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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. Why does Karana attempt to catch a devilfish?

2. Where is Karana going to spend the night after the reef incident?

3. When Karana reaches the meadow, what does she see standing on the mound?

4. What does Karana do to pass the time during the winter that the Aleuts are on the island?

5. What does Karana throw into the water when she sees the devilfish?

Short Essay Questions

1. What does Karana do after she tracks the injured pack leader, finding him immobile on the ground?

2. What happens after Karana spears the giant devilfish?

3. How does Karana feel now that Tutok has gone away?

4. What is the great discovery that Karana and Rontu make as they travel around the island in the canoe?

5. Other than training the birds, how does Karana pass the time throughout the spring?

6. How do Karana and Tutok spend their time together?

7. Summarize the method Karana uses to tame the two young birds, nesting in a tree above her house.

8. What is Karana worried about when she takes her new spear to go and hunt devilfish?

9. How does Karana catch the wild dog she believes to be Rontu's son?

10. Karana survives the tidal waves and returns to the headland. What happens when Rontu-Aru greets her?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

1) Analyze Karana's decision to leave the island with the white missionary at the end of the novel.

2) What other alternatives does she have?

3) Write an epilogue summarizing the result of her decision.

Essay Topic 2

1) Analyze the character of Karana.

2) How is she depicted by O'Dell?

3) How do her own words and actions reveal what type of character she is?

4) What do her relationships with her brother Ramo, and her animal friends reveal about her character?

Essay Topic 3

1) Compare the theme of survival and maturity in Island of the Blue Dolphins to similar events in real life.

2) What insights does the story give to current day situations of an adolescent in today's world?

3) Why would teenagers today relate or not relate to this story?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 879 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample