NovelStudyGuide IslandOfTheBlueDolphins

Island of the Blue Dolphins Study Guide
Staying Alive
What would you do if you were stranded alone on a deserted island? This is the question that
Karana, the narrator of Island of the Blue Dolphins, must answer for herself. The fact that
Karana grew up on the island and knows its many secrets is some help, but she has never had
to survive on her own before. Does she have what it takes to stay alive until her people come
back for her? Will they come back . . . ever?
Be a Better Reader
As you work on the study guide for Island of the Blue Dolphins, you’ll also practice these skills,
which will help you when you read other novels, for school assignments or just for fun.
1. Identify the conflicts in a novel, and watch how they are worked out by the end.
2. Describe the main characters in a novel, based on clues the author provides.
4. Identify the themes in a novel.
5. Explain how a novel’s conflicts, events, characters, and settings relate to its themes.
Behind the Scenes

Island of the Blue Dolphins is based on the true story of Juana Maria, who lived alone for
eighteen years on San Nicolas Island, which is about 75 miles from the California coast. In 1814,
Juana Maria’s tribe, the Nicoleño, were attacked by Russian otter trappers who claimed that the
tribe killed one of their group. A Catholic mission in California decided to rescue the few
remaining Nicoleños, but Juana Maria was not on their ship when it had to move out to sea
ahead of a storm.
Several people tried to find and rescue Juana Maria in the years after her tribe left, but no one
was successful until 1853. During that time, Juana Maria had lived in a rustic house surrounded
by whale bones. When she finally came to California, she brought baskets, tools, weapons,
jewelry, and a coat made of cormorant feathers. Once in the United States, she lived the rest of
her life with the people who rescued her.
Scott O’Dell, the author of Island of the Blue Dolphins, created a fictional character based on
Juana Maria, but gave her a name more like what her tribe would have given her—Karana.
Some details of his story are the same as the historical “Lone Woman of San Nicolas Island,” but
most are ones that he imagined might have happened to someone in Karana’s situation.
Get This!
Some things Karana does because she has to, in order to survive. Other things she does because
she has a strong sense of adventure and wants to test her skills. One of the events that belongs
in the second category happens when Karana decides to fight a giant octopus, which her people
call a “devil fish”—with good reason, it turns out.
The Characters
The Island of the Blue Dolphins has a first-person narrator. That is, the person telling the story
is also the story’s main character, and she describes the events as she experiences them.
Usually, a novel’s first chapters introduce you to the main character and help you understand
what that person is like. However, this novel’s first seven chapters provide as much information
about Karana’s people as about Karana herself. As you read this first section of the book, use
the chart below to list what you learn about the narrator and about her people.
What You Learn About Karana What You Learn about Karana’s People
Analyzing Character
As you finish reading The Island of the Blue Dolphins, notice how Karana’s attitude about her
situation, the island, and the other creatures on the island changes. In the chart below, list the
ways in which Karana changes, and cite a passage in the book that describes this change. The
first row is filled in as an example.
How Karana Changes Passage from the Novel

The way Karana feels about being on the the first six paragraphs of Chapter 11
island changes after she tries to leave it in a
canoe—and fails.
The Plot
The conflict that drives the plot in Island of the Blue Dolphins is a fairly obvious one: Karana, the
novel’s main character, is struggling to survive. The conflict is between life and death—Karana
needs to deal with many life-threatening situations, such as starvation, dehydration, drowning,
serious injuries and attacks by wild dogs. Therefore, the plot’s events consist of the challenges
or obstacles that Karana faces and what she does to overcome them and survive a little longer.
As you read, list the problems that Karana encounters in her attempt to survive, and explain
how she solves each problem. Some boxes are filled in for you as an example.
Conflict or Problem How the Problem Is Solved

Karana’s brother gets left behind on the Karana jumps into the ocean and swims to shore. She
island. Karana realizes this after she is on the can do this because she is a very strong swimmer with
ship. lots of practice.
After her brother is killed by wild dogs, Karana builds a fence out of whale bones, with the ribs
Karana is left alone and fears that the wild curved in so that wild dogs cannot climb over them.
dogs may eventually attack her as well. She kills a few of the dogs, making them fear her.
Analyzing Plot
When you have finished reading Island of the Blue Dolphins, answer these questions about the
novel’s plot.
1. What do the events of the plot tell you about the narrator, Karana?
2. What do the events of the plot suggest about what is needed to survive, more generally?
3. What message do you think the author wants to send, based on how Karana responds to the
story’s main conflict? (The way a conflict is resolved is a major clue about the theme of the
novel.)
The Setting
The setting of this novel plays a very important role. It’s not the historical period that matters,
though—it’s where the story happens. All of the story’s events occur on one island where the
narrator must find what she needs to survive.
What are some of the island’s most important features? (Hint: These are the same ones that
play a key role in Karana’s survival.) In the first column of the chart below, list features of the
island that matter most to Karana. Then, in the second column, explain why each feature is so
important. Some rows are completed for you as examples.
Feature Why It Matters

caves Karana often seeks shelter in caves, and so do the wild dogs. She hides her supplies
in caves and uses them in her plans for how she might flee from invaders.
wild dogs Karana’s brother is killed by wild dogs. Later, Karana injures and then rescues one
of the wild dogs and keeps it as a pet and companion.
The Big Picture

Complete ONE of these projects to explore the events and ideas in Island of the Blue Dolphins.
When you finish the project, ask your teacher how you should turn it in.
Project 1: Mapping Survival

At the very beginning of Island of the Blue Dolphins, the narrator describes the shape of the
island where she and her people live, and she points out its major features. Then, throughout
the book, Karana provides more details about different parts of the island. Based on the
descriptions provided in the novel, draw a detailed map of the Island of the Blue Dolphins.
Label your map with important locations, and briefly explain what happened at each location or
why it was important to the story.
Project 2: Picture That!

Karana faces many, many challenges in her years alone on the Island of the Blue Dolphins.
Some of those events are more memorable than others, either because of what happened or
because of the way Karana describes what happened. Which events stuck most firmly in your
mind? Which events served as turning points in the story? Choose three of the novel’s most
important or memorable scenes to illustrate, based on details in the book. Your pictures can be
drawings or paintings and whatever style you want. Give each of your illustrations a detailed
caption.
Project 3: You Try It

If you found yourself alone on an island like Karana’s, would you know what to do? How would
you survive? The details of Karana’s experience should give you some ideas. Based on what you
learned from Karana in The Island of the Blue Dolphins, create a guide for surviving alone on a
similar island. Your guide can be mostly writing (a booklet) or mostly images (a poster), but it
should include a complete list of what do to and/or what not to do if someone is stranded on
an island and is willing to do what is required to survive.

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Island of the Blue Dolphins Study Guide

Behind the Scenes

How Karana Changes Passage from the Novel

Conflict or Problem How the Problem Is Solved

Feature Why It Matters

The Big Picture

Project 1: Mapping Survival

Project 2: Picture That!

Project 3: You Try It

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