Ralph symbolizes the spirit of Christopher and his desire to help people in need. When Maya discovers him in Mr. Mac’s storage closet, Ralph fulfills needs that they both have: Maya needs a friend and a way to build her confidence, and Mr. Mac needs to reconnect with the memory of his lost son. As Maya works on restoring Ralph, she feels less alone because she recognizes herself in Christopher through his notes. Once Ralph is up and running, she also has Ralph as a companion. The process of working on him also allows her to flex her scientific muscles and boosts her confidence immensely. Mr. Mac observes this entire process and sees a lot of Christopher in Maya. This, in combination with the fact that seeing Ralph up and running again is an undeniable demonstration of his son’s ingenuity and kindness, makes Mr. Mac realize that the spirit of his son is still with everyone and reconnects him with memories he had previously been trying to repress because they were too painful.

Additionally, Ralph is designed to help people and does so all throughout the story. He helps Maya and her mom complete chores around the house and shop for groceries, he helps Mr.