1965 p. 39. Please note this figure is rentals accruing to distributors, not total gross.</ref>

	==Reception==
	At the time of the book's publication, '']'' said: "Years of research must have gone into this book to turn historical fact into so moving and lasting an experience."<ref>'']'', April 1960, cited in {{cite magazine \|url=https://www.hbook.com/1999/01/what-did-we-think-of/ \|title=What did we think of...? \|magazine=] \|date=January 24, 1999 \|access-date=October 26, 2020}}</ref> In a retrospective essay about the Newbery Medal-winning books from 1956 to 1965, librarian Carolyn Horovitz wrote: "The girl, Karana, is portrayed in such intimate and close relationship with the natural elements of her background, the earth, the sea, the animals, the fish, that the reader is given both the terror and beauty of life itself. It is a book to make the reader ''wonder''."<ref>{{cite book \|last=Horovitz \|first=Carolyn \|chapter=Only the Best \|pages= \|title=Newbery and Caldecott Medal Books: 1956–1965 \|url=https://archive.org/details/newberycaldecott00king \|url-access=registration \|editor-last=Kingman \|editor-first=Lee \|publisher=] \|location=] \|year=1965 \|lccn=65-26759}}</ref>

	== Analysis ==

	=== Literary analysis ===
	Since the time of its publication, ''Island of the Blue Dolphins'' has been the subject of many pieces of literary scholarship.<ref name=":7">{{cite journal \|last=Stott \|first=Jon C. \|title=Narrative Technique and Meaning in 'Island of the Blue Dolphins' \|journal=Elementary English \|volume=52 \|issue=4 \|year=1975 \|pages=442–46}}</ref><ref name=":8">{{cite journal \|last=Tarr \|first=C. Anita \|title=An Unintentional System of Gaps: A Phenomenological Reading of Scott O'Dell's Island of the Blue Dolphins \|journal=] \|volume=28 \|issue=2 \|date=June 1997 \|pages=61–71 \|via=] \|doi=10.1023/A:1025019813056\|s2cid=142033907 }}</ref><ref name=":42">{{cite magazine \|title=Another Look at: Scott O'Dell's Island of the Blue Dolphins \|magazine=] \|volume=103 \|issue=16 \|date=April 2007 \|pages=54}}</ref><ref name=":6">{{cite journal \|last=Baecker \|first=Diann L. \|title=Surviving Rescue: A Feminist Reading of Scott O'Dell's Island of the Blue Dolphins \|journal=Children's Literature in Education \|volume=38 \|issue=3 \|date=September 2007 \|pages=195–206 \|via=Springer Link \|doi=10.1007/s10583-006-9030-4\|s2cid=144795360 }}</ref><ref name=":9">{{cite journal \|last=Maher \|first=Susan Naramore \|title=Didactics and the Modern Robinsonade Ed. by Ian Kinane (Review) \|journal=] \|volume=46 \|issue=2 \|year=2021 \|pages=212–16 \|doi=10.1353/chq.2021.0015\|s2cid=236779336 }}</ref> The text explores the themes of independence, vulnerability, growth, survival, paternalism, and rescue, among others.<ref name=":6" /> The first-person point of view employed throughout the text is another narrative technique that serves to strengthen Karana's ] and convey her courage and love.<ref name=":7" />

	The book can be considered a "]," meaning that it tells the story of a character who must survive on a deserted island (or the equivalent), named after '']''.<ref name=":7" /><ref name=":9" /> Diann L. Baecker, a professor of Languages and Literature, suggests that the text is more than merely a "rescue narrative" where an orphan girl needs to be saved by a paternalistic hero.<ref name=":6" /> Rather, Baecker argues that readers themselves can interpret ''Island of the Blue Dolphins'' to be a feminist parable and story of survival.<ref name=":6" />

