The Whale Rider Character List

The Bull Whale

The bull whale is an ancient whale, about 65 feet long. It is leading its herd in
search of safer waters, but at the same time it struggles to come to terms
with its deep love for the ancient whale rider, now long dead, who once had
been its dearest companion. The whale has to balance between current
responsibilities as leader of the herd on one hand, and nostalgia for past
times on the other.
The Whale Rider
The revered figure of Whangara's Maori people and Kahu's direct ancestor,
the whale rider develops an extremely close bond with a whale.
Kahu
Kahu is the chief protagonist of the story. She is a young girl with a strong
and determined temperament and a soft and innocent heart. Her deepest
wish is to please her great-grandfather, Koro--a struggle which spans the
length of the book--and she remains dedicated to her Maori heritage and
culture.
Koro Apirana
Koro is the current leader of the Maori people of Whangara. A man so old that
he now has great-grandchildren, Koro is weighed down with the task of
finding the right successors to his chieftaincy. He needs to find individuals
who will be able to carry the burden of leadership and navigate the Maori
people through the chaotic waters of modernity. His chief worry is that he will
not be able to pass on the legacy and heritage that he learned so many
years ago from his elders.
Rawiri
Rawiri is the primary narrator of the story. He is the grandson of Koro and
thus the uncle of Kahu. In the time of the story he is in his early twenties. A
young man who lives in the present but maintains a deep connection to his
past heritage, Rawiri is both an active member of a biker gang and a devoted
student of Maori language and culture.
Porourangi
The eldest grandson of Koro and the elder brother of Rawiri, Porourangi is the
chosen successor for his generation. Because of his status as eldest, he is
the default choice for leadership after Koro passes away. As a result, Koro
spends a lot of time training him and bringing him along on trips pertaining
to Maori legal and social issues. He is the father of Kahu, thus making Kahu
the eldest child of the successor -- a fact which eventually forces Koro to
question his opposition to female leadership in the group.
Nanny Flowers
Nanny is the wife of Koro and the motherly figure for most of the other main
characters. She is a stubborn, determined, and brave women not afraid to
stand up to her husband. Nanny also has a deep love and softness for
offspring. Nanny is connected in lineage to Muriwai, a brave, independent
ancestress, famous for her strength.
Rehua
The late mother of Kahu and wife of Porourangi, Rehua has the same
connection to Muriwai as Nanny Flowers, and demonstrates her own sort of
independence by naming her daughter after a male hero of the Whangara
people.
Billy
Billy is a close friend of Rawiri's and a member of the same biker gang. He is
sent with Rawiri to tie the rope around the ancient whale's tail in their effort
to rescue the whale.
Reremoana
Reremoana is Rawiri's cousin living in Australia, she has--according to
Rawiri--changed her name and appearance and has assimilated into the big
city culture of Sydney. She asks Rawiri not to tell their grandparents about
her current condition and how her identity has changed.
Jef
Jeff is a once-close friend of Rawiri's; they meet in Australia, where they
share an apartment and become good friends. Jeff then invites Rawiri to
accompany him as he returns to help his parents on their plantation in Papua
New Guinea. Rawiri accompanies him but eventually leaves due to the
increasingly apparent racism of Rawiri's family (especially coming from his
mother). While it is never explicitly mentioned, Jeff and his parents are
presumably of European origin and are not natives of Papua New Guinea.
Jef's mother
Jeff's mother lives on a plantation in Papua New Guinea with her husband.
She demonstrates racist tendencies when Rawiri comes to help them
maintain their plantation.
Jef's father
A straightforward man who seems to have acquired his wealth through hard
work and determination. He ran his plantation until being struck by a
debilitating injury, and now relies on his son to take care of their land.
Bernard
Rawiri's cousin living in Papua New Guinea. He is accidentally killed by Jeff in
a car accident. His death prompts Rawiri to accept the tensions between him
and Jeff's family, pushing him to leave Papua New Guinea and return to
Whangara.
The Old Mother Whale
The oldest of the matrons of the whale herd, this whale is the bull whale's
dearest companion. She bears a deep love for her mate and thus is
concerned about his growing desire to return to the islands of his youth.
While she does love him, she is not blind to his faults, and recognizes that his
nostalgia can lead the herd into trouble and can lead him to commit
significant mistakes.
The Whale Rider Summary

The story begins with a focus on the ancient days, when nature and all
wildlife were excitedly waiting for the coming of man. Then man arrived from
the east, and the relationship between nature and man throve. One
relationship in particular -- that between the whale rider and his giant whale
-- was exemplary of a symbiotic connection. This whale rider casts spears as
life-giving objects to the islands, but one spear he casts 1000 years into the
future, which is the time of the storys young heroine Kahu.
The focus shifts to a herd of whales. The whale mothers look over their
young while the single leader whalethe bull whalereminisces about his
own youth so long ago, and the precious time he spent with the whale rider.
Now, so many years after their separation, the nostalgia for their time spent
together cuts away at the old bull whale. But then the story shifts to Kahu.
The narrator of this time period is Rawiri, her uncle. When she is born, her
great-grandfather expresses great disdain that she is a girl. He is looking for
a suitable successor, which according to local culture ought to be passed
from eldest child to eldest child. Porourangi, the girls father, is his eldest
grandson so he is the successor for that generation. The problem in Koros
mind, however, is that Porourangis eldest child is now Kahu, whobecause
she is femaleis not fit to lead according to Koro.
Thus out of disdain for the girl, Koro refuses to show any love towards her
and even refuses to conduct the traditional burial of the birth cord.
Instead, Nanny Flowers, Koros wife and Kahus great-grandmother, must
enlist the aid of Rawiri and some friends to help her bury it herself in the
town center.
Part I begins by refocusing on the herd of whales. The bull whale leads his
herd away from their most-feared predator: mankind. The old whale
remembers the days when man and animal were united and in
communication, but those are long past. However, he is unable to let go, and
thoughts of returning to the place of his youth at whatever cost gnaw at his
heart.

Then the story shifts back to Kahu, whose mother dies within a year of
Kahus birth. Kahu is taken by her mothers family and raised away from
Whangarathe setting of the story, a small town in New Zealand populated
by the Maori people. A few years pass in this way. Koro decides to begin a
language school to teach the future generations the threatened Maori
language, and he also beings culture classes for similar purposes. Kahu
returns to Whangara several times when she is able. Each time she comes
she expresses love for her family there, but special deep love for Koro her
great-grandfather. This love remains unreciprocated, as Koro actively pushes
her away. He remains dedicated in his mission to find a suitable successor,
and he is doing all he can as leader of the Whangara Maori community to
preserve the Maori culture for future generations in a time of spreading
modernity.

Part II begins with another short focus on the whale herd. They head towards
a sea trench that used to provide them bounty and shelter but they find
there an inhospitable and radioactive place. They are forced to travel to
other havens as this long-time home for them has become too inhospitable
to live in.

Returning to Kahus tale, Rawiri narrates that he decided to see a bit of the
world when Kahu was in her fourth year. He travels to Sydney, Australia,
where he meets several of his cousins and notes that they seem to have
drifted away from Maori cultural traditions and have fully embraced the
lifestyle of the big city. There, he meets Jeff and the two become fast friends.
When Jeff is called back to his parents plantation in Papua New Guinea, he
asks Rawiri to accompany him and so the two leave Australia for Papua New
Guinea. Jeffs mother and father run a plantation, but his father has become
too physically weak to continue with more help, hence their plea to their son
to return. Rawiri thus spends two years in that country with Jeff; they attempt
to cultivate the land. During the course of his stay, Rawiri has to face racist
behavior from Jeffs social circle, especially his mother. Eventually this
racism, combined with Rawiris desire to see home again impel him to leave
Papua New Guinea and head back to Whangara, New Zealand.
Back home, Rawiri notes that Koro has become even more obsessed in his
mission of finding a male successor. The old man feels himself to be under
increasing pressure to teach and preserve the cultural knowledge that he
and so few others currently possess. As for Kahu, she has returned to stay
with her father longer-term. During Rawiris absence, Porourangi remarried
and his wife had a child: another baby girl. This only upsets Koro more, as he
was hoping for a male descendent. Kahu does not mind all this anger from
Koro though, and she continues to fervently seek his love and acceptance.

Towards the end of the year, Kahu invites her family to a school ceremony
that will include cultural presentations. Rawiri, Porourangi and Nanny all
attend, but the seat marked reserved next to Nannya measure Kahu
herself had taken to guarantee a spot for Kororemains conspicuously
empty throughout the ceremony. Kahu herself plays a prominent role in the
ceremony. She leads a group of young girls in a traditional dance and also
recites a speech she wrote in the Maori tongue. Her speech expresses her
utmost desire to please her great-grandfather and to uphold the Maori
culture. However, the great tragedy of the event is that Koro never shows up.
This brings Kahu to tears.

This part concludes with another momentous event. One day, Koro takes
some of his star pupils out to sea. He drops a rock in the sea and once it has
sunk to the depths, he tells the boys they must retrieve it as a test of their
endurance and strength and ability to lead. Despite their best efforts, they
are not able to do so and Koro returns dejected. Back home he cracks under
all the pressure and weeps. Later on, Kahu goes out to sea with Nanny and
Rawiri, and when they reach the spot above the stone, Kahu dives into the
sea and retrieves the stone. She does so by doing what Nanny and Rawiri
find extremely amazing: Kahu appears to communicate with dolphins and
other sea creatures, and through their aid she is able to retrieve the stone.
Nanny orders Rawiri not to tell Koro of this strange incident, as he is not yet
ready to accept Kahus special status.

Part 3 begins, as usual, by focusing on the whale herd. The bull whale is
leading his herd through the frozen waters of Antarctica. A collapsing of the
ice there and the life-threatening nature of this collapse forces him to make a
snap decision in guiding his herd. He chooses to take them down the paths
leading back to the seas of his youth, a decision that causes dismay among
the elder mothers because they know his nostalgia for the past is clouding
his present judgment. But he leads them on anyway to what they know will
be their final journey.

