“It was crawling with huge vessels, each making its own migration to the next seaport.”

As Brightbill and the flock of geese migrate, they see ships below, a sign of technology and human imprint on nature. The vessels are personified as if they are crawling, depicting them like living creatures. The passage thematically highlights The Intersection Between Technology and the Natural World, which continues to be a through line in the novel and Roz’s journey to stop the poison tide.

“It’s not everyday you see a robot burst up from the ground.”

It is unexpected to find a robot in nature. However, Roz the robot has made nature her home, and she fits in better there than in a big city. The image of her emerging from the ground suggests that she was born of nature instead of human creation.

“I don’t even like the ocean!”

The animals each react differently to the news of the poison tide. This animal’s reaction highlights some humans’ attitude toward a problem—if it doesn’t affect them or it’s not a cause to which they feel connected, they think it isn’t their problem to solve. The issue of the poison tide divides the animals on the island as they all form differing opinions and take different actions, breaking the unity once present in Roz’s family group.