Orphan Island

On the island, the children keep their limited supply of books in a special cabin, listen to the Elders read aloud each night, and even bury the “dead” (worn-out) books in a cemetery. What does this suggest about books and what they symbolize to the children? Use details from the novel to support your argument.

The Elders are supposed to teach their Cares useful skills in general but must teach them three specific things: to swim, to cook, and to read. Why are these three skills viewed as most important for the children on the island? Use evidence from the text to develop your argument.

How do the job requirements of the Elder on the island illustrate The Increased Responsibility of Maturity? Use evidence from the text to support your answer.

Why does Jinny ultimately decide to leave the island, and what does this reveal about how she’s changed as a character? Use details from the novel to develop your argument.

Jinny feels satisfied after she uses octopus ink to write a letter that someone might one day read. Why does Jinny feel the need to leave something permanent behind on the island, what might have influenced her to do so, and what does this indicate about her character? Use details from the book to develop your answer.

What does the island symbolize, and what does each child’s duty to leave the island symbolize? Use examples from the novel to support your ideas.

How does the author’s strategy of withholding information from the characters (and the reader) develop the novel’s themes? Use evidence from the novel and/or the author’s Afterword to develop your argument.

Although it’s problematic that children were sent to live alone on an island with no adults, they still seem to enjoy the island and learn to be good people from their experiences there. Explain how being sent to the island benefits the children despite the obvious disadvantages.