	Many attribute the long-lasting power of the novel to this existence of a strong female protagonist with unisex characteristics, brought to the public during a time when this was not the norm.<ref name=":8" /><ref name=":42" /><ref name=":6" /> Karana takes on roles typically associated with men in order to survive, such as her skillful crafting of weapons.<ref name=":6" /> At the same time, Karana remains tied to her feminine association with nature as she lovingly cares for hurt animals and vows never to hunt them again.<ref name=":6" /> Literary scholar and professor C. Anita Tarr argues the success of the story should be attributed to Karana's lack of emotions and the major gaps in O'Dell's writing, which allow readers to fill in their own interpretations and feelings.<ref name=":8" />

	Additionally, scholars agree that ''Island of the Blue Dolphins'' has both challenged and reproduced harmful stereotypes of Native peoples that had been propagated by past publications.<ref name=":7" /><ref name=":10">{{Citation \|title=A Counterstory of Native American Persistence \|date=31 December 2019 \|url=http://dx.doi.org/10.1525/9780520964068-007 \|work=Island of the Blue Dolphins \|pages=219–228 \|publisher=] \|doi=10.1525/9780520964068-007 \|isbn=9780520964068 \|s2cid=198403269 \|access-date=2 May 2022}}</ref> Jon C. Stott, a professor of English, states that O'Dell's position as a Non-Native writer helped bring more attention to the culture and stories of Indigenous people.<ref name=":7" /> A past chair of the Scott O'Dell Award for Historical Fiction, Hazel Rochman, also notes the challenges associated with writing authentically about another culture, yet suggests that O'Dell's research and empathy present in the text allowed it to become a long-lasting success.<ref name=":42" />

	Carole Goldberg, a Professor of Law and scholar of Native American studies, highlights ''Island of the Blue Dolphins'' as what is known as a "vanishing Indian story."<ref name=":10" /> Such stories perpetuate the idea that all Native tribes were assimilated into white society in the United States, while ignoring all moral and legal issues related to the colonization of Native Americans.<ref name=":10" /><ref>{{cite book \|url=http://search.credoreference.com/content/entry/childbooks/native_americans_in_children_s_books/0 \|chapter=Native Americans in Children’s Books \|title=The Cambridge Guide to Children's Books in English \|editor-first=Victor \|editor-last=Watson \|editor-link=Victor Watson (author) \|publisher=] \|year=2002}}</ref> ''Island of the Blue Dolphins'' plays into this harmful idea as all the members of Karana’s tribe are either brutally killed or taken away by missionaries, thus disappearing from the narrative entirely.<ref name=":10" /> Yet, an alternative reading of the text centered around cultural repatriation and land rights can still serve as a metaphor for tribal resilience.<ref name=":7" /><ref name=":10" />

	=== Pedagogical analysis ===		=== Pedagogical analysis ===

Revision as of 05:04, 6 February 2023

For the namesake film, see Island of the Blue Dolphins (film). 1960 children's book by Scott O'Dell

Island of the Blue Dolphins
First edition
Author	Scott O'Dell
Cover artist	Evaline Ness
Language	English
Genre	Children's novel
Publisher	Houghton Mifflin
Publication date	1960
Publication place	United States
Media type	Print (hardcover & paperback); Audiobook
Pages	177
ISBN	0-395-06962-9
OCLC	225474
Followed by	Zia

Island of the Blue Dolphins is a 1960 children's novel by American writer Scott O'Dell, which tells the story of a girl named Karana, who is stranded alone for years on an island off the California coast. It is based on the true story of Juana Maria, a Nicoleño Native American left alone for 18 years on San Nicolas Island during the 19th century.

The book is okay

Pedagogical analysis

Sara L. Schwebel, chair of the Carolina Children’s Literature consortium and English professor, states that Island of the Blue Dolphins should be better integrated into school curriculum alongside relevant contemporary scholarship. Further, she contends that children can grapple with critical issues such as colonialism, disempowerment, and resilience in school settings. Children may also be more capable of dealing with death in books than adults perceive them to be, and exposure to Island of the Blue Dolphins or texts with similar depictions of death can be helpful for children to begin processing the concept of death at an early age.

