The Aquanaut: A Graphic Novel

Sophia is the novel’s deuteragonist and a dynamic character. She is about 12 years old and has long, brown hair. She becomes the aquanaut’s closest friend and ally and helps in numerous ways. Sophia initially struggles in school and has poor grades, and her uncle Paul is too busy with work to spend much time with her. As a result, she feels lost and unable to find her footing in the world. Sophia tries to use the aquanaut in her science fair project, but it all goes wrong. Where she does succeed is in her loyalty and devotion to the aquanaut.

Sophia lost her father when he drowned at sea, and ever since, she has carried the last shell he gave her around her neck as a symbol of their eternal connection. When she sees her father’s journal, it’s like another piece of him has returned, and the diving suit that the sea creatures wear is the third. Although Sophia will never get her father back, what she does find instead is The Courage to Face Fears about her grief, and she comes to understand the importance of moving on. Sophia has felt alone for a long time, and the aquanaut is the first true and devoted friend she has known. In return for this, Sophia helps the aquanaut in any way she can, including helping the aquanaut and squid escape to the sea. She now wears Sodapop’s old can around her neck, a symbol of the family she found along the way. Throughout the novel, she undergoes personal growth—developing increased confidence, processing her grief, and finding a new sense of belonging with Paul and the aquanaut.

Paul is an important secondary character, Sophia’s uncle, and Michel’s brother. Paul and Michel were marine biologists researching together before a storm caused Michel’s death. They were working on a project to raise a giant squid in captivity, which Paul carries on in the present. Paul adopted Sophia after Michel’s death, but he rarely has time for her between juggling his research and running Aqualand. Paul is filled with guilt from multiple sources; he feels guilty for not being able to save Michel, for not spending enough time with Sophia, and for allowing Aqualand to become a tourist attraction instead of a place for marine conservation. Paul is not motivated by money, but he needs a place to raise the squid. Mr. Lula funds his research, so he allows Mr. Lula to alter the park in any way he wants to. In this way, Paul initially allows himself to compromise his morals.

When Paul finds out about the aquanaut, he is both amazed and scared for them because he knows that Mr. Lula will want to use them. Paul helps Sophia protect the aquanaut for a while until it becomes too risky to do so. After the giant squid is flushed out to sea, Paul reassesses his life’s purpose and decides to go back to research the ocean. After spending so much time focusing on Michel, Paul realizes that he needs to focus on Sophia, who is with him in the present. He thus realizes the importance of both Finding Home in Family and The Courage to Face Fears, returning to the shipwreck site where Michel died. This transformation depicts Paul’s shift from being a man shackled by guilt into one who finds the strength to embrace his role as a father figure to Sophia and continue the research he finds fulfilling. Paul’s arc from guilt and neglect to healing and fulfilling a parental role makes him a dynamic character.