The Wild Robot Protects

All three books in the Wild Robot series highlight the importance of respecting and preserving the natural world. Through the character of Roz, a robot living on a remote island, the novel explores humans’ impact on the environment and the need for coexistence with all living creatures. In The Wild Robot Protects, this environmentalist message is made uniquely accessible for young readers while maintaining complexity. The humans in the story are in a difficult position that they cannot see a way out of, and the author clearly depicts the disparity between what is ideal and what is actuality for many adults incapable of interference in a much larger, authoritative and hierarchical system. Instead of shying away from the complicated reality of many human faults, the story honestly depicts Akiko’s lack of authority and need to follow orders to maintain her paycheck and her career. Roz, as the protagonist through which this dilemma is examined, is a charismatic, empathetic character who embodies a lot of human traits while still being removed from humanity. This removal helps to address the complexity of human faults from a distance and with clarity—the environment being at risk is of the utmost importance and should be nurtured instead of harmed.

The story specifically addresses the impact of human activities and technological advancements on the environment. Through Roz’s encounters with humans and their machines, the book raises awareness about the consequences of pollution and destructive technology—just because humans can create state-of-the-art deep-sea mining stations and highly skilled, powerful robots doesn’t mean they should. Even Roz, a technologically advanced robot, is in awe of the engineering capabilities of the mining station. Still, for all its impressive features, it’s spewing toxic dust into the water, destroying the ocean ecosystems and coastlines for thousands of miles. The narrative describes her expectation, noting that “[p]erhaps the humans were unaware of the damage they were doing. Perhaps they would shut everything down once they learned about the problem” (166). When Roz confronts the humans in charge of the station, she reprimands them for not taking more responsibility and investigating what harmful by-products the operation might produce. When they evade taking responsibility, she says, “Can you believe I have to convince humans why their own environment is important?” (187) Even after the animals dismantle the station, Roz learns she must still defeat the mining operation’s powerful robot, Crusher. Programmed to work until the humans in charge many miles away tell it to stop, Crusher continues digging and polluting the water. The novel highlights the importance of humans taking responsibility for technology and recognizing its potential environmental impact.

Roz’s morality about the importance of protecting the environment originates in her personal experiences and connections on her island. Roz’s island is a microcosm of the larger natural world, and she has learned to adapt to her surroundings and become more attuned to the island’s rhythms, the changing seasons, and the habits of animals. The poison tide’s arrival disrupts the delicate balance of the island’s ecosystem, creating chaos in their community of creatures, inciting division, and sparking anxiety about the future. As the text describes, “[t]he island had always seemed like a paradise, but now it seemed more like a prison” (63). The threat is so severe that Roz chooses to put herself in harm’s way to find help and protect her home and family. Because Roz sees firsthand the effects of the poison tide, it is clear to Roz the issue must be solved and that it is not reasonable for these environmental sacrifices to be made for the sake of technology.  

On her journey to stop Crusher and the humans responsible, Roz witnesses the beauty of biodiversity, and her interactions with various animal species underscore the interconnectedness of all living beings. Creatures die from poisoned water and lack of food as fish and animals evacuate their habitats for safer waters. Her empathy for preserving nature expands beyond her island, and she commits to each animal she meets that she will solve the problem of the poison tide. Though Roz isn’t affected by the pollution, she recognizes the need for everyone to be invested in protecting the natural world. The novel thus underscores the importance of seeing the ripple effect of environmental disasters and the responsibility of everyone to preserve the planet for the next generation.