The Music Of Dolphins

Justin is Dr. Beck’s son, who lives at the research house with Mila and the others. Justin is initially fearful of Mila, not wanting to go near her or talk to her when she interacts with him. Still, Mila finds Justin to be “made very pretty” (26). Mila notices him arguing with his mother at times and hears from Dr. Beck that it was Justin’s idea for Mila to have a window facing the river at the new house. These gestures signal that Justin cares about Mila from afar. Even so, it takes time for him to gather the courage to approach her directly. Slowly, they become friends, and Justin takes Mila to a hill called “The Hump,” where a person can put their ear to the ground and hear what sounds like roaring ocean waves. This represents yet another effort on Justin’s part to help Mila feel closer to home. These empathetic acts are what connect Mila with Justin, as Mila can sense that Justin cares about her more than many of the other humans do. He does not seem to judge or look down on her for giving the “wrong answers”: Rather, he accepts her just as she is.

Mila remarks that Justin would “make a very good dolphin,” and he responds that she would “make a very good human” (162). This brief conversation illuminates the way that the two of them connect but also illustrates the divide that will always exist between them. During an important conversation, Justin tells Mila that Dr. Beck hopes to learn to communicate with dolphins and considers Mila to be her “pet.” He alerts Mila to the fact that she has the power to stand up to Dr. Beck—and that is just what Mila does. When Mila is finally allowed to return to her dolphin family, Justin is the one to give her back to her home: “Justin comes to me. He makes his arms around me. I close my eyes. It is so good. I am glad in the end to know the arms of Justin. Justin says, I will give you back to the water” (178). Justin stands for the good side of What It Means to Be Human, and he is the one thing that makes Mila wish to join them.

Dr. Beck is the lead researcher who oversees the work with Mila and Shay. She is directly involved in their daily lessons but is much less empathetic and far more clinical than her assistant, Sandy. Dr. Beck’s goal is to learn to communicate with dolphins, and she hopes that Mila can be the one to teach her. Justin does not hold his mother in high regard and warns Mila that Dr. Beck’s intentions are less than altruistic: “It’s hard for her when she’s not in control. She can’t control me. She can control you. That’s why you’re her little darling right now. Why you’re her pet” (132).

Dr. Beck is first introduced when the newspaper article in the Preface outlines her intentions for Mila: “Beck has designed a unique facility at the Charles River campus to stimulate a ‘human’ response in these children” (5). She hopes that by making Mila “more human,” Mila will acquire the language and understanding to teach her (Dr. Beck) what she knows. Dr. Beck is cruel in her punishments toward Mila, taking away her whale recording and eventually locking her in her room. Mila has no privacy at the house, and her room’s door has a window in it so she can be observed at all times. When Mila protests by refusing to eat or work, Dr. Beck starts to realize that she has done something wrong. Dr. Beck fears being imprisoned if she releases Mila and is thus reluctant to do so until the most desperate of moments, when Mila is quickly dying. Even then, she tries to fool Mila by taking her to visit a different ocean. Finally, Dr. Beck relents and lets Mila go, but only with her son’s help.

Sandy is the assistant who works at the research facility. She spends the most time with Mila and is far more empathetic toward Mila’s character and desires than Dr. Beck. Sandy does not have any selfish goals; she is just there to help and support Mila. She is always trying to give Mila things that will remind her of the sea and make her happy, but often these gifts just bring Mila sorrow. Sandy gives Mila a dead fish, but Mila is used to eating live fish; she gives Mila a whale song, but Mila’s hopes are dashed when she realizes it is just a recording. Sandy detests giving Mila unwelcome news and becomes emotional when Mila lashes out, such as when she hits the television believing that Sandy and Dr. Beck are trapped inside. Sandy also teaches Mila a great deal about what it means to be human outside of intellectual achievements, like learning to speak and write in English. Specifically, she teaches Mila about the concepts of territory and property, about the government and their ownership of Mila, and about the importance of family in human life. Though many of these discoveries are unwelcome, they nevertheless position Mila to better understand her position and desires. Sandy herself is affectionate and loving, often stroking Mila’s hair and lulling her to sleep. She does not lie to Mila and eventually insists that Dr. Beck release Mila back into the ocean. Sandy is present during this event, and Mila always remembers her: “I remember the sound of traffic, and the taste of sweet cake, and the smell of Sandy“ (180). Sandy is a source of comfort and the closest thing to a mother that Mila has during her time with humans.

Shay is a child who, like Mila, was found in a feral state. She is also classified as government property and treated as an object of research, but unlike Mila, she is either unwilling or unable to participate in training and to connect with other humans. Shay’s issues stem from the fact that her mother kept her locked in a dark room for the first part of her life; she had no human contact until coming to the research facility. Unlike Mila, who spent a couple of years living a happy life with a human family and who was then was raised by a loving dolphin family, Shay has no family to speak of and no experiences of connection at all. She speaks only single words, and Mila notices that she hops around rather than walks. Shay is much younger than Mila, but her exact age is never given; she is likely between three and five years old.

When Mila first meets Shay, Shay does not speak. Mila takes her hand and understands her regardless: “I am looking in the face of Shay. Shay is not showing. Shay is not saying. But I am hearing Shay with no words” (18). Mila can sense in Shay a similar distance from the rest of humanity. Mila starts to take care of Shay, sleeping by her when Shay seems upset and making her laugh with dolphin sounds. Mila is the only person who can make Shay laugh, sing, or dance. When Mila plays her recorder, Shay often joins in, singing her own unique song. Shay does not seem to understand music the same way Mila does, nor does Shay connect with it on an emotional level. Initially, Mila is understanding of these limitations. As time goes on, though, they start to irritate Mila. This causes her to realize that she has become more human than she knew, dismissing and judging someone who is different from herself. Even so, when Shay breaks Mila’s recorder, it signifies Mila’s impending break with the human world.

Shay does not make much “progress” while living at the research facility and is eventually sent to a group home, discarded in the way that Mila fears she will be if she remains with the humans.