I read this book back in like 4th or 5th grade, but one thing I still cannot understand is why it took 18 years to go back and rescue here. Anyone care to explain?
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0383574/board/nest/47738289
Elizabeth and Jack analysis.
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I've done some research on Karana's story, as much of the book appears to be romanticized speculation. From what I have found out, people did try to go get her-there was actually a $200 reward offered by a mission priest for anyone who could "rescue" her. The seas surrounding the island were very choppy and difficult to navigate, so not many people were willing to attempt it, even for what was quite a bit of money back then. Some people did make it to the island, but Karana tended (understandably) not to trust them and usually hid so well they couldn't find her, though they did find evidence of her being on the island. I think after a few unsuccessful attempts to find her, many people may not have believed she was still alive.
shareI hadn't heard that the missionaries tried to rescue her. I had heard that the ship went down with her village on-board. She was something like 18 years old when she was left there but the letter my class got back said she was something like 40 when they finally did rescue her. I was in 4th grade then and since 4th grade studies the missions in California the teacher read the book to us during the rest period after lunch. I did love the movie at the time. It came out not long after I first heard and read the book for myself. Like many others on here I have not seen it since the late 60's. I thought the acting was a bit over the top now thinking back. A bit dramatic.
shareIt might have been better for her if she had not been rescued. The real-life Karana died from dysentery just 7 weeks after her rescue. Her rescuers meant well, but they apparently overfed her. After 18 years of eating the plain and simple food from the island, her body couldn't handle the rich and plentiful food she was suddenly given.
shareThat's not how you get dysentery. It's an infection from bacteria or a viruses.
PS: This is what part of the alphabet would look like if Q and R didn't exist.share
I don't know anything about the cause of dysentery - I was writing about what I read about her life. Maybe it was just plain diarrhea, then. Or could she have gotten the dysentery from the bacteria or virus, and it was aggravated from the rich food she ate?
shareStill. They did mean well as he said.
shareI heard that the ship went down before it could go back for the lone woman, but it may have been after dropping her tribe off because I also heard they all died of dysentery, not in a shipwreck. In any case any attempt to locate survivors was unsuccessful.
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