A Rover's Story

These chapters build upon the new emotions Resilience first experienced in the previous section, developing the theme of Grief and Loss as Part of Life. From observing Rania and Xander’s concerns about the Mars mission, Resilience learns uncertainty, and in Chapters 25 and 26, his catalogue of negative emotions grows. Chapter 25 marks the first time Resilience is truly unable to find an answer. As a computer programmed to know things and seek conclusions based on the data he has, Resilience is shaken by this experience. Moreover, nothing in his data banks can make the human emotions of fear and uncertainty simply go away. He dislikes experiencing these emotions, but even more, he dislikes not knowing how to make them stop, as shown by his sorrow over not knowing what he could say to help Rania. Chapter 26 is then the first time Resilience experiences panic, an emotion that crops up again in Part 2 as his world changes. The introduction of dust devils in Chapter 21 makes Resilience question his own mortality for the first time, a concern that is compounded in Chapter 26 by the realization that many factors could result in him being left on Mars forever. Resilience experiences panic as a result, and his response to this emotion shows how emotions can run rampant if we let them. Simply telling the panic to go away doesn’t work. Resilience does not yet have the emotional tools to process such big feelings.

Music as a motif plays a large role in these chapters, calling to the unique human experience of listening to songs. Xander and Rania both have songs that are important to them, and they share these important songs with Resilience at key times. Xander listens to music when he’s frustrated, and the range of songs he plays shows how different types of music speak to a single situation and that no one kind of music has a universal emotion associated with it. Xander’s music foreshadows Rania’s music in Chapter 27. Whereas Xander’s music is something he shares with Resilience as a result of his own emotional state, Rania purposefully plays music for Resilience, showing how her character has changed in the first third of the book. She doesn’t quite view Resilience as human, but the rover has come to be more than a computer to her. She still feels strange talking to him, but now that she is better at Balancing Emotion and Logic, she has come to accept that Resilience will carry a piece of her with him to Mars. This moment shows that, for humans, emotions and logic are rarely completely separate. Whether she’s completely comfortable with it or not, Rania realizes that she is emotionally invested in Resilience’s upcoming voyage, and playing music is her way of saying “goodbye” and “thank you.”

The introduction of Fly offers Resilience a chance to exercise his developing emotions by building his own relationships. Resilience has felt emotionally connected to Xander and Rania thus far, but without the ability to communicate with either of them, the relationship has been one-sided. Resilience has also developed a relationship with Journey, but Journey’s low opinion of emotions hampered their friendship and left Resilience questioning himself. Fly, in contrast, proves open to experiencing emotions, quickly picking up on Resilience’s example—even when Resilience warns him against it. In another example of the motif of language, Resilience gives Fly a name, as Resilience now recognizes the significance of names and especially nicknames as markers of inclusion and appreciation. Past experience has taught Resilience that team members (such as Xander and Rania) are integral to The Pursuit of Knowledge; by naming Fly, Resilience establishes the drone as part of his team.

Resilience’s character arc continues to parallel a coming-of-age arc, as exemplified by the parallel narrative in Sophie’s letters. Part 1 of the novel resembles the preteen years, with Resilience often helpless and frustrated as he learns about himself and his world. Part 2 symbolizes young adulthood and the process of going out into the world, which may involve shifting relationships and new experiences, including frightening ones. Accordingly, Resilience experiences many new emotions associated with this turbulent time of life, especially in Chapters 28 through 30. This transitional period of becoming an adult, which often involves leaving home, is a process often associated with expressions like “leaving the nest” and “learning to fly.” Warga hints at these expressions by titling this part of the novel “Launch,” which more overtly refers to Resilience’s literal launch into space. During this time, Resilience heavily experiences uncertainty. He questions himself, fearing that he may not be good enough or may fail before he even begins. His thoughts about being in a box headed for unfamiliar territory are relatable because they reflect emotions anyone might feel during a transitional time, and they show that Resilience has, indeed, become attached to the lab and scientists.