Back in Whangara, big events soon take place. All the whales of a herd come
and to the beach and strand themselves there. They will soon die if they are
not pushed back to sea. While some humans take advantage of these whales
to harvest their meat and organs, most of the locals of Whangara attempt to
organize a rescue attempt and deliver the whales back to sea. Rawiri and his
biker gang work with the police and rangers to keep whale butchers fro
coming near the whales, while the navy is called in to attempt to pull the
whales back out to sea. Ultimately, all the dedicated efforts of Rawiri, his
friends, Nanny, and all the other locals fail and all of the whales perish on the
beach. When Koro returns from a trip he had been on during the ordeal, he
remarks with great anguish that this is a sign for them.

The next evening an even bigger event occurs, this time witnessed not by
everyone but just by the small Maori community within the town. During the
night, Rawiri, Koro, Kahu and Nanny hear a booming sound coming from the
sea, as if a great door has just opened, and then they witness a large group
of huge whales emerge from the bottom of the sea. At their head is a great
bull whale with an ancient sacred Maori tattoo. The bull whale pulls itself
onto shore and strands itself there, waiting for its death.

Koro recognizes in this event a spiritual warning to him and his people; their
test is to return this ancient whale back to sea because they are so
connected to this supernatural whale herd that if it lives they live and f it
dies they die. Koro calls a meeting of the local Maori people and impresses
upon them the spiritual significance of this event. Their way of life is being
put to the test: they can either save the whale or fail and fall into ruin. They
organize all available vehicles and manpower down on the beach and
attempt all sorts of measures to get the bull whale back to sea, but the giant
creature stubbornly resists and continues to wait for itself to die on the
shore.

In desperation, Kahu swims out to the whale and climbs up its back after
communicating with it. The whale mistakes Kahu for its old masterKahus
ancient ancestor, Kahutia Te Rangi. Overjoyed, the whale returns to sea and
it descends back into the water with the rest of the herd and Kahu in tow.
Kahu agrees to come with the herd in the hopes that she will thus save them
and save her own people. She thinks that this will be the last time she will
ever see her home and family and that accompanying the herd means losing
all that she holds dear, but she sacrifices herself nonetheless and chooses to
remain as the whale rider. Back on the shore, Koro finally realizes Kahus
special status and her suitability to lead. His anguish is now doubled as he
must accept that he has been so harsh to the very person he needed so
badly this whole time.

The epilogue narrates that the oldest mother whale notices Kahu and
realizes that her husband, the bull whale, has mistaken this little girl for her
ancestor. She leads to him the conclusion that she is Kahutias descendent,
and she is the spear he cast into the future and thus she must be returned to
her people so she can bring them life-giving benefit and guide them through
these troubled times. The bull whale eventually agrees and they return Kahu,
now unconscious, to Whangara. When found by humans, Kahu is brought to
the hospital to recover and there she is near to Nanny, who collapsed in
shock after her dear great-granddaughter left with the whale her Three days
have passed since then and Koro and Rawiri have been taking care of the
two of them. When Nanny awakens, Koro admits to her that this is entirely
his fault, and that he has been stubborn and blind in the matter of Kahu.
Later when Kahu also awakens, he tells her for the first time that he loves
her. Then the story ends with Kahu telling her dear great-grandfather that
she can still hear the singing of the whales.

The Whale Rider Summary and Analysis of Part 0: Prologue & Part 1:
Spring
SUMMARY:
The narrator begins by talking of the ancient days, the time when nature was
in full bloom yet still lacking. The sea was rippling with life and the jungles
listened to its echoes yet something was missing; all the fish and the forests
and fairies were waiting, waiting for the blessing of man to come. Then from
the east the canoes came and all of nature felt relieved. Even the giant
whales of the sea came up to witness this, and one in particular was to have
a deep impact on futures course. This leviathan sang of hearing the call and
responding, while the tattoo shone brightly on its back.

Also on its back was a small dark figure, also tattooed. Though tiny in
comparison to the whale, it looked as though it was his strength that was
pulling up this leaping whale. Together the two of them were a magnificent
site, rising in the air. Floating in space, the rider cast spears towards the
distant land. Some became pigeons, others eels but one special spear he
cast into the future, to flower in a time of hardship and to be a relief for its
people. That spear flew a thousand years and then waited one hundred and
fifty more before its time came. And that is the time of our little
heroine Kahu.
But first we move to the Valds Peninsula, whales watch a newborn grow.
The whale mothers look after these youngsters, while the old bull whale
reminisces about his own birth so many years ago. His mother he had lost to
sharks when he was only a few years old; as a young orphan whale he met a
human playing a flute. The song was tragic, and it was in harmony with the
whale song of comfort. The two became closer than friends and they grew
old together. Now he was just a bull whale though, without his rider, and
though he led a herd of his own, he would often lose himself in nostalgic
remembrances of times now past.

As for Kahu, she is the beginning of Rawiris story. She was born as the savior
of her people, though they took long enough to realize. Upon her birth, Koro
Apiranaher fathers grandfathercalled out it disgust that this was just a
girl. This girl has broken the male descent of his line, and he blames Nanny
Flowershis wifeand her overpowering female side. Porourangi was the
girls father and he was Koros eldest grandson and the narrators elder
brother. The narrators name is Rawiri, and he recounts how Koro takes a
boat out to the deeps in protest of this girls birth. Nanny Flowers goes after
this pakaher affectionate title for himand attempts to reason with him
but he will have none of that. Remaining stubbornly in the lake, he rows his
boat this way and that. But Nanny just as stubbornly chases after him with
her own boat and is able to forcefully drag him back to shore because her
boat has a motor. Time passed but the contentious point remained aging and
growing as Kahu herself aged. The problem was, Rawiri explains, that Koro
held beliefs in Maori culture, in which custom dictates that leadership passes
from eldest son to eldest son. Koro was the leader of his people and
Porourangi was in line, but now Kahu was no eldest son but instead an eldest
daughter. That is why he is so bitterly disappointed with Kahus birth. Nanny
Flowers tries to convince her husband to rejoice but the struggle ends only
with her promising to divorce himas she always doesand citing the
example of her female ancestor Muriwai, who was a woman and also the
greatest chieftain of her tribe.
The next day the argument was even worse. Porourangi had decided to
name the baby Kahu, an event that made Koro furious. He accused Nanny of
putting such an idea in her grandsons head but she denied all such charges
(though she was responsible). Again Koro took a boat outthis time wisely
choosing the motorboat. Unfortunately for him though, Nanny had siphoned
the gas out and he was left in the water, shouting and waving for help. The
specific cause of his anger was that Porourangi was naming his child Kahu
after Kahutia Te Rangi, the chief ancestor of the village. In Koros mind,
naming a girl after this hero was an insult to his ancestor. Nanny Flowers
does not see it as such and she is in any case ready to step out of line when
needed just as her own female ancestor Muriwai from a separate people
stepped out of line in order to do a greater good.

Rehuathe girls motherhad collaborated with Nanny to pick this name not
with ill intention but instead in order to honor Porourangi and Koro and their
people. At first though, the benefit of Nannys actions was hard to
understand. Indeed Koros disdain for Kahu only became worse after that
incident. When it is time to bury Kahus afterbirth, Koro refuses to do so in
Whangaratheir towna refusal that goes against her customary right as a
child of this people. Nanny takes up the task of burying it herself and she
recruits Rawiri and his biker gang friends to help her. So she and Rawiri drive
to the airport to pick up Kahus afterbirth, delivered from the far off hospital
where the little girl was just born.
Auntiewho came to deliver itgreets Nanny with tears. The two comfort
each other in this time of anxiety and then auntie returns to her children.
Nanny returns with Rawiri to Whangara and there, under the cover of night,
they go to the meetinghouse to bury the afterbirth. She chooses a spot right
in the sight of Kahutia Te Rangis statue. Once they bury it, Nanny reminds
them that they are the only ones who know its location, so they are now
Kahus guardians. Rawiri looks at this spot and just as he does, a ray of
moonlight hits the tall ancestral statue and at the same time Rawiri reports
seeing resembling a small spear fly through the air. And in the distance the
sound of whales booms out.

ANALYSIS:
Witi Ihimaera begins by using two strategies to emphasize importance of
nature and its beauty and to elicit passion and respect for it. He starts by
focusing on nature, wildlife and the immense beauty of this world. What is
immediately evident is that he is anthropomorphizing nature. The animals
are excitedly awaiting something. But not just the animalsthe plants too,
and the mountains and seasall of nature is awaiting something. This
anthropomorphism immediately establishes the imminence and nobility of
nature. These are not things, Ihimaera is suggesting, that are just the
resources and tools of man. These are noble things because they can think;
they can feel. He is forcing the reader to have some respect for nature and
not just that, to have some empathy for nature. Nature feels human emotion,
which is what enables humans to empathize with it, to put themselves in
natures shoes. Such would not be possible without this anthropomorphism.
And what exactly are they waiting for? They are waiting for mankind. This
introduces a key idea of the book: the ideal of a peaceful, beneficial
coexistence between man and nature. In this ideal, man is awaited and
looked for, not dreaded. He is supposed to take care of nature. He is loved by
nature, not hated or feared. Thus, through these two strategies the author
begins his book with an emphasis on good treatment of and appreciation for
nature.
Another central purpose of this story is to empower young women. Ihimaera
himself notes in the Authors Note that the inspiration for the story came
from his two young daughters who, upon watching many movies, asked their
father why it is that boys are always the heroes while girls are always
helplessly crying out to be saved. This story, in conscious contrast, is about a
heroine who does not need any boys to save her. Thus a feature of this book,
established early in this section, is the presence of strong female characters,
including Nanny Flowers, Rehua and Kahu. For example, when Nanny Flowers
drags her husband back to shore, she is demonstrating her strength and her
resolution to stand against her husbands wishes. Her constant threats to
divorce him are also telling. But there is some complexity here. The story is
not about women rebels without a cause, so to speak; instead, these are
principled women standing up for what they believe to be right, which goes
along with the purpose of the author to empower women. So Nanny Flowers
is going against her husband so strongly because she wants him to
appreciate the beautiful birth of their great-grandchild. Similarly, the story of
Muriwai is one where the female steps out of line and oversteps the cultural
authority yet she does so to save her people. Rehua too is like that: she
defies tradition in naming her daughter by a male name, Kahu. But she does
so with noble intentions, as an act of love and kindness; she does so to show
her in-laws respect for their symbols and heroes. Finally there is the figure of
Kahu. While by this section we have not seen too much for her as a strong
female character since she is too young, we know through the constant
foreshadowing that this girl is to do something very special for her people
she saves them according to Rawiris thoughts. And that is despite all the
disdain her great-grandfather has for her. So this section introduces the
central theme is about female characters standing up for what is right,
despite what society, or custom tells them.

