Third quarter: theme, setting, mood, tone, point
of view
Deadline of submission: on or before 8 January 2015
Required
word count: 600 – 1200
I.
Title – Dolphin
diaries: dancing the seas by Ben
M. Baglio, published by Scholastic Inc., New York, USA.
II. Theme – Humans
and dolphins can understand and care for each other.
·
Did
something that happened in the story change a character or characters? What
insight can I derive from such a change/changes?
One such change in the story was when the
dolphins jumped out of the sea to breathe just when the researchers were
surveying the habitat and observing the different dolphin breeds.
“Dolphin off the port bow!
“Jody McGrath was in the salon cabin,
struggling with a difficult Math problem, when she heard her father shout those
“magic” words. Excitement flooded through her. She wanted to rush up on deck,
but her morning lesson wasn’t over yet.”
The changes in the character/s happen every
time the dolphins jump out of the water. The atmosphere among the people in the
Dolphin Dreamer is really one of
excitement every time the dolphins show up.
·
How
do the characters' actions relate to things in my life? What insight can I
derive from such actions?
I can relate with the characters’ passion
to learn about and to love sea creatures such as dolphins. I love dolphins,
too. I see myself in this scene:
“Jody gazed, fascinated, at the sleek,
athletic creatures glittering in the salt spray and sunlight. Smaller than the
bottle-nosed dolphins she knew best, they were in fact one of the smallest
dolphin species, as well as being the most acrobatic. They were mainly gray:
dark gray on the back, with paler gray underneath. A few had creamy white
bellies. Their beaks were long and slender, with black tips.”
Bottle-nosed
dolphin
- What message is the author trying to send me? Does the title of the story give me a
clue about the theme of the story?
In my understanding, the author tells me
how important it is to care for dolphins. Yes. The
book is actually part of a series which takes up dolphins. In the series, Jody
McGrath and her family sail around the world as part of their research on
dolphins. As a young person, Jody records the exciting adventures of their
travel-research in her diaries. According to my research, the first part of the
series begins in Florida, where the McGraths reside (when they do not sail).
III.
Setting - Discuss
the time and place of the book in detail.
The setting includes the time and place in which
the story takes place. It also includes the milieu or the economic, political
and cultural environment of that specific time and place in history. … Overall,
the setting gives readers background information on the context that shaped the
way certain characters speak/act/behave or why certain events occur in a story.
·
Where does the story take place?
The story
takes place in the islands of Nuku Hiva and Hiva Oa in the Eastern Pacific
Ocean (see pictures below).
According
to the website http://www.tahiti.com/island/marquesas-islands:
“Nuku Hiva, located on the northwestern
edge, is the largest of the Marquesas Islands. Known as the Mystical Island, it
is home to many rare and magnificent attractions such as the black sand beach
of Anaho; Hakaui Valley waterfall, the third tallest in the world; Cathedral of
Notre Dame, which houses intricate stone and wooden carvings from each island;
and countless underwater caverns that shelter an impressive variety of flora
and fauna. The main town of Taiohae, the administrative capital of the
Marquesas, is a small yet lively port, especially during yachting season.
“Hiva Oa, the second largest island, is
located in the southeastern group. Home to the harbor town of Atuona, this
island is usually the first port of call for sailboats crossing west over the
Pacific. This is the most historic island in the group, with some of the
largest ancient tiki statues in
French Polynesia. Known as Gauguin's Island, Hiva Oa is also the final resting
place for painter Paul Gauguin and poet Jacques Brel. Both artists are buried
at the Cimetière du Calvaire, Calvary Cemetery, overlooking Atuona.”
·
When does the story take place? What was milieu
within which the story takes place?
The story
is set in 2001. During this period and up to now, environmental awareness is
emphasized, as well as protection of endangered species (such as dolphins) and
of their habitats. For example, I got the following related information (dated
2001) from the web:
“There are
three Canadian facilities in which whales and dolphins (also known as
"cetaceans") are captive and a fourth is now being considered. The Vancouver
Aquarium keeps five beluga whales and one dolphin. Due largely to public outcry
against captivity, the aquarium has said that it will no longer take cetaceans
from the wild, or keep orca whales, having recently shipped its last surviving
orca, Bjossa, to Sea World. However, it might still acquire cetaceans already
captive at other facilities.”
“The West
Edmonton Mall once held four dolphins, captured near Florida. … Over the years,
nine dolphins are believed to have died at Marine land since 1990, including
eight imported from Cuba in 1986. …”
“Of course,
all of these facilities will tell you that they would never hurt the animals
that they love like family, and that a few bad apples shouldn't tarnish the
whole industry. But the industry itself is a bad apple. It is a strange kind of
‘love’ that would separate individuals from their real families and force them
to live their lives captive in concrete tanks or shallow sea pens rather than
free in the vast ocean environment to which millions of years of evolution has
suited them.”
“As many as 40% of bottlenose
dolphins captured from the wild die within the first five days in captivity.