References

^ Cite error: The named reference isbndb was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^ Schwebel, Sara L. (2013). "Taking Children's Literature Scholarship to the Public". Children's Literature Association Quarterly. 38 (4): 470–75. doi:10.1353/chq.2013.0057.
"The Treatment of Death in Children's Literature". Children's Literature Review. 101. November 2004. Retrieved 4 December 2022 – via go.gale.com.

External links

Awards
Preceded byOnion John	Newbery Medal recipient 1961	Succeeded byThe Bronze Bow
Preceded byThe Helen Keller Story	Winner of the William Allen White Children's Book Award 1963	Succeeded byThe Incredible Journey

v t e Newbery Medal–winning works
1922–1925	The Story of Mankind (1922) The Voyages of Doctor Dolittle (1923) The Dark Frigate (1924) Tales from Silver Lands (1925)
1926–1950	Shen of the Sea (1926) Smoky the Cowhorse (1927) Gay Neck, the Story of a Pigeon (1928) The Trumpeter of Krakow (1929) Hitty, Her First Hundred Years (1930) The Cat Who Went to Heaven (1931) Waterless Mountain (1932) Young Fu of the Upper Yangtze (1933) Invincible Louisa (1934) Dobry (1935) Caddie Woodlawn (1936) Roller Skates (1937) The White Stag (1938) Thimble Summer (1939) Daniel Boone (1940) Call It Courage (1941) The Matchlock Gun (1942) Adam of the Road (1943) Johnny Tremain (1944) Rabbit Hill (1945) Strawberry Girl (1946) Miss Hickory (1947) The Twenty-One Balloons (1948) King of the Wind (1949) The Door in the Wall (1950)
1951–1975	Amos Fortune, Free Man (1951) Ginger Pye (1952) Secret of the Andes (1953) ...And Now Miguel (1954) The Wheel on the School (1955) Carry On, Mr. Bowditch (1956) Miracles on Maple Hill (1957) Rifles for Watie (1958) The Witch of Blackbird Pond (1959) Onion John (1960) Island of the Blue Dolphins (1961) The Bronze Bow (1962) A Wrinkle in Time (1963) It's Like This, Cat (1964) Shadow of a Bull (1965) I, Juan de Pareja (1966) Up a Road Slowly (1967) From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler (1968) The High King (1969) Sounder (1970) Summer of the Swans (1971) Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH (1972) Julie of the Wolves (1973) The Slave Dancer (1974) M. C. Higgins, the Great (1975)
1976–2000	The Grey King (1976) Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry (1977) Bridge to Terabithia (1978) The Westing Game (1979) A Gathering of Days (1980) Jacob Have I Loved (1981) A Visit to William Blake's Inn (1982) Dicey's Song (1983) Dear Mr. Henshaw (1984) The Hero and the Crown (1985) Sarah, Plain and Tall (1986) The Whipping Boy (1987) Lincoln (1988) Joyful Noise (1989) Number the Stars (1990) Maniac Magee (1991) Shiloh (1992) Missing May (1993) The Giver (1994) Walk Two Moons (1995) The Midwife's Apprentice (1996) The View from Saturday (1997) Out of the Dust (1998) Holes (1999) Bud, Not Buddy (2000)
2001–present	A Year Down Yonder (2001) A Single Shard (2002) Crispin (2003) The Tale of Despereaux (2004) Kira-Kira (2005) Criss Cross (2006) The Higher Power of Lucky (2007) Good Masters! Sweet Ladies! (2008) The Graveyard Book (2009) When You Reach Me (2010) Moon Over Manifest (2011) Dead End in Norvelt (2012) The One and Only Ivan (2013) Flora & Ulysses (2014) The Crossover (2015) Last Stop on Market Street (2016) The Girl Who Drank the Moon (2017) Hello, Universe (2018) Merci Suárez Changes Gears (2019) New Kid (2020) When You Trap a Tiger (2021) The Last Cuentista (2022) Freewater (2023) The Eyes and the Impossible (2024)

Categories:

Misplaced Pages