However, there is yet another nuance here. The female characters are not
leaving behind the culture of their society. Even though that culture in its
current iteration might seem to favor men over women, they still respect it,
still abide by it and still love it and take it as their own. By their rebelling
against customary norms, they are not rejecting those cultures. The author
makes this quite clear, and one wonders what is his purpose in doing so.
Perhaps it is to suggest that women do not need to change their culture, they
do not need to adopt a socalled modern liberal culture to be brave, upright
and free people and to preserve their rights. They can do all that within the
existing framework of culture, out of love and loyalty (for the most part, with
bits of disdain for specific ideas) towards their culture. In this way, Nanny still
holds to tradition. She still prays, she still seeks forgiveness for giving
potential offence to the ancestors; she still tries to show some respect. She
even buries Kahus birth cord near the statue of Paikea out of respect and
awe of the statue. Another example is Rehua, who wants to show respect to
the male familys tradition so she names her daughter Kahu. Then there is
Kahu, again, who shows immense loyalty to Maori culture and tradition, even
though the upholder of that in her timeKorodisdains her so much and
pushes her away so much and even though she has to defy some rules of
that culture.

As this is the first section of the book, much of its literary purpose is to
introduce key themes of the story. Beyond the two mentioned above, another
central theme is the conflict between ancient culture and modern lifestyle.
The book, as mentioned above, begins with nature, with the past, with
animal life abounding and so on. But then the book quickly transitions to
Rawiri and his biker gang: the Headhunters. Such a quick move along with
such a huge contrast between nature and then modern technology and
lifestyle emphasizes this conflict. This question is to be a huge conflict within
the story: how do ancient cultures live and thrive in modern times alongside
things like motor gangs and globalization and modernization and all the
other products of modernity. Indeed, Koros main concern is to preserve his
tradition in changing times. Kahu is born right in the middle of such a
conflict, and indeed she is born as a balance point between the two. She is a
girl of modern times, born into modernity and raised in it. Yet she is
extremely dedicated to her peoples culture. She is a child, and children are
the future. Yet Ihimaera has set up this conflict where she is to preserve her
culture but not in the way that Koro is initially comfortable with. Koro does
not respect her because of her gender, nor does he accept that women can
be leaders. Ihimaera is thus suggesting that perhaps the answer to this idea
of preserving culture in modern age is that the upholders of that culture have
to be alright with some minor changes, like in gender roles or in other
questions, in order to preserve the general spirit of their culture.

In this first section, a recurring literary technique is the use of

foreshadowing. This foreshadowing tells of the future greatness of Kahu.
There are symbols and events scattered through the story that suggest a
great, heroic future for the little girl. The narrator Rawiri himself plays a large
part in that, often interjecting his own thoughts from the present as he looks
back to the past, talking of how Kahu had such a huge role, of how he still
remembers her birth, of how he always had this nagging feeling that he
should not forget Kahu. A telling example of this is the burial of her birth
cord. The imagery of the passage emphasizes the charged atmosphere
around this matter and thus the great nature of Kahu. The moonlight strikes
the tall statue, then Rawiri reports seeing s spear flyingthe spear being an
important symbol in Maori culturewhile in the distance whales sound in
commemoration of this momentous event. All of this acts as foreshadowing
for Kahus future. Other features also emphasize Kahus heroic nature, like
the birth following complications and the death of her mother early on in
childhood, her being raised by other than her parents, and all common
features in the archetype of the hero in Western literature.

The Whale Rider Summary and Analysis of Part 2: Summer

SUMMARY:

At the beginning of Part Ientitled Summerthe story shifts back to the

whale herd. The bull whale leads his 60-whale herd into places of refuge as
they attempt to avoid their arch-predator: man. The old whale remembers
that things were not always like this; once, he had swam alongside a man
and held that little creature dearer to him than any other. At first they would
just swim but one day the manas enterprising as any humanleapt on the
whales back. The whalelost in joydove down to the depths and the man
cried out in fear. That day, the whale recalls, he nearly lost his dearest friend.
As he reminisces his longing for the past grows; now every time a human
appears in the distance, only the combined effort of the whole herd can stop
him for dashing off in loving pursuit.

Kahus birth comes right before tragedy: within a quarter of a year her
mother Rehua dies. At the funeral, Rehuas mother and family asks
permission to raise Kahu and though Nanny objects, Koro
and Porourangi decide to let the child go to her. As Rawiri the narrator
mentions this, he enters in a discussion of his peoples genealogy. They are
the Te Tai Rahwitithe people of the East Coastand their ancestors
came from far over the horizon. These ancient ones had come from the east
and each became the progenitor of a different people. Kahutia Te Rangialso
known as Paikea--was the progenitor of Rawiris people, and legend has it
that he came to this land on the back of a whale. He brought with him life-
giving spears, which brought bounty and plenty to the previously harsh land.
A few generations later came the oft-remembered Porourangi and then with
the passage of time and generations, Koro eventually became chieftain, then
Porourangi and now his little daughter was the next in line.

So Kahu left to grow up with her mothers family. Rawirithen sixteen and in
love with his motorcycledid not see her again until she was almost two
years old, when Porourangi temporarily brought her back to her fathers
family. She received a joyous welcome from all except one: Koro her great-
grandfather. His coldness towards her had not changed, and was not to
change for a long time. Rawiri points out that this could have been due to his
old age and his larger duties as leader of his people, but mostly, Rawiri says,
it was due to Koros desire for a male descendent whom he could mentor and
prepare for the chieftaincy. He also was beginning other initiatives to
preserve Maori culture, like starting a class to teach the Maori language to
the males of his people. After one such class of Maori language, Koro began
to tell stories of his own instruction so many years ago. One ritual for
transferring knowledge was to bite the toe of his instructor; just as he was
telling this story he breaks off in shock as little Kahu bites his toe from under
the table.

A few months later Kahu comes again with Porourangi, who, this time, is with
a woman named Ana. Kahu, as always, is just squirming around out of
excitement to see her old paka Koro. But he was too busy with Maori
business and too disdainful of her in any case to take much joy from her
arrival. In the town of Whangara people looked upon Koro as a sort of hero of
Maori culture, Rawiri explains. He was fighting to preserve Maori culture, but
too quickly that cultural power was becoming but a memory. In the past,
Rawiri says, many humans were able to talk to animals and they especially
befriended the whales. Slowly though, humans grew apart from their
sacredness, and so the gift of speaking to animals slowly disappeared until
only a few had itamong them, Paikea.

One day during Kahus visit, Nanny tells Rawiri to look after the girl as she
goes off to argue with Koro about his cold treatment. Rawiri decides to take
her to the movies and sneaks her in under his leatherjacket. For most of the
movie everything proceeded quite well according to Rawiri; however, the
final scene was that of a wounded whale bleeding to death. The sounds of
the death throes had apparently been recorded from real whales and this
had an electrifying effect on Kahu. She could only weep and weep and
nothing could cheer her up. Later that night a second strange event occurs;
on their way back home, Rawiri and his friends spot orca whales sliding close
to shore. Kahu calls out to them, making copying the sounds of the whales
she had heard earlier in the movies in a tone of warning. Then the orcas dive
away.
The next summer Kahu comes again to her fathers family. This time, Koro
warms a little bit towards her, but only by a small, barely discernable margin.
Rawiri though grows closer and closer to his little niece, bringing her to work
with him and making sure she does not become too bored staying at home
with Nanny Flowers. On other occasions, Kahu would sneak up to the boys
language classes, also eager to learn Maori culture and to be near to her
paka. Whenever he would see her though, he would yell at her to go away.
Thus she did not get to see when Koro took the boys out to sea to explain to
them the sacred nature of their fishing grounds. These grounds, he said,
were all known and marked by their ancestors. They try not to enter the
grounds of other people and they seek protection for their own grounds from
the whales and other sea creatures. As Koro explains this he becomes more
and more sad, pointing out that man has become so tempted by commercial
gain that he overfishes and maybe even hunt whales. Now, Koro says, their
sea has become empty.

That evening, Koro assembles the boys again to recount to them a tale of
huge import. He tells them of a time when he was young boy and when
whaling was a huge pastime of the people of Whangara. His own uncle would
go whaling and one time brought him along. He narrates the tale of that
hunt: the beauty of the whales, their prestige, their power and then the
harpooning and the struggle and the death and then the skinning and
carving of the whale. Kahu, hearing this dark tale after sneaking near to the
room, cries out in terror and sadness. Three hours later and her tears have
not subsided, nor has Koros anger at her curiosity. The next day though,
Rawiri finds Kahu outside, standing calmly near the shore while three silver
shapes leapt by her in the sea.

ANALYSIS:

In this section Rawiri explains more about the history of his ancestors and
the genealogy of his people, thus giving greater characterization to the Maori
people as a whole. Rawiris explanation emphasizes the importance of
genealogy and lineage in the Maoris peoples way of life. For them, lineage
is a living link to the past, it is how tradition and culture is passed onmost
importantly it is how chieftaincy and leadership is passed on. Thus the
central conflict of the book, Koros inability to accept Kahus right to
leadership despite her noble lineage, is a question of pedigree. He is caught
between the cultural ideal of male leadership and the practical reality of only
having female descendants; thus there are two elements of the culture
seemingly coming to a conflict, and this is what weighs so heavily on Koro
and what eventually forces him to make a choice and develop and mature.
This importance of lineage is exemplified elsewhere as well. Nanny still
remembers the names and stories of her famous ancestors like Muriwai, and
the blood from those lines, they believe to still have an effect on modern
outcomes, like the birth of the child as a girl and not a boy being due to the
strength of the Muriwai blood flowing in her veins. Thus through the
emphasis placed on genealogy, the reader learns more about the general
thought process of this people, and the conflicts which weigh on them
because they see lineage as a living connection to their past.

But to return to Koros specific conflict, in this section the reader finds a
deeper characterization of this old man. He becomes more than just a
stubborn mean old great-grandfather. Instead the reader can start to see a
man weighed down by worries in an almost tragic way. Although he is not
unambiguously heroic, through the deeper characterization he does begin to
show some characteristics of the literary archetype of the tragic hero. He is
the leader of his people; he is weighed down by huge worries and
responsibilities. He is doing all he can to solve those and to preserve what he
has learned from his own teachers by teaching and striving. He wants to
preserve mans bond with nature and he has--deep down--a compassion
heart for living things, as is exemplified in his regret over the whaling
incident so many years ago. And most importantly--in terms of this literary
archetype--he has a fatal flaw, which is his unwillingness to break the rules of
his tradition at all, even in order to preserve that tradition. Specifically that
means that he is blind to the fact that Kahu has many traits of a good leader
and that she has these signs around her birth and growthloving Maori food,
biting his toe, share Kahus namehat would mark her out by fate as the
savior of her people. Yet he is unable to accept any of that because he
cannot break the rule of patriarchal leadershipeven though breaking that
single rule would likely lead to a better outcome for his people. Nanny
Flowers succinctly articulates this fatal flaw when she says, in response to
Koro, Rules are meant to be broken. Koro cannot see that.

At the same time as the reader sees more of Koros struggles, the reader also
sees Kahus characterization deepen as she grows from a little baby to a
young child. The author slowly builds up the different signs of her greatness
and the plot begins to gather pace as step-by-step Kahu comes closer to her
fate. We get a feeling of this not just in Rawiris words, although those do
much to push along that sense of impending conflict. This, then, is the part
of the story that is the rising conflict. Specifically, we see Kahus connection
to nature develop. So when she cries in the movies after watching the whale
dies, we began to think that something is up, a sense only multiplied later
that evening when we see Kahu mimicking the sound of whales and the
distant whales at sea seemingly responding. Something, the author is subtly
suggesting, is supernatural about this girl. Next we see Kahu become
inconsolably upset when she hears about the whaling incident, a reaction
perhaps understandable in an innocent child. Less understandable are her
actions the next day, when she seems to be in communication with dolphins
as she stands along the seashore. The author gives these events in bits and
pieces and does not make a clear and firm demonstration of some
supernatural aspect afoot. This is to give the reader a taste of this idea and
then leave the reader wandering what will happen; it is a way to force the
reader to keep reading to learn what exactly is going up and how all these
strange things will play out.

This section also includes another developing conflict, which is the conflict
between man and nature. While in the previous section it seemed like nature
was awaiting man and that man was to fulfill nature now it seems that over
time the dynamic has shifted. The author points out subtly that nature has
become afraid of man. In fact he opens and closes this section with this
conflict as a way of emphasizing its importance. So in the very beginning of
the section, the whales are patrolling and moving in formation not to be
protected from sea predators but instead for protection against man. The
section ends with Koro recounting his tale of the whaling expedition, and the
butchery of the majestic whales. The tale expresses both huge awe for the
whales and then huge regret for having killed them. It also tells the story of
how things got to such a low point, and forces the reader to sympathize with
the otherwise harsh character of Koro and to support his struggle to preserve
mans bond with nature.

Not only does the tale elicit emotion, it also gives vocalization to a deep-
rooted cultural understanding of the fall of man. This is an archetype where
mankind used to be noble and high but over time moral corruption increased
until things came to the present day. Man used to be involved with the
sacred but through his own failings and arrogance he turned back on that
and thus he became lowered. Islam, Christian and other major religions all
share a comparable understanding of corruption and moral decay over time,
and it seems the author is suggesting that the Maori people too share in this
perhaps universal understanding of the human condition during the passage
of time. In this way he is showing the reader that this culture, though
outwardly it may seem foreign in the names, language, beliefs and so on,
has inward elements which the typical English reader can understand to
which he or she can relate.

The Whale Rider Summary and Analysis of Part 3: Autumn, Chapters

12-13

SUMMARY:

So Rawiri returns to Whangara. His reception is a bit less joyful than he

hoped because Nanny is too busy being upset with him to graciously
welcome. But all this is offset by the great happiness of Kahu when she
comes home to greet her uncle. He finds her a maturing young beautiful
child. She happily recounts to him that she has been helping Nanny with her
work. He also learns that she is the star of her culture group, that she has a
great love for the Maori songs and dances and that she and Nanny have
been keeping a special surprise for Rawiri.

Nanny and she have been fixing and polishing Rawiris old motorbike. Kahu
innocently explains that she and Nanny came to clean it every week, and
that sometimes Nanny would cry while cleaning, but then forced herself to
stop so as not to cause rust on the machine. Upon hearing this, Rawiri
himself cries. Later on, Porourangi comes over to welcome him and present
his second daughter, baby Putiputi. As expected, everyone but Koro is happy
with this newest member of the family. Later on, when everyone gathers in
the house for celebrations, Porourangi asks Rawiri if it is good to be home,
which he replies to in the affirmative. When Rawiri asks in response what has
been happening, his brother replies that it has been much the sameKoro is
as grumpy as ever and his search for a successor after Porourangi continue
on. As he explains this, Kahu goes up to Koro and puts her hand in his. He
pushes her away and then she drifts away.

As Rawiri settles back in, he comes to realize that Koros search for a
successor has become an obsession. The old man is desperate to find
someone to whom he can convey this legacy, desperate to do this right;
however, Rawiri notes that, in his pursuit of this goal, he disdained Kahu. The
poor girl though would not give up; she is so stubbornly set on his love that
Nanny and others suggest it is as if she is deluded. Nanny Flowers compares
her behavior to that of her distant relative Mihi Kotukutuku, a female chief
who was famous for defying attempts by other chieftains to undercut her
own leadership due to her gender. At the same time, Nanny and the others
reflect on the beautiful character of Kahu: her innocence and purity from any
sort of envy or guile.

Rawiri gets a job in a lumberyard and he quickly adapts to his new routine.
Ever morning he would beep as he passed Porourangis house to wake up
Kahu for school and then on his way back from work in the afternoon he
would often find Kahu waiting for him on the road, ready to welcome her
dear uncle home but not before flooding him with all her excited chatter. In
one such occasion, Kahu remarks that Koro would like her if she were a boy,
and that sometimes she wishes she was so. As the school year comes to an
end, Kahu sends out invitations for her schools cultural closing ceremony.
She invites all her family with fancy and sincere cards.

When the time comes for the ceremony, Rawiri accompanies Nanny to the
venue. Nanny has chosen to wear a somewhat strange looking dress and
Rawiri does not have the heart to tell her so. At the venue, when Kahu sees
the two of them she beams and comes over and makes a few modifications
to Nannys outfit. Rawiri notes that by that action the outfit goes from
looking strange to looking just right. Then as the hall crowds up, Kahu brings
Nanny to her seat, right next to another seat marked Reserved. Kahu notes
that that seat is for Koro when he comes.

Upon hearing this, Nanny expresses dismayshe knows that Koro has no
plans at all of coming to see his great-granddaughters performance. But
neither she nor Porourangi has the heart to tell this to Kahu. Instead, Kahu
begins with the performances. She is the leader of her group, directing them
with a firm hand and strong voice. She is determined to make her family
proud. However, with every section that passed, Kahus bright face grew
more and more dim. Rawiri understood that Kahu had realized Koro was not
coming, and as he observed her vulnerability his heart was given over
completely in empathy and sadness for her.

There is yet more in the performance thougha concluding actwhich is a

recitation delivered in the Maori tongue. The school has selected Kahu to
present her essay, and so he stands up before the audience and begins to
recite her essay. This speech is an expression of love for her Koro. She
emphasizes that love and the respect she has on top of that. She also talks
about her genealogy and tradition, and the gratitude she had for being born
in Whangara. She concludes by saying that her desire is to serve her
grandfather and her tribe. At the end of her speech, Rawiri stands up and
does a dance of celebration to lighten her mood; next, the boys join in and
pretty soon they all are swept away in their emotion. The chapter ends when
later that night as Nanny apologizes to Kahu for Koros absence, Kahu
excuses him by saying that it is not his fault that she is a girl.

Part 2 concludes two weeks after the ceremony, when Koro takes some of his
brightest male pupils to the shores to give them a test. After they take a boat
out to sea, Koro takes a carved stone and casts it into the water. Then he
tells the boys that one of the must retrieve it. Though several of them
attempt to do so, none of them is able. Whether out of inability or cowardice,
not one of the boys is able to reach the sea floor. Koro, defeated, tells the
boys they did their best, and returns them to shore. When he returned home
all he did was weep. When Kahu finds out what has happened, she decides to
retrieve the stone herself. When she next finds herself on the sea with Rawiri
and Nanny, they go to the spot where the stone sunk and Kahu, without any
word of warning, dives into the sea. Nanny and Rawiri panic but for no
reason; they watch in a state of shock as Kahu seems to communicate with
some dolphins, who then help her to retrieve the stone. She then returns to
the boat as if nothing had happened, and Nannystill shockedwarns Rawiri
not to breathe a word of this to Koro yet, as he is not ready to hear this.

ANALYSIS:

This section in particular offers a deeper characterization of the three main

characters of the story: Nanny, Kahu and Koro. Each character receives more
depth and the relationship between all three develops. As for Nanny, the
reader sees a developing of her character as a softhearted, loving motherly
figure. In previous sections Ihimaera already portrayed the love she shows
for her offspring. This love even has physical manifestations on her body, in
that her eyes become cross-eyed out of the strain of love within her.
However, in this section Ihimaera gives another incident with touching
imagery meant to elicit deep sympathy for Nanny and an emotional
connection with her. This incident is that of her polishing Rawiris motorcycle.
Here was a man who left behind his family for years just to see the world.
Nanny does not respond to this adventure with disdain or question why, but
she just accepts this. He is gone for years and yet her thoughts for him
persist so much so that, as Kahu explains, everyday Nanny would come and
take care of this motorcycle, polishing it and repairing it. This is a love
manifested and maintained over not just a matter of weeks or months but
years, every day. And then sometimes she would miss him so much that she
would almost cry over the motorcycle, but would hold those tears back, out
of fear of rusting the machine that her grandson loves. That was the level of
her love for him, and her capacity for love in general.

This unbroken, generous love finds a parallel in Kahus unrelenting love for
Koro. As stubborn as he in showing disdain for her, she is as stubborn to
show love for him. A battle of wills takes place between them who will win:
disdain or love. This characterization emphasizes her goodness of character
and her heroic struggle to earn the pleasure of her great-grandfather. She is
pure in character. She responds to his disdain with patience, forgiveness and
determination. As Rawiri notes, she has no anger in her, she has no guile She
is not some wily manipulator but instead she is the pure hero. This
characterization is meant to elicit a strong sympathy for Kahu. She is the
clear hero of the text and the role model. Her being an innocent, enthusiastic
chatty little girl only more elicits sympathy from the reader. This sympathy
plays a huge role in a scene discussed later in this analysis: that of the
symposium. But most important of all, she expresses no jealousy for others
around her, especially those who are shown Koros attention: the males of
the tribe.

In this discussion of Koros treatment towards the boys, Ihimaera also

provides a deeper characterization of Koro. The reader learns from Rawiri and
Porourangi that the drive for finding the boy who can take the chieftaincy has
become an obsession for Koro. He is doing all he can for the safety of his
tribe as he sees it, to the point where he is becoming utterly obsessed with
it. That this is a selfless act is clear, because the whole premise is that he will
die soon and he has to pass on this knowledge solely for the benefit of future
generations. In this way we get a greater characterization of Koro as not the
cruel man but the tragic hero, as mentioned in earlier analysis. We also see
another trait in this section that indicates a gentler nature. After he takes the
boy out and tests them to see which can dive and retrieve the stone, none of
the boys are able to do so. Despite his obsession with finding a successor
and despite the pressing need he feels, he does not burst out against the
boys in anger over their failure. They could not manage to do something that
he himself could do when he was their age. But despite this, he treats them
with patience and gentleness, not berating them. This indicates that
although with Kahu he is quite cruel, he does have a softer side and overall is
a gentle man. In this way, Koros characterization is given greater depth, and
his moral position is complicated because we cannot now see him as the
main antagonist of the story; he is not of villainous character, he is like a
tragic hero, as mentioned earlier.

The events of the section culminate in two momentous events. The first
event is the cultural festival. Through this event, the author gives
demonstrates the real impact of the dynamic developing between the three
main characters. Here the reader experiences the results of Koros disdain for
Kahu, and the product of Kahus unrelenting love for her great-grandfather
and his way of life and the effect of Nannys love for her people. This one
scene brings all these conflicting tensions to a front. Having established
empathy for Kahu and Nanny throughout this, Ihimaera uses that leverage of
emotional support in an effort to draw out emotion in one of the saddest
scenes of the book. When we see the reserved seat for Koro, we see a young
girl full of hope and determination to win her fatherly figures caring love.
When she stands and calls out her fellows and leads them through the
cultural motions we see that she has been rehearsing this so long. We see
the effort she has put into this. When we see her emotionally wilting like a
flower as the one wanted person does not come, we see the vulnerability of
this little figure and in her vulnerability she becomes so utterly human, so
close to us that it is almost impossible not to empathize with her. That is the
power of this scene. At the same time we see the irony of this tragedy, which
is that Kahu makes such a good leader, leading the other girls, knowing just
right what to do, bravely giving a speech in the Maori tongue, eliciting love
and empathy from the audience. All of these things are good qualities of a
leader, yet Koro cannot see any of that. That is the underlying theme of the
whole story: Koros willed blindness to the huge good of this girl, seemly
because she is a girl. This scene expresses all of that.

The second momentous incident is a foreshadowing of the future. It is when

Kahu seems to be talking to dolphins. When the author has Kahu seemingly
in conversation with dolphins, the fantastical elements of the story slowly
creep up again. This fantastical element is contrasted with the gritty realism
of Rawiris time in Papua New Guinea and the racism he faces there. This
scene reminds the reader that this story is still a story of fantasy. This girl
has something momentous about her, something supernatural. The story, at
the end, still seems to be a story meant for children, and these fantastical
elements emphasize that categorization.

The Whale Rider Summary and Analysis of Part 4: Winter, Chapters

14-15
SUMMARY:
Part 3 begins with an ancient memory of the bull whale: he and his rider
diving through the oceans in pure harmony. How amazing was their bond!
But then the rider was saying that had to take the gifts of life to the new
lands, and so the whale brought his rider to the islands, and there the rider
remained. The whale remained too, at first, always staying within sight of the
land where his master was spending more and more time. The rider married
and settled down. Time passed until a day when the rider came and told his
dear old friend that this was to be their last ride; despite all the bitterness,
anger, sadness and love of the whale, he had to stay on land as his wife was
expecting children and that was his place. So at the end of their ride
together, they bid farewell to each other, and how sad a farewell it was for
them.

Now the bull whale must deal with the problems at hand. He is leading his
herd through Antarctica, underneath frozen waters. As they pass through this
underwater ice cathedral with its inverted ice towers, they sing their own
holy songs. All around them other sea creatures swam and sang in this
sacred natural beauty. But soon the herd comes to a dead enda wall of
solid ice. The old bull whale stops in confusion and dismay, not knowing what
to do. Then he sees a vision of his rider-master directing him and
immediately he dives off, leading his herd with him. At the same time the ice
all around begins to crack and ice shards start flying through the water. As
the ice crashes and falls around them, the bull whale leads them to the
surface and in a direction they know only too well: the direction towards his
masters island. They now know that their leader is taking them on their last
journey because he still has not given up meeting his old master.

The narrative turns back to Whangara, where a runner describes one day
seeing a great herd of whale approach the shore. They kept coming closer
and closer until they beached themselves there and their bodies were mostly
out of water. This suicidal move they did while singing a haunting song of
great tragedy. The news spread quickly by means of radio and television;
pictures taken by helicopter of hundreds of beached whales along the shore
are broadcast throughout the town. One particular clip remains burned
in Rawiris memory: the camera zooms in on one whale, around it five men.
These men splattered in blood and armed with chainsaws, are hacking away
beats of meat from the whale for commercial purposes. They succeed at
sawing off the lower jaw of the whale, and as it drops down more blood
spurts out. But the whale lives on.
That one clip was enough to trigger massive anger and determination from
the people of Whangara. Rawiri contacts first Koro, who is with Porourangi in
the South Island. Koro tells him that this is a sign for their people. Rawiri then
tells Nanny to keep Kahu home that day, and then he gathers up his biker-
gang friends to come to the whales rescue. This motorcycle gang goes
charging through the roads, taking short cuts here and there, flying like
spearsas Rawiri puts itto reach the shore in time. Finally they arrive to
the shore.
The whales are thrashing around, and already the shoreline is reddened by
blood. They go from whale to whale, making sure that no human scavengers
can come close to the whale. Some other folks are attempting to keep the
scavengersmostly made up of young menfrom attacking the whales. The
problem though is that these good people are mostly old people, too weak to
physically do anything. Some are ignored; the scavengers physically assault
others. But the biker gang is able to drive them away, one vicious fistfight at
a time. The police and rangers meet them at one point, and although their
meeting begins with a tense moment, both sides agree to put aside past
differences in order to work together to save the whales. After the two
groups drive away the scavengers, they organize a mounted patrol along the
shore. The locals were helping at the same time in this momentous effort to
save the whales.

Ships come and helicopters and of course the locals do all they can, but
despite all that the people are not able to push the whales back to sea.
Instead, the whales remain on the beach, unwilling to stop this suicidal
action of theirs. In fact, when the people are successful in taking one or two
whales back to sea, they just return to their herd and set themselves even
more stubbornly on the beach. So the struggle continued. Locals came down
and families would stay next to a whaleoften dubbing that whale a member
of their family. Some would even speak to the whales. But even with all the
care and effort the humans were putting in, the whales still continued to die
on the shore, one by one.

At one point, they are able to force a group of whales back to sea, but the
whales only come back, singing and wailing over the loss of their loved ones.
By evening, they all had died. Rawiri returns home to find Kahu awake and
aware of what was happening. She is outside, calling out desperately with
that strange sound she could make, imitating the sounds of whales. Rawiri
tries to comfort her, and as he does so he receives a feeling in his innermost
that something even more momentous was about to happen, and that relief
would come. As he realizes this, thunder booms in the distance as if a great
door of the sea has just opened. And thus ends the chapter.

ANALYSIS:
The section begins with a scene of tremendous natural beauty. The author
describes the underwater sea palaces in the icy world of Antarctica. He
draws a picture of roofs of ice, with great ice spirals coming down from the
oceans surface to deeper levels. The light plays through the ice and causes
all sorts of dazzling patterns. The whales move peacefully through this icy
place. The sounds echo momentously and the whales add their own
orchestral choir to this sound. The author peppers all this description with
Christian religious terminology. The ice world is described as a cathedral; the
whales are described as a choir. The whole passage is throbbing with a
sacred vein. This is all done to present the view of nature as sacred. Nature is
like a cathedral, Ihimaera argues, and we need to see nature as sacred and
then we need to treat it as we treat sacred things, which is to show respect,
honor, to preserve not to destroy, and ultimately to use for spiritual uplifting
rather than material gain.

The peaceful sacred imagery described above contrasts spectacularly with

the bloody imagery of the whale butchering. One passage in particular
emphasizes this contrast. When Rawiri talks about that first footage being
broadcast, he describes in detail the crimes the whale butchers are
committing. The butchers are using a chainsaw to take away parts of a
whale. The water all around is red. Then the whales jaw drops off and blood
spurts out. The worst part is that as the butchers proceed with their grisly
task, happily smiling, the whale lives on. It is still alive throughout this
torture. The disgusting, gory detail of this description is meant to contrast
heavily with the image of the whales moving peacefully through the sacred
icy world. Just as it elicited an emotional response from Rawiri and the other
locals, it is meant to elicit a response from the reader. It has special
connection because the idea of whale hunting is not a fantastical element of
the story; it is something that happens in the readers world as well. Thus the
author is using the imagery there to create empathy in the reader for whales
and to create disgust with the whale butchers.

Connected to this emotional response mentioned above is the development

of Rawiris characterization and that of his biker friends. Typically, the image
of a biker gang is not associated with the town heroes; if anything, that
archetype tends to lean more to the town rascals. But the author complicates
the matter and works against the stereotype by telling the story of the heroic
biker gang on that day. They become like a mobile task force when they go
flying down to the beach to defend the whales. They are not the criminals;
the real criminals are those they are fighting and who are torturing the
whales. This contrast between stereotype and reality comes to a head when
the gang meets the rangers and police. After a tense moment, they realize
that in each other is an ally and they work togetherdespite, as Rawiri
notes, past hard feelings towards each otherin order to save the whales.
Both groups are able to set aside their differences for the greater good, a
trait that shows good character and through which the author develops the
heroic side of the biker gang.