Some die from shock, heart attacks, even drowning. Some refuse to eat and
starve to death or succumb to infections they cannot fight in their weakened
state. Life in captivity for those who survive capture, or for those born into
it, is necessarily wretched. In the wild, cetaceans virtually never experience
any kind of natural restraint or restriction of movement. Living in open oceans
or along endless coasts, swimming from the moment of their birth, they do not
encounter any natural, insurmountable physical barriers.”
IV.
Tone – What’s
the overall attitude or feeling that the author conveys in the story?
The tone is one of youthful water adventure. As a young person, Jody McGrath is
exposed to the sea that she comes to love it like life itself. Jody may have
very well been in her teen years. She and her family travel around the world –
in marine areas – to study about dolphins in their natural habitat.
V.
Mood –
Discuss how you felt while you were reading the novel.
I am a sea / ocean and dolphin lover myself. While
reading the book, I felt a certain envy with Jody because she can see and be
with the dolphins in the wild while I have to content myself with seeing them
in ocean-themed parks such as Ocean Park in Luneta, Manila, and Ocean Adventure
in Subic, Zambales. In these parks, the dolphins are in a captive setting.
Freedom spells the difference.
I also felt nervous at a certain scene when Jody
and her companion dived inside a cave. I’m scared of doing that in reality.
Another scene that made me panicked was when there
was a brewing storm and the two girls were still inside the cave. I screamed
upon reading the details.
VI.
Point of
View
A. First-person – when the narrator or
storyteller is also a character in the story; easily spotted with the use of I-me-my-mine in
the narrator’s speech.
B. Second-person – when the narrator addresses
the reader as part of the story; may be spotted when the narrator uses you and your
to address the reader.
C. Third-person – when the narrator is an
outsider looking in at the action of a story; easily spotted with the use of he-she-they-them when the narrator
refers to the characters.
The novel uses the second-person
point of view, in a diary format –
that the writer (Jody) is writing or talking to the
readers.
Here are examples:
“February
13, before sunrise, Anaho Bay: We’re waiting for the other two divers to come
pick us up. I’ve just eaten a bowl of cereals, and Brittany is still picking at
hers. It’s much too early to feel hungry, but Mom says it’s important to have
breakfast before going on a dive.
“I
am so excited about this! I’ve never been in a real cave before – especially
not an underwater one! I wonder what kind of creatures live there.”
“February 19 – bedtime – Anaho Bay: Tomorrow
we’ll be heading out to sea again, beginning the next leg of our dolphin
voyage. I swam with Twister one last
time, and it was the best ever. Did he know I was saying goodbye when I hugged
him just before I climbed back on board?
“We had dinner on deck so we could
watch hundreds of spinner dolphins dancing and playing in the waters of Anaho
Bay as the sun went down. Such an unforgettable sight. Mom got some of it on
video, and I took a few photos myself, but nothing can match the reality.
“Twister stayed behind when all the
other spinners began to leave the bay. I played my recorder to him, and he
whistled back to me, then he leaped and spun in the last rays of the sun—I
counted nine full-body turns!—before he went off to join the others in the open
sea.
“Twister – te ariki o te moana – I’ll never forget you. You really are the lord of the sea.”
V.
Plot –
Sequence the events that take place in the story. Timeline:
On board, while studying, Jody McGrath hears the “magic
words” from his dad (Craig McGrath): “Dolphins off the port bow.”
As Maddie allows the three kids on board to see the
dolphins, Jody gets up and goes to the bow. Jody notices a dolphin that can do
the full body spins and she named it Twister.
Jody quickly gets her diary to write the citing of
the dolphins and their behavior.
She and the others goes back to their study room after
seeing dolphins jump above the waters.
Hours past and Jimmy shouts “Land ho!”
As the Dolphin
Dreamer reaches the shore, everybody helps to roll down the sails. The
riders sail through a narrow passage that opens into a sheltered harbor with a
jetty where several boats are tied.
They register at the police station. Then, they are
welcomed by Namu, a resident of Hiva Oa.
Maddie and Jody go to a jungle to see an ancient
temple that was built by Namu’s ancestors.
Dolphin
Dreamer leaves Hiva
Oa and goes to Nuku Hiva where the riders meet two scientists named Lew and
Monique.
The two scientists go diving inside a cave together
with Jody, Brittany, Jules and François.
A storm comes while the group is still diving
inside the cave.
They reach the surface where there is air. By doing
so, they conserve oxygen from the tank. They can’t go near the boat because of
the wind and the waves.
As they go outside the cave, a large wave hits
Jules which leads to his head crashing on the cave wall. His head bleeds.
Twister enters the cave and upon seeing what
happens, it looks for help.
Help comes. Jules is brought to the nearest
hospital.
On the group’s last day, Jody has a last swim with
Twister.
The group leaves the island.
A. Introduction – This is when Jody’s father
shouts the “magic” words regarding the appearance of the dolphins.
B. Rising Action – tells the conflict in the
story. There are two conflicts in the story:
·
Man versus nature – examples:
“They [the dolphins] came up slowly and carefully,
partners facing each other. Jody glanced up frequently, as she had been taught,
to make sure there was nothing in the way. It seemed darker to her than it had
been before, but maybe that was just because she wasn’t used to coming up in a
cave. Just as she broke through the surface, Jody inflated her buoyancy compensator
to give herself support.”
