Themes in White Dolphin by Gill Lewis

The novel “White Dolphin” by Gill Lewis explores several themes, including:

Conservation and Environmentalism: The novel highlights the importance of protecting the environment and preserving the natural habitat of marine creatures like the albino dolphin.

Evidences:

• Kara’s mother, Kay successfully campaigns for ten years dredging ban to protect the local coral reef.
• Kara and Felix successfully arrange a petition to extend the ban on dredging.

Friendship and Collaboration: The novel shows how Kara and Felix work together to achieve a common goal and overcome challenges, highlighting the importance of friendship and collaboration.

Evidences:

• Kara and Felix work together and arrange an event where they convince the local fisherman to petition for keeping the dredging ban.
• Daisy, Kara’s younger cousin, always supports her and tries to comfort her.

Family and Loss: The novel explores the impact of loss on family relationships and how it can affect one’s sense of identity and belonging.

Evidences:

• Kara has lost her mother. This has negatively affected her personality. In the start of the novel, we find her ripping pages from the Bible. Also, she gets annoyed when Mrs. Carter tries to be nice to her. She is selfish and inconsiderate towards her dad.

Courage and Perseverance: The novel depicts Kara’s bravery and determination in standing up for what she believes in and fighting for the protection of the dolphin, despite the obstacles she faces.

Evidences:

• Although, Kara’s mom is an outsider from New Zealand, still she bravely stands up against fishermen like Dougie Evans and successfully campaigns for ten years dredging ban to protect the local coral reef.
• Kara overcomes her fear of public speaking and bravely speaks up to convince the fishermen to sign the petition.

Judging by Appearances: Many characters in the novel have differences that make them stand out and because of their unique traits they are often judged harshly by the community.

Evidences:

• Kara is bullied by Jake and Ethan due to her dyslexia.
• Jake and Ethan make fun of Felix because of his cerebral palsy.
• Miss Penluna is known as a ‘witch’ and ‘a bird lady’ due to her unique appearance and traits.

Overall, the novel emphasizes the importance of environmental conservation, the power of friendship and collaboration, and the resilience of the human spirit in the face of adversity.

Regenerate response