Connected to this idea of the biker gang is the ongoing theme of the mix
between modern and primordial. This section heavily emphasizes that
interaction. The author has tools of modern technology put into direct play
with the ancient. So, for example, it is the biker gang who go to save the
whales. Part of their purpose in doing so and in showing this respect to the
whales comes from their ancient tradition. But their methods of saving the
whale is all based on modern technology: they are charging down there on
the backs of motorcycles, not anything else. So there is a positive mix of
ancient tradition and modern technology in response to this crisis. Similarly,
the stimulus which gets everyone to work to save the whales is broadcast by
the means of technology: it is through the televisions and the radio and the
phone that all these different people hear of this calamity and through these
same mediums that help is called in the form of the navy and helicopters and
so on. This shows that although the Maori people have adopted all these
modern stuff they are still holding on to tradition; in fact they are able to
make a peaceful mix between tradition and modernity. This message is
mostly positive, but there is a problem that the end of the chapter highlights.
For all their technological advancement and efforts put in through these big
machines, the people are not able to save the whales. Through this failure,
the author suggests that what the humans need is help from a deeper, more
powerful, more natural source. As we see in the next section, this help does
not come in the form of technology but in the form of ancient power.

That aid, of course, comes in the form of Kahu, as the whole book has been
foreshadowing. The deep tragedy emphasized at the end of this section is
the Koro still cannot realize this. In fact, no one can realize this. Despite the
fact that Nanny and Rawiri know that Kahu can apparently communicate with
to sea animals, neither realizes that she can have some benefit in helping
the first whale herd to return to sea. This is the central conflict of the story:
the inability of Kahus people to recognize her as a leader. And as the author
shows here with the increasing pace and the emergency in telling the events,
that conflict cannot last much longer and is coming to a deciding point. But
not yet, the author is suggesting, still not yet can those around her realize.
That is to emphasize the depth of the problem she is facing. The author is
demonstrating that this un-recognition is not some half-hearted decision, it is
instead something very deep-rooted, and so cannot be lifted even in great
emergencies like the one described above. So the reader is left to imagine:
what worse emergency/test will drive her people to allow Kahu to shine as a
leader?

The Whale Rider Summary and Analysis of Part 5: Winter, Chapters

16-18
SUMMARY:
Rawiri begins by saying that the terrible events of that night were only a
prelude to what would happen the night after. For this second, greater event
there were no radios, no televisions, no broadcasts; only the Maori locals
witnessed it. That was how it was, and perhaps that is for the best, Rawiri
notes. Kahu, Rawiri and Nanny welcome Porourangi and Koro back home.
Their flight had to go through the thunder storms that were gathering around
Whangara. As they gather the luggage and head back home, the looming
clouds boom on and Koro notes that something is going onhe does not
know what, but something is happening.
On the way back home, Koro tells them to stop by the beach so he can see
the dead whales. He gets out of the car and staggers over the one of the
whales as the winds rage on. Nanny says to give him some time, as he needs
to mourn. Rawiri also gets out of the car to comfort him, only to hear him ask
who is to blame for this? They return to the car and Koro again says that this
is a sign for them. Then they head home and still the clouds thunder; to
Rawiri it seems as though the very center of the storm lies right over the
village. They reach home and begin to unload the bags, but then Kahu looks
out to the sea, her face showing complete calm and acceptance. They all
stop and turn to see what she is looking at, and in that moment something
momentous happens.

A boom echoes throughout the village, as if a giant door has opened

underneath the sea and lightning strikes from the sea upwards like missiles
and Rawiri thinks he also sees some object go flying through the air and
landing in the center of the village. Then one shadow first, then another and
more and more start to emerge from the depths of the sea. Finally a whale
breaks the waters surface; Koro gasps out, because it is clear to all of them
that this is no ordinary whale but a creature from the past, calling out with its
singing. On its head was a shining mystical tattoo. One by one, the whales
companions surface. Koro orders an emergency meeting of the Maori men of
the village, and at the same time Nanny organizes her own meeting with the
women. She tells her husband that she will be like her Muriwai if she has to
be, and the women want to help just like the men. Kahu wants to help too
she tells him. Koro tells her to keep Kahu away, as he has no use for her.

Prior to the meeting, Koro and Rawiri had witnessed the giant leading whale
heave itself onto the beach and then roll over onto its side, ready to die. This
is the bull whale whose story has been narrated in every section. Near to it
are several female whales, comforting it and singing to it, trying to
encourage it to come back to sea where all the other whales remained. Koro
ran to the beach and called out to the whale asking if it has come to live or
die. The whale in response raises its giant fin, and in their hearts, Rawiri and
Koro realize that it is telling them that the decision of life and death is in their
hands. So Koro calls that meeting together.

Koro begins with prayers and then prepares to address and unify the men.
There are twenty-seven of them all together. He begins by telling them the
Maori stories of the whales. Man used to be able to communicate with the
whales, as was exemplified by their ancestor Paikea But then man became
arrogant and they defied the natural order of things. They divided the world
into two: things they believe in and things they reject. The past and the
present. The real and unreal. The fantastical and the scientific. They took one
part and left the other, and their actions lead to the disruption of the original
purity of the world. But this whale herd here, clearly supernatural, is a bridge
between those two worlds and it is a lifeline for the Maori belief. It is a sign
for them and a proof; if they can save the whale the Maori way of life is
saved, and if they cannot then it is dead.

So Porourangi orders the men to take every available vehicle to the shore.
Their plan is to tie ropes around the tail of the giant whale so they can pull it
about to face the sea. Two men must go out to sea to tie the rope around its
tail, and Rawiri and Billy his friend are selected for the task. They reluctantly
carry out this task, keeping in mind the potential of being squashed by the
smallest movement of the whale and of drowning in the dangerous waters.
But they successfully accomplish this goal and return to shore. They wait
until the tide rises, and then attempt to pull the whale about with their
tractors.
The tide comes quickly and the whale, lying on its side, is in danger of
drowning if they do not act quickly. The plan to use pull it about proceeds
smoothly until the ropes snap and all progress halts. Koro despairs and tells
Rawiri to let Nanny know that the men have failed and that it is time for the
women to act the part of men. So Nanny and the women come right down to
the beach, although she does not let Kahu accompany them. The young girl
instead must remain in the house. All together they attempt to pull and push
the whale back to water. Further and further it moved until it was almost
saved, but then a ripple went down its spine and it started to move itself in
the wrong direction. It crashed its tail about to scare away those near it and
then moved back to the shore, lying on its side again in water in order to
drown itself. Kahu comes down and asks why the whale is doing this, and
Koros reply is that it wants to die. The world is not hospitable anymore so it
wants to die and when it dies, Koro says, so do I.

Kahu decides she must do something. She dives out to sea before anyone
can stop her. Rawiri dives in after her but too late. She moves along the
massive body of the whale, fighting against the crashing waves. Then she
starts singing to the whale. She tells it that she is coming to it, and that she
is Kahu, Ko Kahutia Te Rangiwhich is the same name as her ancient
ancestor, the whale rider. She starts to climb the back of the whale and when
she reaches the top and as she does so the whale becomes extremely joyful.
She hears it greeting her as its lord, and then handholds appear and then
she finds a natural saddle and so she sits there. Rawiri sees all this as he
calls out in desperation, attempting to bring Kahu back. But then the
narrative structure shifts to a third person description focused on Kahu.
Kahu, on the back of the whale, weeps out of fear, and loneliness, and weeps
because she misses her family and weeps for her people. But in the end, she
builds up her courage and then signals to the whale to move out to sea and
leave the island behind. She leads her whale and thus all the other whales
back and to sea, and she commands that they let her people live.
So she is the whale rider. She learns quickly how to remain on the whale as it
dives down, and she discovers the natural air bubble that she uses when it
dives for extended periods of time. They dive once or twice, and then Kahu
realizes that they are preparing to dive for much longer. She knows that this
next dive would be forever, but she decides that she is not afraid to die and
give everything up. And so they dive all together. Back on the shore,
everyone is shocked and grief-stricken with the departure of Kahu. Nanny
gives Koro his special stone that Kahu had retrieved; when he asks which of
the boys got it back, she replies by pointing out to sea, out to where Kahu
was and then Koro understands and he raises his arms to the sky in despair
and grief.

ANALYSIS:
The section clearly articulates a theme has been developing over the whole
course of the story: namely that the two narratives of Whangara and the
whale herd are actually interconnected. The whale herd is a symbol of the
Maori people. The struggles of the herd are reflecting the struggles of the
people. As was argued before, the bull whale clearly represents Koro. They
are facing an increasingly hostile world where their way of life is at risk. They
are trying to stick together but they are losing people left and right, just as
the calves are being lost left and right. The bull whale is being forced to
make decisions he never had to make before, just like Koro. So this
connection has been developing over the course of the book, but here Koro
himself explicitly articulates it when he says that this herd is a sign for them,
and he says if they die we die and if they live we live. Their fates, he thus
explicitly connects to each other.

A separate insight from this section is the fact that even though Koro gives a
chance to the women to prove their mettle, neither the men nor the women
give a chance to Kahu to prove her worth. After the men fail, Koro
acknowledges that he needs the help of the women, and so he and Nanny
organize together to get everyone to push the bull whale out to sea. Koro
thus shows he is capable of modifying his traditional values somewhat in the
case of need, thus he is able to accommodate help from the women.
However, despite all of this need, Koro still does not allow Kahu to help.
Moreover, neither Nanny nor Rawiri allow Kahu to come out and help, instead
Nanny confines Kahu to the house. This is despite the fact that Nanny knows
Kahu can somehow communicate with sea creatures and that there is
something supernatural about this girl. What this demonstrates is that
Kahus people do not discriminate against her for the mere fact that she is a
female, because the other females were called upon to help. Instead,
another stimulus for the discrimination against her is her youth. No one takes
her seriously because she is not just a girl, but also a young girl. The author
thus is not just making a case for women empowerment in general but is
making a case for the young heroine; a theme hinted at in the beginning of
the book when he talks of his own two young daughters and their providing
the initial idea to him to write this book.
Despite all the discrimination against her, Kahu still is able to prove to
everyone her high character. This section provides a massive amount of new
evidence for her characterization. By swimming out to the whale, she proves
herself to be incredibly brave. But refusing to give up and let her people die,
she shows herself to be determined. By reacting to the situation with clear,
concrete action, she shows herself to be quick on her feet and able to take
things in stride. By ordering the whale herd to move off the shore, she shows
herself to be capable of command. By understanding that what she is doing
will mean she can never go back to her people, she shows herself to be
insightful. And by making that decision for the sake of her people, she shows
herself to be one who can make huge self-sacrifice. Basically, in this one
scene she demonstrates many of the traits of a true leader, and ironically
enough, she is the one no one thought would make a good leader, especially
not Koro who has been searching for someone like her for so long to replace
him.

