Earlier this Fall semester at my college library, I found a book called The Music of Dolphins by Karen Hesse.
The children's novel tells a story of a girl named Mila. Mila is a feral child who was raised by dolphins, until a helicopter finds and takes her to a research facility against her will. At the facility, she is taught to be human. She is looked after by different people. During her stay at the facility, she learns more than just reading, writing, and speaking English. She also learns about the downsides of being human: such as the locked doors, broken promises, disappointment, etc. During that time, Mila longs to go back to the dolphin family that had raised her and loved her for who she is.
What got to me the most in this story was Mila's fight to return home to the dolphins. However, the rules and expectations of the human world keep her "imprisoned." Mila longed for love, but all she's being served with are disappointment, broken promises, and knowing that she can't come and go as she pleases.
So, what can The Music of Dolphins teach us?
Mila experiences the hardships of being human. She sees the truth about humans. She knows that nobody is perfect. She sees that people can say things, lie, take back their promises, steal, etc. She constantly thinks back on her life with the dolphins, and sees the total opposite: the dolphins were loving and kind to her. She even had a mother figure and cousins with the dolphins. She was happy with the dolphins.
Basically, Karen Hesse shows us how we, as humans, would worry more about themselves, rather than about others.
Hesse also expresses the innocence of dolphins, and the shocking treachery of the humans. We don't really think about stuff like this in our daily lives. Here, we have Mila who just wants to break free from the rules and expectations of being the research facility's definition of "human," but she keeps getting coaxed back into their realm, wanting her to work harder in doing what they want and not what she wants.
The reason why I'm writing this editorial is because people should be allowed to express themselves and to follow their heart. Expression and dream-following are the natural rights of a person. Don't start now with the "human-likeness" BS; one can't be human without being humane. This is my insight on Hesse's book, and I hope everyone else can check out this book and have important discussions with their families and friends about what Hesse is trying to get across.
Amateur Critic
Source: The Music of Dolphins (book) (1996)
All rights go to Karen Hesse and Scholastic Press.
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