The Martian

Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 2011

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Summary

Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Chapters 1-5

Chapters 6-10

Chapters 11-14

Chapters 15-18

Chapters 19-22

Chapters 23-26

Character Analysis

Themes

Symbols & Motifs

Literary Devices

Important Quotes

Essay Topics

Book Club Questions

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Discussion Questions

Symbols & Motifs

Pop Culture

Throughout the novel, pop culture references consistently play a role in Watney’s day to day life as he utilizes the various entertainment that the rest of the crew brought along, from Lewis’s music and television to Johanssen’s Agatha Christie novels. Commander Lewis’s data sticks contain a wealth of 1970s and 1980s pop culture in the form of music and television shows, and the narrative’s references to them often provide a humorous counterpoint to the plot’s seriousness. In addition, some of the pop culture, most notably the music, underscores what is happening in the plot, as when Watney sifts through various musical choices to find his “theme song,” such as “Rocket Man” by Elton John and “Life on Mars?” by David Bowie. He finally settles on “Stayin’ Alive” by the Bee Gees. The juxtaposition of these pop culture references—particularly the television shows, many of which represent sitcom television at its most ridiculous—provide relief from the tension and the seriousness of Watney’s plight, and the references are sometimes eerily on point. Finally, there is also the constant, underlying humor, or irony, of being literally stuck on Mars with music and television that is often considered the worst pop culture we have to offer and yet strangely enduring.

Navigation

The motif of navigation winds its way through the book on both metaphorical and literal levels. In a literal sense, the ability to successfully navigate the Mars landscape is crucial to Watney’s survival, as it allows him to acquire radio contact with NASA and later make his way to the Ares 4 MAV. He uses a variety of navigation skills, especially highlighting the efficacy of methods that, while ancient, work even on another planet. Navigating by Phobos, one of Mars’s moons, is perhaps the oldest form of navigation, yet it is Watney’s navigational mainstay. When he is on his way to the Ares 4 site, he goes one step further and makes a sextant, a 16th-century navigation tool. Watney cannot use compasses because Mars does not have a magnetic field, so he resorts to ancient technology, demonstrating his typical ingenuity.

In a larger sense, navigation is a metaphorical thread that runs throughout the entire novel. Watney’s predicament is unprecedented—from his end, but also from the end of those on Earth trying to help him. These are problems that no one has had to navigate before, so entirely new solutions are necessary. They are navigating without a map, so to speak, and must rely on their logic and reasoning to find a path. This motif plays into the theme of exploration.

Earth Law on Mars

Watney routinely must apply the principles, or laws, that are assumed on Earth to a very different environment: Mars. These “laws” include basic physics, chemistry, and botany, among others. Scientific knowledge is his primary guide in solving his problem, yet it is operating in unprecedented circumstances. What may be surprising to the reader is that these principles nevertheless hold true and, to an extent, allow Watney to function as he would on earth.

In addition, Watney occasionally finds the actual legal systems and precedents of Earth to be strangely and humorously pertinent. In one instance, he receives an email from his alma mater, the University of Chicago, which informs him that technically, since he has planted and harvested crops on Mars, he has colonized it. Elsewhere, he applies maritime law, treaty law, and the concepts of international waters to space and Mars, concluding that he is a “space pirate.” By this unconventional application of Earth laws, Weir creates humor in Watney’s circumstance and provides some levity in an otherwise grave situation.