Island of the Blue Dolphins Chapter 7 Summary

  • The villagers pack all of their things: Karana fills two baskets with her needles, knife, pots, and a box for her earrings. Ulape, the vainer of the two sisters, brings many earrings.
  • Ulape puts a thin smear of blue clay across her nose to indicate that she's unmarried. Nanko fusses at her to hurry up, and she teases him. Karana tells us that her sister is in love with Nanko. Yeah, we already figured that one out.
  • As the villagers head for the ship, Ramo runs to his sister to tell her he needs to go back for his fishing spear. She tells him not to.
  • At the beach, all of the men have been rowed to the ship using smaller boats. Karana asks Nanko about her brother Ramo, and Nanko says that Ramo is on the ship.
  • Karana and Ulape arrive on the ship, but once on board, Karana still can't find Ramo. Nanko repeats what he says on the beach until Ulape points back at the island, and sees their brother. Ramo has been left behind.
  • Karana begs Chief Matasaip to turn back for her brother. When it's clear that he won't, Karana jumps from the ship, into the ocean, and swims back to shore.
  • Karana thought she would be mad but is so happy to see her brother that she just hugs him when she gets to shore.  She tells him that she is sure the ship will come back for them. She's only angry that she ruined her pretty yucca skirt on the swim back to shore.