The Whale Rider by Witi Ihimaera
A Year 11 Novel Study
1 STRUCTURE
Copy these notes before you begin to read the novel.
This novel has three parts. Firstly, the prologue. The prologue provides an introduction to the story. The prologue in The Whale Rider takes place many thousands of years ago before humans inhabited earth. It then moves on to tell of man’s arrival in Aotearoa – “the canoes from the east”. The prologue tells of Paikea’s, the whale rider’s, arrival on a whale. Paikea possessed mauri (life forces) and he dispersed this into the forests and seas. The final mauri wouldn’t leave his hand so he planted it for use when “the people are troubled and the mauri is most needed.”
Several chapters are told in italicsusing the third person narrator. The italicised chapters focus on the whales. In particular, the old whale who was mastered by Paikea and when Kahu becomes the whale rider near the end.
The majority of the story is told in the first person, by Rawiri the Uncle of the main character, looking back over the past 8 years. 8 years are covered in 15 chapters, just over 110 pages.
The novel ends with an epilogue of three chapters. This tells what happens after the end of the story. It generally ties up lose ends.
2PLOT
Answer all these questions. You do NOT need to write out all the questions.
1Why was Koro Apirana unhappy that his eldest grandson and his wife had given birth to a girl?
2Who does Koro Apirana blame for this happening?
3What does nanny Flowers call Koro Apirana? And what is the English equivalent for this?
4What was Porourangi’s baby named?
5Why was Koro Apirana against naming the baby this?
6Who is Nanny Flowers’ famous ancestor and what did that ancestor do to become famous?
7As it turns out, why did Rehua want to name the baby Kahu?
8How do Porourangi and Rehua permanently link Kahu to her great grandparents’ family and marae?
9From our pre-reading research we know that whales are spiritually important to Maori, what do you think is the significance of Rawiri hearing a whale on page 28 just after they have buried Kahu’s afterbirth at the marae?
10What makes the ancient bull whale (in Chapter 5) sad?
11What does the ancient whale seem intent/set on doing?
12On page 32, what is Kahu’s faced compare to?
13The gifts that Kahutia te Rangi (the man) brought to Aotearoa taught what? (pg 33)
14What tribe or iwi do the characters in the novel belong to?
15What is the purpose of listing the whakapapa/genealogy/family history on pages 33 and 34? (In other words, what is the author trying to emphasise?)
16How are Kahu and her Koro alike? (pg 36)
17How do they differ? (pg 36)
18What two events showed that Kahu was different? (pg 37 –8)
19What on page 41 shows us that tradition and culture are important to Koro Apirana?
20What is interlock? (pg 43)
21What do some people think happened to Paikea’s whale?
22On the way back from the movies what do Rawiri and the boys see?
23What story upsets Kahu? (pg 52 – 4)
24What event has occurred to worry the old whale (Ch 9)?
25Whilst in Papa New Guinea, what important lessons does Rawiri learn? (pg 70 and 74)
26How does Kahu attempt to make her Koro proud at the end of year break-up?
27What test does Koro devise to find “the one”? (Ch 13)
28What mammals help Kahu find the stone?
29When were these creatures first mentioned in relation to Kahu?
30Where does the old whale lead his herd? (Ch 14)
31Why are the younger whales fearful?
32What leads the old whale on?
33In Chapter 15 a whale stranding occurs. What images stay in Rawiri’s mind?
34What instructions does Derek give in regard to helping the whales?
35On the night of Koro and Porourangi’s return what mysterious and supernatural event occurs right in Whangara?
36How do the people know that the whale is special? (pg 115)
37According to Koro, what is the whale a sign of? (pg 116)
38How does the whanau attempt to get the whale back into the sea?
39Why are the women called in to help?
40What does the whale represent on page 121? (Study Koro’s words to Kahu.)
41In Chapter 17 what motivates Kahu to do what she does?
42What does she do?
43Why does Kahu have a special bond with the old whale?
44How do you think Koro feels at the end of Chapter 17?
45Who does the whale think Kahu is? (pg 134)
46The ‘lady’ whale puts him straight and tells him Kahu is who? (pg 138)
47On page 42, all is revealed. What happened to Kahu?
48What is hinted on page 145 and page 148 in regard to Kahu’s future and her iwi/people?
3STRUCTURE
Put these events in the correct order and the right place on the structure diagram. It may pay to turn your book around so this has more room.
Events:
1Paikea distributes his mauri in Aotearoa.
2Kahu dives for the stone and is helped by the dolphins.
3The ancient whale strands himself at Whangara.
4The second whale stranding occurs.
5Kahutia te Rangi, the girl, is born.
6The ancient whale is sad and heads south.
7Rawiri goes to overseas for four years.
8Koro Apirana doesn’t turn up to the prizegiving.
9Kahu becomes the whale rider and saves the ancient whale and her people.
10Koro tells Kahu he loves her and that she’s the best mokopuna in the world.
