The Coral Island · Character

Avatea

A Samoan girl taken in war and kept as Tararo's daughter, Avatea refuses the marriage her captor demands and becomes the island's most dangerous hostage.

supporting

First appearance: xxiii

As a supporting figure in The Coral Island, Avatea is not background color—the story leans on what they do once the chapter opens.

A young woman who shows sadness at parting and participates in the nose-rubbing farewell.

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Avatea is the still center of the novel's later tension: a young woman already engaged to a chief Tararo hates, stubborn enough to 'kick up a desperate shindy' rather than be handed to a rival. Her refusal to submit makes her both admirable and imperiled, since the penalty for continued defiance is to be sent as a long pig. Her fate is the lever that pulls the boys out of their island idyll and into the moral machinery of the Pacific.

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The fuller portrait of Avatea sits in Reading Lens — open the free preview to keep reading with notes on the page.

See Avatea in xxiii

Character Web

6 connections

A slice of how Avatea sits in the book — open the reader for the full interactive map.

Relationship types

Friendship
Family
Other

Character groups

Christianity and Conflict
Protagonist

+1 more in the full Character Web

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Narrative arc

Story tension across the book — this chapter sits in Rising action.

Setup
Escalation
Breaking point
Aftermath
Closing

This is the story's dramatic climax because Ralph reaches the ultimate emotional and psychological peak of exh…

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Relationships

Jack Martin
friendship · positive
Avatea and Jack share a bond of mutual respect and protection, as Jack helps rescue her… How this plays out →
Peterkin Gay
friendship · positive
Tararo
family · ambivalent
Bloody Bill
friendship · positive
Ralph Rover
friendship · positive
Jack Martin
friendship · positive
Avatea and Jack share a bond of mutual respect and protection, as Jack helps rescue her… How this plays out →
Peterkin Gay
friendship · positive
Bloody Bill
friendship · positive

Jack Martin
Avatea and Jack share a bond of mutual respect and protection, as Jack helps rescue her from captivity.
Peterkin Gay
Avatea and Peterkin share a friendly rapport, with Peterkin often showing kindness and humor toward her.
Tararo
Avatea is Tararo's daughter, bound by familial duty but often in conflict due to Tararo's harsh treatment.
Bloody Bill
Avatea and Bloody Bill have a bond of gratitude and protection, as Bill helps save her from danger.
Ralph Rover
Avatea and Ralph share a kind and supportive friendship, with Ralph showing empathy for her plight.
Jack Martin
Avatea and Jack share a bond of mutual respect and protection, as Jack helps rescue her from captivity.
Peterkin Gay
Avatea and Peterkin share a friendly rapport, with Peterkin often showing kindness and humor toward her.
Bloody Bill
Avatea and Bloody Bill have a bond of gratitude and protection, as Bill helps save her from danger.

Relationship notes

How these ties play out is in the reading companion — open the free preview.

See Avatea in xxiii

In the story

Avatea appears across 7 companion beats. Open any chapter in the free preview to see the notes beside the text.

XX
A young woman who shows sadness at parting and participates in the nose-rubbing farewell.
XXIX
Mentioned as the native girl whom the boys plan to rescue from being sacrificed by Tararo.
XXXI
The native girl whom Jack hopes to rescue; mentioned as the object of their mission.
XXXII
The Samoan girl to be rescued; she agrees to risk the voyage and speaks some English.
The Flight – The Pursuit – Despair and its Results – The Lion Bearded in his Den Again – Awful Danger Threatened and Wonderfully Averted – A Terrific Storm
Rescued by the boys, she is captured again and seen unfettered in the canoe; her fate is central to the conflict.
XXXIV
Rescued native girl; is reunited with her lover and will marry soon.
Conclusion
Married and sent away with presents and a native teacher.

Chapter companion notes

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See Avatea in xxiii

See Avatea in XX