Furthermore, she also depends on natural resources to make weapons such as spare, bow, arrows, string and lamps in order to protect herself. This condition is
stated in this following datum. It was now time to make plans for getting rid of the wild dogs which had
killed my brother and would kill should they ever come upon me unarmed. I needed another and heavier spear, also a larger bow and sharper arrows.
To collect the material for these weapons,
I searched the whole island, taking many suns to do it. This left only the nights to work on them. Since I
could not see well by the dim fire I used for cooking, I made lamps of the dried bodies of little fish which we call
sai- sai.
O’Dell, 1960: 78
Living alone means that she has to struggle to protect and fulfill her own necessities. As wild dogs threaten her live, she must make the weapons in order to
make them scared. That is why, she tries to utilize everything surrounding her to make those weapons. Therefore, she makes some plans and collects some things.
In sum, she is able to make those weapons and lamps by utilizing woods and dried bodies of fish. Without nature, she cannot make those things.
In conclusion, the above explanations are useful to explain Karana’s dependencies on nature especially in order to make some useful life necessities.
Karana by depending on the nature is able to make appliances, clothes, weapons and lamps. In addition, these life necessities
are essential to Karana’s life to make her warm, comfortable and safe.
b. Nature Needs Human
In this novel, the researcher finds that nature needs human. Nature has many aspects such as lands, plants and animals. However, in this research, animals are
discussed more in having a close relationship of human-nature interdependence.
Animals have been closely related with human especially Karana. Thus, animals are used to represent the nature. Meanwhile, humans are presented by Karana.
That is why, the researcher is interested to dig more about the relationship between animals and Karana in the novel. The collected data are classified into
two categories namely needing human to recover from life-threatening conditions and needing human’s awareness toward natural existence and its preservation. The
data are explained and discussed further in the following below.
1 Needing Human to Recover from Life-Threatening Conditions
Animals, as the representation of the nature, need human in some certain situations especially life-threatening conditions. Human can act as a helper or life
savior for the animals in those conditions. These conditions can be in many forms. The researcher finds some cases which can be great examples how animals need
human in order to recover and save them from life-threatening conditions. The first example refers to the way Karana save some wounded animals.
There are some animals which are helped by Karana such as otters, wild dogs and birds. In one situation, Karana helps an otter who is wounded and cannot swim.
This otter is hurt because it has been attacked by some killer whales. This otter lays ashore and Karana sees it. She takes a pity on the otter. Thus, she tries to help
the otter by making a pool where this otter can live safely. Furthermore, this otter’s wound can be healed time by time. This situation is reflected through the
following datum. The otter did not try to swim away as I drew near and reached over the side of
the canoe. They have large eyes, especially when they are young, but this
one’s were so large from fear and pain that I could see my reflection in them. I cut the kelp that held it and took it to a tide pool behind the reef, which
was sheltered from waves. O’Dell, 1960: 147
In another case, the wild dogs which become her enemy since they have killed her only brother, Ramo is also rescued by Karana. At first, Karana tries to
kill the wild dogs as the way she wants to take revenge. She makes some weapons and she gets a chance to kill them. However, the condition changes because she
has no guts to kill them. She has attacked the wild dogs and she has hit one of them. She sees that the dog is wounded on its neck and fully blooded. This
situation is reflected in the following datum. He did not move when I went up to him, nor could I see him breathing until I
was very close. The head of the arrow was in his chest and the broken shaft was covered with blood
. The thick fur around his neck was matted from the rain. O’Dell, 1960: 96
Yet, her tender heart makes her try to help it. She brings the wounded wild dog into her cave and tries to cure its wound. Fortunately, the dog is alive and healthy
in Karana’s hands. Karana also tries to help another animal which is a bird. The young bird is
wounded in one of its leg. The situation is reflected below.
This one, which was white with a yellow beak, was not badly hurt, but he had a broken leg. I took him back to the house and bound the bones
together with two small sticks and sinew . For a while he did not try to
walk. Then, because he was not old enough to fly, he began to hobble around the yard. O’Dell, 1960: 153
As stated in the above datum, the young bird needs Karana’s help in order to cure its broken legs. Karana who has knowledge about the way to treat the broken
bones is able to help this animal to use small sticks.
Furthermore, as those mentioned animals cannot get the food by themselves. These animals need human to help them to get foods or they will
starve to death. Thus, Karana also helps them by looking for foods and feeding them. The situation is reflected in the following quotation.
I brought two fish every day and left them in the pool . The otter would not
eat while I was watching. Then I brought four fish and these also disappeared and finally six, which seemed to be the right number. I brought them
whether the day was calm or stormy. O’Dell, 1960: 148
Karana knows that this otter cannot fulfill its need for food because of its condition. Karana with her tender heart helps it to obtain some foods. Thus, she
brings some fish for the otter. She also keeps the fish properly because the otter does not like to eat the dead fish. Firstly, Karana takes two fish. Secondly, she
brings more fish. Then, she knows that the otter needs six fish a day. Six is the proper amount for the otter. That is why she brings six fish every day until the
otter recovers and is able to hunt the fish by its own. In conclusion, human can be beneficial fo
r animals’ life. Karana, representing human, is able to help nature especially animals using her knowledge
and heart. She can help recovering their health, fulfilling their hunger and curing their wound. Thus, these animals are able to be healthy again.
2 Needing Human’s Awareness Toward Natural Existence and
Preservation
In O’Dell’s Island of the Blue Dolphins, Karana, a twelve-year-old girl is portrayed as a human with ecocritics’ perspective. She who lives alone in the
island and the wilderness has bigger chances to connect with other creatures and
the nature. It happens as Karana shows some good attitudes which represent an “earth-and-animal lover”. She has awareness that nature and human is
interdependent one to another. She understands that she need to care with other natural aspects. She can utilize the nature without destructing the environment and
minimizes harmful actions. She also helps other creatures and befriends with them. This earth-centered awareness is needed by the nature and its aspects which
one of them is animal in order to maintain its sustainability. By becoming a friend or animal lover, animals are not killed wastefully. Now,
Karana considers that animals not her enemy. She also has determined not to kill the animals after making friends and naming them. She only takes what she needs
and she does not kill animals like wild dogs, red foxes, otters seal elephant and cormorants no more. She considers that killing them is not beneficial to be done.
She only kills fish and abalones as they are very beneficial foods for her in living in the island. This condition can be seen through the below quotation.
After the summer, after being friends with Won-a-nee and her young, I never killed another otter.
I had an otter cape for my shoulders, which I used until
it wore out, but never again did I make a new one. Nor did I ever kill another cormorant for its beautiful feathers
, though they have long, thin
neck and make ugly sounds when they talk to each other. Nor did I kill seals for their sinews
, using instead kelp to bind the things that needed it. Nor did I kill another wild dog,
nor did I try to spear another sea elephant.
O’Dell, 1960: 156 By doing that thing, animals are maintained their sustainability. They are
recognized as living creatures not as non-living ones. In this novel, animals are depicted and treated similar to human for Karana. Karana makes them as friends.
