48 pages • 1 hour read
Eve L. Ewing, Illustr. Christine AlmedaMaya and the Robot
Fiction | Novel | Middle Grade | Published in 2021A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Themes
The Difficulties of Childhood Friendship
Maya and the Robot is a novel centered on childhood friendships. Very early on, Maya spends nearly an entire chapter talking about how amazing her friends are and how she is excited to see them again. However, after reuniting with her friends Jada and MJ before the first day of school, she is immediately separated from them when she learns they’ve been placed in different classes for the first time ever. The sense of instability, isolation, and loneliness that stems from this change provides the driving force for the entire novel, and Maya must learn to navigate through new, uncharted territory.
As the novel progresses, Ewing emphasizes the difficulty of childhood friendships in numerous ways. Adolescence, by nature, includes unforeseen changes and obstacles that shake one’s foundation or stability. While friendships are often extremely strong during this time period because of the proximity and structure that comes with a school setting, they are just as fragile. Due to the rapid-fire challenges and changes that affect every individual as they come of age, friendships are often unexpected casualties during an already vulnerable and emotional time.
For Maya, once she’s cut off from the normal ways she typically connects with her friends—class and recess—she becomes emotionally overwhelmed and begins to spiral into self-doubt and isolates herself from everyone. Her friends are a big part of her self-esteem and self-image. She feels safe around them and has built up a level of trust and comfort that allows her to be herself, so once they are taken away, a lot of her social confidence goes as well. She projects these feelings onto her friends and assumes that they have already moved on and aren’t interested in her anymore, and she doubts her ability to fit into their expanded friend group that now includes students from their new class.
Maya and the Robot additionally points out that another difficulty of childhood friendships is trying to interpret and understand how others are feeling based on their actions alone. Maya pulls away from her friends because she feels left out, but as it is revealed at the end of the novel, MJ and Jada interpreted her actions as a sign that she was too busy for them. Zoe Winters also fails to recognize that Maya is isolating herself because she feels overwhelmed. She reads Maya’s actions as an indication that she thinks she is too good for everyone else and responds by bullying Maya. Given that these characters are still learning how to deal with their own emotions, it is not surprising that they have difficulties interpreting the actions and feelings of other people around them. As the novel suggests, the actual solution is to talk about conflict. Once everyone has shared their feelings after the disastrous science fair, it becomes clear that Maya’s concerns were overblown—her friends still care about her and miss her as much as she misses them.
The Joys of Scientific Discovery
From the beginning of the novel, it is evident how much Maya loves science and learning. She is curious and jumps at every opportunity to learn something new or investigate a question she has about the world. Whether it's a trip to the museum, reading a new book, or poring over Christoher’s notebook while working on Ralph, learning something new is one of the things that provides Maya with consistent joy in her life. Maya’s positive attitude towards school and learning is one of the things that makes her a great role model for young readers. She never views schoolwork as something that has to be done (except the times when she would rather be working on Ralph). Instead, she does it because she enjoys it and dreams of becoming a scientist when she grows up.
This attitude towards science and learning shapes her relationship with the world around her. She doesn’t see problems as insurmountable barriers; instead, they are obstacles to be overcome, and the process of solving them is itself as enjoyable as the solution. Getting Ralph up and running is a legitimate task, especially for a fifth grade student working alone. At numerous points, she becomes stuck, and even frustrated, but she never gives up. Instead, she uses each problem as an opportunity to learn something new.
Most importantly, for Maya, science is a way of life, and it is there for her when it feels like everything else around her is falling apart. After she is separated from her friends and feels emotionally overwhelmed, she leans into her curiosity and love of science for a sense of stability and security. She focuses all her attention on fixing Ralph, and this ends up providing her with the sense of connection she is longing for—with Ralph, but also with Christopher through his notebook. However, the journey she undergoes throughout the novel is one of self-discovery as well as science. The process of fixing Ralph, and then adding to his functionality to make him even more helpful, is one that makes her realize that she is already “a real scientist” (183). In this way, her growing confidence as a scientist is essential for her regaining her self-esteem and confidence as a person and a friend.
The Ethical Use of Robots and Artificial Intelligence
Robotics in literature often involve an overt or covert discussion of ethics. Historically, fictional robots have been used to falsely imitate human beings and to carry out other nefarious activities. Robots in these stories often walk a fine line between human life and machine, suggesting the possibility of free will and thus complicating their relationship with humans. These discussions about artificial intelligence are subtly folded into Maya and the Robot in a way accessible for its young readers. Ultimately, Ralph is only used for helping others and is treated with kindness akin to a friend.
For Maya, getting Ralph working is initially about dealing with and finding a solution to her loneliness. Once Ralph is running, she comments on how he is a great friend and has modules that underscore this, like his ability to understand sadness and provide hugs. However, as the story progresses and Maya reads more of Christopher’s notebook, she begins to think about the kinds of functions Ralph should be designed for. While the novel never digs too deeply into the question of ethics, considerations like this one, and through other comments and conversations throughout the novel, Maya and the Robot makes its stance on how robots (and by extension, artificial intelligence) should and should not be used.
After reading Christopher’s notes on his “Robot Companion Goals” (103), Maya aims to ensure Christopher’s aims for Ralph are maintained. This means Ralph needs to do more than just help people—he needs to help people in need. This is a broad definition, but the examples in the novel make this clearer for the reader. For example, Ralph is used to help Maya and her mom around the house and at the grocery store. This is a welcome change for them, as Maya’s mom is incredibly busy working two jobs and taking care of her children. The added help from Ralph saves her time that she can then spend with Maya and Amir. Maya also creates a program for Ralph that allows him to translate foreign languages from around their neighborhood, which in turn opens the possibility for Mr. Mac to better help the people who come into his store. It is important to note that in both cases, while Ralph is providing help that will make people’s lives easier by doing jobs for them, it is not in a way that would replace someone else’s job or lead to further profitability for whoever employed him.
Maya and the Robot also suggests ways in which robots and artificial intelligence should not be used. The most salient example is how Maya’s parents make sure that she is not using Ralph to help her with her homework. Beyond the fact that this would be cheating in the short term, which is unethical, it would have long term consequences as well. While Ralph is certainly capable of doing a lot of the things Maya needs, if she uses this shortcut, she won't develop the skills or knowledge that she needs to become a scientist – or more broadly, an educated member of society able to contribute and help others. Thus, while it isn’t explicitly stated, the implication is that if robots and artificial intelligences like Ralph became more widespread (as they are increasingly becoming in the real world) reliance on them for human skills could have significant implications down the line in terms of both education and jobs. Maya, regardless of her parents’ assumptions, doesn’t show interest in using Ralph for any nefarious or ill-willed purpose. Protagonist Maya only wants to use Ralph for good and in ways that won’t negatively affect any one person, highlighting her positive intentions and effect on the world around her.