MARKS:
- Copies the notes tidily
- Answers all the questions
- Gets some answers right
- Gets all answers right
- Completes the plot diagram
- Has the events in the right order
- and in the right place
4STYLE
Copy these notes and complete these exercises using full sentences:
Important aspects of Ihimaera’s style include:
- His use of a prologue and an epilogue
- His use of Maori language
- His use of humour to develop characters
- Contrasting happiness with great sadness
- The mix of mythology and reality – magical realism
- The way regular people and events are contrasted with sophisticated language
- Changing narrative technique/story tellers
1What is the purpose of Ihimaera’s prologue in this novel?
2Find five examples of the use of Maori language. Copy them with page references along with their English translations.
3Why does Ihimaera use Maori language in this novel? (Think about what it adds to the novel.)
4Rawiri and his Nanny Flowers are pretty humorous characters. Find two examples of humour in this novel. (You will probably find them in conversations or descriptions).
5Why has Ihimaera used humour. (Think about how humour influences the way we feel about people.)
6Who’s the most humourless character in the novel?
7Kahu’s birth is a mix of happiness and sadness (pathos) – how and why?
8Rawiri’s time overseas is also a mix of happiness and sadness. Give examples to prove this and explain why happiness and sadness are contrasted.
9Kahu’s childhood is another mix of happiness and sadness. Prove that this statement is true.
10Kahu becoming the whale rider and disappearing out to see on Paikea’s whale is also a mixture of happiness and sadness. What’s happy about this event and what is obviously sad about this event?
11 Magical Realism is defined as “a style of art or literature that depicts fantastic or mythological subjects in a realistic manner.” What aspect of this story is an example of magical realism?
12What are the advantages of using magical realism?
13How do you think magical realism links to Maori culture and Maori beliefs?
14Ihimaera’s italicised chapters that focus on the whales feature sophisticated vocabulary. Find and copy three examples of sophisticated vocabulary along with the words’ meanings.
15Why do you think Ihimaera uses sophisticated vocabulary in these particular chapters?
16The main narrator of this story is Rawiri – Kahu’s Uncle. Why has Ihimaera chosen this character to narrate Kahu’s story? (Think about themes or messages in the novel.)
5Language Tasks
Ask your teacher for the language tasks sheet to complete.
Marks
- Completes style notes
- Answers all questions
- Gets most answers correct
- Gets all answers correct
- Accurately completes the crossword to review plot
6Symbolism
COPY:A symbol is something that represents something else. For example, a white flag symbolises surrender, a dove symbolises peace, the silver fern or the kiwi symbolise New Zealand and New Zealanders.
COPY:The whale is an important symbol is this novel.
Trace around the whale below. Around it write your ideas on what the whale in the novel symbolises or represents.
COPY:Ihimaera also uses dolphins as important symbols.
Trace the dolphin and around it write your own thoughts on what dolphins symbolise in this novel. (Clue: think about what they do in the novel)
Marks
- Traces/draws whale and dolphin
- Has some thoughts on whale symbolism
- has accurate thoughts on whale symbolism
- Has some thoughts on dolphin symbolism
- has accurate thoughts on dolphin symbolism
- copies relevant notes tidily
7Setting
ACopy these brief notes on setting.
This novel is set in a small community called Whangara on the East Coast of New Zealand’s North Island. It is about 30 km from Gisborne.
Although this story was written in 1986, there are only a few references in the novel which date it. For example, the clothing of the people. It could be set in the 21st century.
Holding on Maori culture is important to the characters in the novel. This is shown by their use of Maori language, their references to traditions and especially by Koro’s quest to find the “one” to whom he can pass all the traditional knowledge he possesses.
1Why was it necessary for the author to set this story in a Maori community that is still quite Maori?
2Would this story have worked as well if it had been set in Waiuku – why/why not?
BMAPPING
Ask your teacher for your copy of the setting information. Glue it into your book and read it carefully. (Source: NZ Herald, 25 January 2003).
Marks
Copies notes tidily
Answers questions accurately
Completes tidy copy of map
8ESSAYS
Complete two essays from this list. Each essay needs to be 250 – 300 words long. Each body paragraph must contain at least one accurate quote in speech marks. You are also encourage to make personal response statements. Check out the examples given in Achievement English. Be sure you answer the question given.
MARKS:
Achieved Shows an understanding of an extended text using evidence.
Merit Shows an understanding of, and respondsto, an extended text using supporting evidence.
Excellence Shows an understanding of, and responds perceptively to, an extended text using supporting evidence.
1Describe one or more settings and the effect(s) it had on the story and/or the characters.
Ask your teacher for a copy of Achievement English and turn to pages 129 – 130 for help with this essay.
2Briefly describe the opening scene of your text and explain how effective it is.
Ask your teacher for a copy of Achievement English and turn to pages 131 – 133 for help with this essay.
3Describe several effective uses of language in the text and explain why you found them so effective.
9CHARACTERS
AKahu is the main character. Make a list of the 5 most important things you know about her.
BAsk your teacher for a character development sheet. Complete it to show how and why Kahu changed in the course of the novel.