During much of that scene the author introduces a shift in perspective and
narrative style. Instead of Rawiri narrating the story, the story comes in the
form of a third person narrative of what is happening to Kahu, as well as
insight into her emotions and thoughts. It is from this that the reader learns
what she does but also how she feels. By seeing her emotions way, the
reader is better able to empathize with her. However, by not being narrated
in first person, the reader is forced to give her some respect. She is out
there, not in here narrating to us, which sets her a bit higher than Rawiri who
was talking directly to the reader. In a way it is a bit of aloofness that
reminds us of Kahus role as a leader. The shift also captures the attention of
the reader, emphasizing the importance of this passage. This is, after all, the
culmination of Kahus character development; all that comes after is the
declension.

In this scene we are told that the whale mistakes Kahu for her ancestor
Kahutia Te Rangi. This simple fact articulates one of the key conflicts of the
story: that Kahu really is a fit successor for her great ancestor and thus she is
worthy to lead her people. This ancient whale was that mans best friend;
they loved each other and lived for years with each other. So of the creatures
and humans alive during the time of the story, that whale is the one most
familiar with Kahutia and logically the one most able to identify him. So when
he mistakenly identifies Kahu as Kahutia, the metaphorical suggestion is that
she is so alike to him in terms of bravery, determination and strength that
she could be mistaken for him. This marks her as a true successor of Kahutia,
and thus foreshadows the ultimate resolution of the conflict of the story,
which has Kahu accepted into her role as future leader of her people.

The Whale Rider Summary and Analysis of Epilogue

SUMMARY:

The epilogue begins focusing again on the whale herd, this time though in
present times. The bull whale is leading his herd downward into the depths of
the sea, and seven females closely flank him, singing for him out of
happiness that he has rejoined them. The oldest of these mothers would
come now and again to nuzzle against the bull whale to let him know that
they had been missing him. When she did so she noticed the little white
shape on the bull whales back. She asks him what is on his back and he
replies that it is his lord Paikea.

As the herd descends lower, the warrior whales draw closer around the herd
to better protect it. Meanwhile, the old mother remains deep in thought over
his husband. As the narrator explains, she loves her husband very much but
that does not blind her to his faults. On fault in particular has been that he
has become increasingly depressed. She thinks of the reasons for this
depression: his nostalgia for his time with Paikea. As she reflects on this, she
stops in sudden realization: something is off here. She calls the whole herd to
a halt, and expresses her wish to talk with her husband.

The old mother begins her conversation with her husband using a tone
consciously charged with love. She then tells him that the rider on his back is
not Paikea. The other female whales edge away, cautious of the sudden
burst of anger that potentially will come from the bull whale, but the old
mother continues slyly and warily. He insists that this is indeed Paikea, but
she pushes him more using sweet tones: No, no it is not. The warrior riders
begin to close in behind her, to bite at her tail in frustration but she
continues on. She suggests that perhaps this is a descendent of her
husbands lord, and as she does so the other female whales nod their heads
in admirationthey realize that she is leading the old bull whale to back a
conclusion which she has long before realized. He thinks back to his time
with the rider, and how the rider flung spears of bounty and how one spear
cut through time and landed in the future and then he understandsthis girl
is that last spear. This is the seed of Paikea and therefore they must return it
to shore so that it can fulfill its task.

As the bull whale realizes this, he puts away his nostalgia for the past and
begins thinking of the present and future. He must make a responsible
decision in how to treat this new rider. He must overcome his desire for his
rider and weigh the future benefit that this girl would bring to her people. So
the bull whale deliberated for a while and then made up his mind: they must
return the rider back to Whangara and so slowly they all turned upwards,
back towards the shore.

The story returns to Rawiris narration. He notes that Nanny fainted

after Kahu left and so they took Nanny to the hospital. There she remained
for five days until she reawakened to find Koro sitting right next to her. When
she sees him and Rawiri, she sarcastically notes that she apparently had not
ended up in heaven because this lot was still here. Then she remembers
what happened with Kahu and she asks with fear about her. Koro quietly
responds that she is all right, and then he tells her what had happened with
Kahu.

For three days Kahu was gone and presumed dead, but then they found her
unconscious floating in the ocean, with dolphins as her guards and kelp as
her bed. They rushed her to the hospital and there her breathing had
stopped and started and up until this point she remained in a coma. When
Nanny asks where she is now, they respond she is right here, pointing to
another bed in the same room. Koro and Rawiri have been looking after both
of them these past couple of days. Tears start to flow down Nannys cheeks
and she asks that they push her bed closer to Kahus, as she wants to hold
her and talk to her. So Nanny is brought next to Kahu, and Koro stands over
the two of them and minutes pass thus. Then Koro begins by saying this is
entirely his fault. Nanny heartily agrees as her tears continue to flow. Koro
admits that he should have known she was the one ever since she was a
baby and she bit his toe. He also admits that he should not have been
sending her away from the meetinghouse, and Nanny responds by saying he
was stubborn, deaf, dumb and blind. He stands up and sighs and says she
should divorce him and go marry his old rival. Nanny agrees, saying that that
man would know how to treat women properly. As their conversation
continues like this, Kahu sighs and says in a weak voice that Nanny and Koro
are always arguing. With this happy news from Kahu, the narrative briefly
shifts back to the whales where the bull whale and the old mother whale take
counsel with each other, noting that Kahu will live and will grow up and find
the place for her people in this changing world.

The narrative shifts back to the hospital, where everyone is breathing sighs
of relief now that Kahu has woken up again. Kahu then tells them that the
whales told her not to wake up until Nanny and Koro were together with her.
She goes on to say that their bickering was just like the bickering of the old
bull whale and the mother whale. She explains that she fell off the whales,
and she apologizes to Koro, saying if she were a boy she could have held on.
Upon hearing this, Koro weeps out of guilt and sorrow and hugs his little
great-granddaughter. He tells her she is the best great-grandchild he could
have, and it does not matter if she is a girl or a boy. Kahu becomes ecstatic
and they all express their great love for each other. The focus shifts to an
earlier scene with the whales, when the whales are returning Kahu. At that
moment a voice had called out to her through time, calling her child and
telling her to fulfill her destiny and help her people. The concluding passage
returns to Kahu in the present moment as she tells her great-grandfather
that she has been hearing the whales singing for ages.

ANALYSIS:

This section provides the capstone for the theory of connecting the
Whangara Maori to the whale herd, which is the anthropomorphism of the
whales. That the whales can speak and seem to think and behave in terms of
human through and action emphasizes their connection to the human
experience. They are meant to exemplify and relate to the experience of the
people of Whangara. That they can speak and thus express concerns, worries
and complex thought enables a deeper parallel to be drawn between them
and the Maori people. Without this anthropomorphism the whales would
have been categorized as dumb animals and little weight would like have
been given to a comparison between them and the Whangara people.

To delve into this comparison at its various levels, it is easiest t begin with
once again firmly establishing the comparison between Koro and the whale.
As mentioned before, this relationship has clear evidence from past sections
of the book and even receives explicit mention from Rawiri. Both are
attempting to lead their people. Both of the whales are struggling under the
pressure of leading their people in troubled times. These are similarities
discussed earlier, but the anthropomorphism introduced in this section
enables that similarity to take on higher proportions. Furthermore, the author
illustrates in this section that both have wives that are also much alike.

The mother whale and Nanny share much in common. Both are brave and
aware. Both are willing to stand up to their husbands when the need arises.
Both are principled and wise and nurture a great love for those around them.
Just as Nanny alone verbally challenges Koros decisions and ways, only the
old mother whale verbally challenges the bull whales conclusions. In terms
of the comparison between these two pairs, Kahu herself says that the two
pairs bicker with each other just like their parallels.

As for Kahu, it is revealed in this section that she indeed is the spear cast
through time so many centuries ago. This means that her story has been in
the making for many centuries. An important insight from this idea is that
her ancestor, Paikea, knew who she would be and what role she would play;
not only did he know these things but he actively attempted to bring them
about by throwing the spear. Thus this suggests that Paikea had no problem
with females leading his Maori people. This is important because Paikea is
the most revered figure of the Whangara Maori, and he is seen as the
upholder of Maori culture and value. So he is an authority figure in the realm
of their local culture and thus his decisions and opinions should hold great
weight. His support of Kahu gives her position huge legitimacy in their
paradigm, and it also suggests that the local culture initially had no problem
with women taking leadership roles, it was only much later that this stigma
immerged. The reader is left to ask: what happened between Paikeas time
and Koros that meant women were not allowed to lead?

Finally, the story concludes with a message of hope. Koro for the first time
expresses his love for his great-granddaughter Kahu. This gives him his
redemption. The whole story has been about bringing Koro to this point, and
while it does take him the whole length of the book, he does eventually make
it. Thus the book ends on a hopeful note, suggesting that positive change
can be made with patience and perseverance and a sense of justice.

