The Wild Robot Protects

An ocean voyage can symbolize a journey into the unknown, the potential for transformation, and danger, all of which apply to Roz’s trek to the mining station. For Roz, crossing the ocean represents her determination to protect her island home and the creatures she cares for. However, Roz doesn’t travel the sea by boat but, true to her desire for Protecting the Environment around her and her love of enmeshing herself in the natural world, instead walks along the seafloor, encountering many fascinating creatures and sights. The ocean presents additional obstacles and challenges Roz must overcome because of her method of travel. Navigating the dangers of the sea, including storms and predators, challenges Roz’s Survival Instincts, but it also increases her knowledge. She encounters unique ecosystems and incredible creatures, each revealing a different facet of the ocean’s vast biodiversity. For example, she meets a goby fish that can change from male to female, floats in an ethereal cloud of bioluminescent plankton, and swims with a pod of porpoises. At one point, she witnesses the phenomena known as vertical migration, watching as microscopic organisms “churned the water, spreading nutrients throughout the depths, helping keep the oceans healthy” (72).