“Out of the water, the first thing she
noticed was the noise. A sort of booming roar filled the air, in addition to
the echoing slap and spray of the sea. After the peaceful underwater world, it
was a terrible racket. And it seemed wrong somehow. Jody turned her face
towards the light of the cave opening and saw what seemed to be solid sheet of
water.”
“It looks like the weather’s gotten worse since we
went down,” said Lew, his voice close to her ear. He sounded tense.
“. . . the tropical storm came . . . (inside
the cave while waiting) Jules shouted to Francois, his voice echoing sharply. Jody
looked around. She saw Jules cleaning out his face mask. He looked up slowly,
too slowly, just as a particular large wave rocked him. He flailed his arms
wildly trying to keep his balance, but it was too late. The powerful wave
slammed him against the wall.
·
Man versus society – examples:
“As they drew nearer, Jody could see the thickets
of coconut palms lining on the rocky shore. They sailed through a narrow
passage that opened into a sheltered harbour with a jetty where several boats
were tied. Everyone worked together to take down the sails and stow them away,
and soon Dolphin Dreamer was tied to
the jetty with the other boats.”
“The first thing we should do is register
with the Gendarmerie?” said Harry.
“What’s the Gendarmerie?” asked Jimmy, stumbling
over the word.
“That’s the French for police station.” Maddie
explained.
“The Marquesas are a French colony.”
C. Climax
This happens when Jules is hit by the waves and his
head is crashed to the cave walls. He is unconscious when the group travels back
to the island where there is a medic.
D. Falling Action
Consisting of Lew, Monique, Jody, Brittany, Jules
and François, the Dolphin Dreamer team
continues their journey to other islands. They bring with them amazing memories
of their encounters with the dolphins.
E. Denouement/Resolution
This is when Jody sees the dolphin . . . again. On
her last day on Anaho Bay, Jody swims with the dolphin for the last time. This
is an experience she will long remember.
VII.
Characters
·
Brittany Pierce – the captain’s daughter, Jody’s friend
·
Cam Tucker – sailor
·
Craig McGrath – Jody’s father
·
Dr. Jefferson Taylor – the dolphin scientist on
board the Dolphin Dreamer
·
Francouis – the diver who helped Jody and Brittany
when they dive inside an underwater cave
·
Gina Mcgrath – Jody’s mother
·
Harry Pierce – the captain
·
Jimmy and Sean – Maddie’s younger twin brothers
·
Jody Mcgrath – the diary writer
·
Jules – Francouis’ brother
·
Lew – Monique’s husband, also a diver
·
Maddie – the teacher on board the Dolphin Dreamer
·
Mei Lin Zhong – the cook on board the vessel
·
Monique – a diver
·
Namu – the tour guide in Anahoa Bay where the
vessel landed
Give
examples on how the setting and milieu have influenced the way certain
characters in the story speak/think/behave.
In 2001, there were issues about dolphins in Canada
and the US in which they were already held captive for study and entertainment
purposes. As marine biologists, the people on board the Dolphin Dreamer interact with and help each other because of their
common love for dolphins.
And also, in 2001 there were issues in which the
dolphins are caught in tuna nets and they eventually died. A portion in the
book that proves this is: “Oh, wow!” Jody exclaimed, gazing at Cam’s old school
friend. “Do you mean you help dolphins escape from the nets?”
VI VIII. Conclusion – Please
use the guide questions below.
1. What is
your general impression about the book? Discuss.
The story deals about science yet it is presented
in an easy-to-understand manner. At a very young age, my mother read Science
stories to me – such as the OMF series of Mga
Kuwento ni Tito Dok. Tito Dok is actually Luis P. Gatmaitan, a medical
doctor. He writes about various medical matters in an easy-to-understand and
humorous way. The bacteria, medicines, parts of the body, diseases and other
medical elements come alive as “persons” – like the animals in Aesop’s Fables.
Aside from these, my mother and I enjoyed looking
at coffee-table books about the marine environment. She used to work full-time
(as Manager of the Publications Unit, Information Program) at the WorldFish
Center, an international nongovernment organization. So, you know now why I
love the sea and its various creatures.
Of course, we enjoy, first-hand, the sea during our
vacations.
2. How did
the author use the story to share the theme to the readers of the book? Explain
your answer.
The author used a teenager – Jody McGrath – for his
book’s main protagonist. Jody loves to write entries in her diary. Teens, like
me, love diary-writing to express our inner thoughts and emotions. I have not
done this exercise for quite a while. After reading the book, I am
re-stimulated to write entries in my diary.
3. Will you
recommend the book to your friends / loved ones? Why or why not?
Yes, I will wholeheartedly recommend this book to
them. The story shows how a common love for dolphins binds family members and
friends together. The members live on a boat most of the time – and this kind
of living is difficult and dangerous compared with living on land – yet the
family enjoy their “mission”.
The story also shows that dolphins are such lovable
and tame creatures. If given the chance, I would like to live by the sea so I
can see and interact with them often.
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