The Whale Rider Themes

Sacredness of Nature and Corruption of Man

A key theme of the story is the sacredness of nature. The world and its
creatures are often described using religious terminology. The beginning of
the story introduces the idea that man and nature are supposed to work and
thrive together, and that nature has been consciously waiting for mans
arrival. Man is supposed to be a steward of nature, the story suggests: he
ought to take care of the creatures and the environment. Instead, man
became arrogant and broke off his connection with nature. That is why, Koro
claims, only a select few can still speak with animals, while in the past
everyone could. In response to mans growing arrogance, the earth has
become increasingly hostile to mankind and will continue to do so until he
changes his ways.
Tradition vs. Modernity
The story is all about how the Maori people will hold on to their tradition
while navigating the strange tides of modern times. All of the main
characters are impacted by the dynamic between tradition and
modernity. Kahu finds herself trapped by traditional gender roles; Koro feels
alien in the changing world and struggles to find someone to carry on the
Maori banner; Rawiri faces the choice of maintaining his cultural identity or
travelling to the big city and just falling into the crowd.
Racism and Cultural Identity
The story features the individuals struggle to choose what identity to live by.
This choice is best exemplified by Rawiris story. He comes very close to
leaving behind the Maori way of life when he travels to Australia. There, he
has an opportunity to become a city man, far away from the small town of
his youth, and also distant from the rules and norms of his Maori culture. He
could settle in the city and become a new person with a new cultural identity.
Other relatives of his have already done so, changing their names,
appearances, and lifestyles. Eventually, though, he decides his heart belongs
to the Maori people and he cannot give that identity up. He further
understands this in Papua New Guinea, where he encounters racism full in
the face.
Love
Love is what binds the main characters to each other, and it is the underlying
emotion guiding almost all of the action within the story. It is Kahus love for
Koro that drives her to learn so much about the Maori culture and to remain
so devoted to it. It is her love for him that also prevents her from becoming
resentful or jealous. It is Koros love for his people that impels him to find a
capable leader to successfully bring the Maori people through modernity. It is
Nannys love for Koro that forces her to constantly attempt to show him the
error in his stubbornness, and it is her love for Kahu that enables her to play
the role of mother to this orphan. It is Nannys love for Rawiri that pushes her
to call him back home and it is his love for those back home that eventually
brings Rawiri back. It is Rawiri's love for Kahu that brings him to show the
qualities of bravery and determination in always looking after her. Finally, it
is the old bull whales love for his master that drives him to cross a distance
of thousands of leagues, and which drives him nearly to insanity
with nostalgic obsession.
Female Role Models vs. Misogyny
The story is all about strong-willed female characters. The main protagonist
of the storyKahuas well as many of the other protagonists, including
Nanny and Muriwai all are brave, independent female characters. Their
stories are meant to empower young women by giving examples of heroines,
brave, strong, and dedicated who can do just as much as any male. This is
particularly poignant in the setting of Whangara, whose chief Koro refuses to
see women as potential leaders in Whangaras future. As the author explains
in his introductory notes, the inspiration of this story came from his two
young daughters, who were seeking female role models in a male-dominated
literature. This work is meant in part to fulfill that desire by being, in a way,
an expression of the "Girl Power" trend of the 90s.
Rigid Literalism vs. Lenience
Another theme related to that of tradition and modernity is the tension
between a rigid and literal understanding of rules and a flexible, purpose-
driven understanding. This dynamic underlies the core conflict between
Nanny and Koro over Kahus ability to lead her people. Koro adheres strictly
to the dictated cultural rules. To continue this legacy he hopes to find a
future young leader for the Maori, yet in doing so he is unwilling to bend any
of the rules. Thus he cannot accept Kahu as a candidate, even though she is
the most capable to lead in the future. On the other side, Nanny encourages
that rules be broken when the general purpose of ones action is for good.
She is not opposed to breaking a few rules here and there in order to bring
about a greater good.
The Cyclical Nature of Time
One of the underlying frameworks of the story is that of the nature of time.
The story emphasizes that nature is cyclical, as referenced by the naming of
the four sections of the book after the four seasons. Time can also be
traversed, as the old bull whale does with his herd, and as Paikea does with
his spear, casting it into the future. This understanding of time stresses the
interconnectedness of everything, even those things separated by time.
Between Kahu and Paikea are many generations; yet despite that passage of
time, they are able to interact and they remain connected. Despite the
number of years that have passed, the old bull whale lingers on. Kahus story
begins with a birth and ends with a near-death experience, referencing the
cycle of life and death common to all.

The Whale Rider Quotes and Analysis

"'Never mind girl,' she said to baby Kahu. 'Your birth cord is here. No matter
where you may go, you will always return. You will never be lost to us.'"

Nanny, 29

This quote articulates the idea of Kahu's physical and spiritual connection to
Whangara. Not only is this the land of her father's family, but it is also her
own land. She is intimately tied to it because her birth cord remains there.
Furthermore, one can extract from this quote an insight into Nanny's own
belief system: she trusts that, whatever happens, Kahu will eventually return
here because of the supernatural power of the birth cord's burial.
"Rules are meant to be broken"

Nanny, 41
This quote gives voice to a central tension in the story: Koro's inability to be
flexible in certain rules for the greater good of his people. In his search for a
successor, he consistently rejects Kahu's candidacy because his
interpretation of their culture values is that women cannot lead. However,
Kahu demonstrates a host of leadership characteristics, all of which Koro is
searching for. His refusal to break the little rules and choose her as a
successor exacerbates his problem of lacking a capable successor.
"Man might carve his mark on the earth, but unless he's vigilant, Nature will
take it all back."

Rawiri, 69

This quote describes Rawiri's experience after attempting to cultivate the

plantation in Papua New Guinea. It is important because it expresses the
dynamic between man and nature as one of struggle and conquest. This is in
stark contrast to the dynamic of the past, according to the story, where
nature and man worked together to thrive.
"just as I was maturing in my own understanding, she, too, was moving
closer and closer to that point where she was in the right place at the right
time, with the right understanding to accomplish the task that had been
assigned to her. In this respect there is no doubt in my mind that she had
always been the right person"

Rawiri, 70

This quote expresses Rawiri's view of Kahu. He is demonstrating the sense of

foreshadowing which surrounded Kahu's life. There is something special
about her, he suggests, and she is fated to accomplish great things.
Our Koro was like an old whale stranded in an alien present, but that was
how it was supposed to be, because he also had his role in the pattern of
things, in the tides of the future

Rawiri, 72

This quote explicity establishes the comparison between Koro and the old
whale. This comparison is an important motif of the book, and it is the
stepping stone for drawing the symbolic connection between the wandering
whale herd and the Maori people of Whangara. Their stories run along
parallel lines, and each side sheds some light on the other.
"Kahu put her face against Nancy Flowers's cheeks. Her voice was drained
and defeated. 'It's not Paka's fault, Nanny,' she said, 'that I'm a girl.'"

Kahu, 87

Here, Kahu is giving voice to one of her deepest fears, an expression which
develops her characterization. She is expressing two things: first, a
recognition that her great-grandfather disdains her because she is a girl and
not a boy, and second, a mental tendency to not blame her great-
grandfather or be resentful towards him.
"'This is a sign to us,' Koro Apirana said again."

Koro, 110

This quote expresses the idea of a deep symbolic connection between nature
and man. In Koro's worldview, man's state is reflected in nature, and so the
corruption on land and sea is just reflecting the increasing corruption and
arrogance of man.
"She was going with the whales into the sea and the rain. She was a small
figure in a white dress, kicking at the whale as if it were a horse, her braids
swinging in the rain."

Rawiri, 130
This quote demonstrates the vulnerability of Kahu as she goes out to lead
the whale herd away from the shore. The imagery of the quote emphasizes
her little, innocent, vulnerable position. Despite all of that vulnerability, Kahu
still has enough bravery to attempt such a task.
"And the whale herd sang their gladness that the tribe would also live,
because they knew that the girl would need to be carefully taught before she
could claim the place for her people in the world"

147

The whales believe that Kahu's destiny is to claim the place for her people in
the world. Such a belief assumes that the Whangara people are currently out
of place, and need someone to act on their behalf. This idea connects back to
the motif of the world changing, and of tradition losing ground to modernity.
"'I love you,' Koro Apirana said."

Koro, 149

This quote is from Koro, addressed to Kahu. It is important because it

represents the redemption of Koro and the great shift in his heart. Never
before has he acknowledged or expressed any love for his great-
granddaughter, which is what makes this expression momentous.

The Whale Rider Essay Questions

1. Describe the relationship between Koro and the old bull whale.
Are there parallel? If so, how are they alike? What does each
story tell us about the other?
It seems clear from the story that there are at least some parallels
between Koro and the old bull whale. This connection is even explicitly
 stated by Kahu and referenced by Rawiri. They are alike in terms of being
the leader of their herds in changing, trying times. They are bound by
love for the past and they are trying to understand how to move forward
and live in the future. They are also both stubborn.
2.
Explore the symbolism of the spear. What does the spear
represent? What does this symbol mean?
At one point Kahu is identified as the spear cast into the future. The
spears seem to represent life-giving bounty. There is some cultural
significance, then, to the tool of the spear beyond just its typical war-
bound use.

3.
Does Rawiri experience a coming-of-age trial? What does he
learn about himself and his cultural identity from this
experience?
Rawiris four year journey through Australia and Papua New Guinea seem
to test his cultural identity in variety of ways while also forcing him to
make life-long decisions, like where he wants to live and who he wants to
associate with. At the same time, he experiences some of the harsh
realities of life, like watching a friend die or being the victim of racism. All
of these teach him about himself and his strength.

4.
Does Kahu demonstrate the traits of a good leader? If so, which
specific traits does she demonstrate?
Kahu does seem to demonstrate many traits of a good leader. The
climactic scene where she leads to whale herd away reveals many of
these traits, like bravery, determination, level-headedness, and
willingness to self-sacrifice. Other scenes in the book also showcase Kahu
with these traits, like the one where she is determined to retrieve the
stone.

5. Pick one scene which provides a deeper characterization of

one of the main characters of the story. Explain why this
particular scene is important in understanding this character.
There is a wealth of scenes which deepen characterization. Examples of
such scenes include: the climactic scene of Kahu herding the whales; the
scene where Nanny is revealed to have been crying over Rawiris
motorcycle demonstrates her loving nature; and Koro weeping over the
death of the first whale herd, demonstrating his care for nature and the
pressure he is bearing.

6.
 What do the titles of each part suggest in relation to the broader
narrative of the story? How does every section correspond to the
reality portrayed in that section?
The titles of the four sections of the book are named after the four
seasons. Each name has some relation to the content of the story. For
example, spring may represent new life. Winter may represent
stagnation. Furthermore, the usage of such a naming system at all
suggests a more cyclical view of time rather than a linear view of time.

7.
Write an essay analyzing the ways in which modernity and
tradition interact within the story. Does the story suggest that
they can interact peacefully? Or does it seem impossible?
The threads of modernity and tradition run throughout the story. Koro is
seen as the main upholder of tradition, and the central crisis of tradition
is that those who do know and uphold the tradition are dying off and
there are fewer, and fewer people to teach and lead future generations.
This is exemplified by Koros search for a future leader. The crisis of
modernity is that it cuts people off from their natural roots. This is
exemplified by Rawiris experiences with his cousins in Australia, who feel
cut off from their Maori roots.