April

April chooses to act as the symbol for humanity after the Carls come. Although the robots do not move from their positions, they incite fear and their metallic armor and large build make them intimidating. April and Andy decide to brand April as “humanity and weakness” (70). By taking this stance yet advocating in support of the Carls, April essentially tells the world that although they are afraid, they should trust Earth’s peaceful visitors.

Carl

At the same time that April and Andy brand April as weak, they decide that Carl will represent “power and the future and the “other”” (70). The Carls do not need to move to scare people as their large, metallic appearance and the fact that they came from outer space is enough to create fear. Green uses Carl to symbolize the way in which humans react to things or even other people...