Emily Wilde's Map of the Otherlands

A key facet to Emily Wilde’s character is her preference to be alone, as she largely relies on her unique experience and scholarly intuition and is able to navigate some situations that others would shy away from. She is also socially awkward, making any attempted bonding or conversation very difficult and distracting for her. Yet, in this particular research expedition, her desire is outweighed by the necessity of relying on others not only to survive, but to make breakthroughs she wouldn’t have otherwise managed. As Rose says, “we cannot afford to be divided during this investigation. The nexus is too important” (90). Not only is the mission of academic and personal importance—Wendell would have likely died without her help—but it is Emily’s most dangerous expedition to date. As the dangers mount and the injuries begin piling up, Emily worries she’s “nearing some sort of breaking point [because her] experience with incidents this gruesome has heretofore been limited to secondhand accounts, dutifully recorded in [her] notebook” (123). To add to the difficulty of Emily’s quest, Wendell is too ill to help for the last leg of her journey. Quite literally, she is unable to succeed in her mission without the help of an entire team.