Typee · Character

Kory-Kory

The narrator's tattooed, tirelessly devoted Typee attendant, who carries him on his back, feeds him, and lights his pipe with a fire-plough.

supporting

Also known as Kory, Kory - Kory

First appearance: ix

See Kory-Kory in ix Book page

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Kory-Kory attaches himself to the ailing narrator with a loyalty so total it becomes both comfort and captivity, tending him through a mysterious illness that will not lift. His devotion is physical and constant — he bears the narrator over rough ground, feeds him morsels, and performs small rituals of care — yet his goodwill cannot dispel the deeper gloom of a stranger cut off from his own world. He embodies the valley's warmth and its limits, the human face of a hospitality the narrator can neither fully accept nor easily escape.

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See Kory-Kory in ix

Character Web

9 connections

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

Relationship types

Friendship
Other

Character groups

Core Typee Valley Characters
Native Intermediaries and Helpers
Protagonist

+4 more in the full Character Web

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Narrative arc

Story tension across the book — this chapter sits in Exposition.

Setup
Escalation
Breaking point
Aftermath
Closing

This is the dramatic climax because it marks the emotional and psychological peak of Tommo’s despair: his last…

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Relationships

Narrator
friendship · positive
Toby
friendship · positive
Narrator
friendship · positive
Narrator
friendship · positive
Toby
friendship · positive
Toby
friendship · positive

Narrator
Kory-Kory serves as the narrator's devoted attendant and guide, showing constant care and loyalty.
Toby
Kory-Kory interacts with Toby as a fellow member of the Typee community and helper to the narrator.
Narrator
Kory-Kory serves as the narrator's devoted attendant and guide, showing constant care and loyalty.
Narrator
Kory-Kory serves as the narrator's devoted attendant and guide, showing constant care and loyalty.
Toby
Kory-Kory interacts with Toby as a fellow member of the Typee community and helper to the narrator.
Toby
Kory-Kory interacts with Toby as a fellow member of the Typee community and helper to the narrator.

Relationship notes

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

See Kory-Kory in ix

In the story

Kory-Kory appears across 21 companion beats. Open any chapter in the free preview to see the notes beside the text.

Chapter XII
Carries the narrator on his back during the journey and serves him food.
XIII
Vehemently opposes Toby's departure; delivers an elaborate oration praising the Typees and denouncing the Happars.
XIV
Devotedly attends the narrator but actively prevents him from going to the beach.
XV
Kory-Kory frequently shows his skill in using the pestle and mortar and the hobbyhorse for preparing breadfruit dishes.
XVI
Attempts to comfort the narrator with food, pipe, and antics; clings to his arm to restrain him from rushing to the beach.
XVII
Serves the narrator devotedly, providing constant service and companionship.
Chapter XVIII
Faithful servant who carries the narrator, paddles the canoe, and is horrified at the idea of Fayaway entering the canoe.
XIX
Seems to share the general disapprobation toward the narrator's wish to leave.
XX
Acts as the narrator's valet and entertains him with pranks.
XXI
Provides the narrator with a divine explanation for the ancient stone terraces, claiming they were built by the gods.
XXII
Accompanies the narrator, attempts to explain the taboo groves and the calabash monument, and helps him dress for the festival.
The Feast of Calabashes
Kory-Kory attempts to explain the customs to the narrator, including the leaping widows and the festival's activities, but his explanations are largely incomprehensible.
XXIV
Explains the afterlife beliefs to the narrator, describing the warrior chief's journey to a Polynesian heaven.
XXVI
Determined to explain marital customs to the narrator during the Feast of Calabashes.
The Social Condition and General Character of the Typees
Seen knocking down fruit with a long pole, illustrating communal resource use.
Fishing Parties and Midnight Banquets
Awakens the narrator at midnight with the news 'pehee perni' (fish come).
Taboo and Tattooing: The Sacred and the Profane in Typee
Accompanies the narrator on a stroll and later betrays him by urging him to submit to tattooing.
XXXI
Accompanies the narrator to the stream for bathing.
XXXII
Devoted servant who refuses to show the narrator the contents of the mysterious packages and later urges him to leave the Ti during the warriors' return.
XXXIII
Thwarts the narrator's escape attempts by staying alert and placing water by his mat.
The Escape
The narrator's attendant, who carries him to the Ti and later receives a musket as a parting gift.

Chapter companion notes

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See Kory-Kory in ix