CFind three of the most important quotes in the novel either said by or about Kahu. Explain the significance of each quote.
CChoose 3 adjectives to describe Koro Apirana and each of them cite evidence from the novel to prove they are good choices.
EComplete the backside of the character development sheet for Koro.
FWhat is Kahu’s role in the novel? (Think about what she shows/teaches).
GWhat is Nanny Flowers’ role in the novel?
HWhat is Rawiri’s role in the novel?
IWhat is Koro Apirana’s role in the novel?
MARKS:
- Lists 5 facts about Kahu
- Completes character development sheet for Kahu
- Character development sheet shows real understanding of Kahu
- adjectives for Koro
- Explains them with close reference to the book
- Completes character development sheet for Koro
- Character development sheet shows real understanding of Koro
- Answers the four role questions
- Answers show good understanding
10EXPRESSIVE WRITING
Put yourself in one of these situations and write about how you feel and why you feel that way. Don’t concentrate too much on the action – the feelings are more important for this task.
AKahu in Chapter 17
BKoro Apirana in Chapter 17
You will be rewarded for:
imaginative and interesting writing
careful spelling, word usage and punctuation
writing that is related to the task
11CHARACTER ESSAYS
Complete two essays from the choices below. Each essay needs to be 250 – 300 words long. Each body paragraph must contain at least one accurate quote in speech marks. You are also encouraged to make personal response statements. Check out the examples given in Achievement English. Be sure you answer the question given.
MARKS:
Achieved Shows an understanding of an extended text using evidence.
Merit Shows an understanding of, and respondsto, an extended text using supporting evidence.
Excellence Shows an understanding of, and responds perceptively to, an extended text using supporting evidence.
1Choose a character who changes during your text. Describe him/her at the beginning and then at the end of the text and explain how the changes came about.
Ask your teacher for a copy of Achievement English and turn to pages 124 – 126 for help with this essay.
2Describe the most important relationship in your text and explain how this relationship influences events.
You could write about Kahu and Paka’s relationship. The way Kahu wants to please Paka influences everything she does – particularly diving for the stone and becoming the whale rider.
3Describe a character in conflict in your text and explain how this conflict is resolved.
You could write about Koro’s internal conflict between wanting to find a male heir to his knowledge and having to accept that Kahu is the chosen “one”. Or you could write about Koro’s external conflict with trying to retain being Maori in a world that is predominantly non-Maori. Or you could write about Kahu’s conflict with her Paka.
4Describe the most important thing that happened to a main character in your text and explain, with detailed reasons, why it was important.
12THEMES
ATheme is the main message or idea in the text. Themes in this novel are set out in the table below. Please make complete your own copy of the table following the examples given. Aim for three examples per theme.
Theme / Examples / QuotesLove / Kahu loves her grandfather very much despite the way he ignores her. / “On Kahu’s part … it must have been love at first sight because she dribbled all over him.” (pg 36/Ch 6)
“The only difference was that she loved him and he didn’t love her.” (Pg 36/Ch 6)
Triumph
Courage
Tradition / Koro Apirana has no interest in Kahu because she’s a girl. / “I will have nothing to do with her. She has broken the male line of descent in our whanau.” (pg 18/Ch 3)
“The trouble was that Koro Apirana could not reconcile his traditional beliefs about Maori leadership and mana with Kahu'’ birth."”(pg 20/Ch 3)
To keep a strong link between Kahu and her father’s family her afterbirth/pito is buried on their marae. / “She wanted Kahu’s afterbirth, inclduing the birth cord, to be put in the earth on the marae in our village.” (pg 25/Ch 4)
It’s important for Koro Apirana to pass on tribal knowledge. He does this by holding wananga with the men of the village. / “The boys and I enjoyed the lessons every weekend.” (Pg 41/Ch 7)
BComplete two essays from the choices below. The essays need to be 250 – 300 words long. Each body paragraph must contain at least one accurate quote in speech marks. You are also encouraged to make personal response statements. Be sure you answer the question given.
MARKS:
Achieved Shows an understanding of an extended text using evidence.
Merit Shows an understanding of, and respondsto, an extended text using supporting evidence.
Excellence Shows an understanding of, and responds perceptively to, an extended text using supporting evidence.
1 Give detailed reasons why you thought this text was worth studying.
2Explain the most important idea in the text and explain what you thought about it.
Ask your teacher for a copy of Achievement English and turn to pages 133 - 135 for help with this essay.
3Describe a social issue or problem presented in this text and explain what you thought about it. (Source: Achievement English, 2001, pg 136)
4Describe, with detailed examples, what lessons you have learnt about life from studying your text. (Source: Achievement English, 2001, pg 136)
5Explain the important lesson or lessons about human behaviour that your learnt in this text. V\(Source: Achievement English, 2001, pg 136)
13FORMAL WRITING
Formal writing is issued based. It is not about a story you have read. It needs to be factual and somewhat persuasive. You should back up your points with real life examples from current events and history. You are aiming to write 250 – 300 words.