Blog Deep Dive into Station Eleven (4)

 Quotes:

"Days slipped past and the news went on and on until it began to seem abstract, a horror movie that wouldn't end. The newscasters had a numb, flattened way of speaking. They sometimes wept." (176)

I found this quote interesting because it shows how people tried to keep the world spinning despite the harshness around them. The world was coming to an end, but newscasters still risked their lives to give people the information they needed. They kept the people updated on the status of the world, all while knowing that the future was dark. The reality of the world also got to them too. We often associate newscasters as monotone and emotionless people, dedicated to spreading information to people. In this instance, they finally broke down, seeing the severity of the world. I found this interesting because I think it shows how important newscasters are, despite their being overlooked in society. In the novel, they risked their lives to come to work and spread information about the flu. They tried to hold composure, though they knew the gruesome aftermath of the plague. 

"When he woke up later in the morning, there was an instant when he didn't know where he was. He had never in his life been so cold." (191)

I found this quote interesting because it shows the duality of decisions that Jeevan had to make. He easily could have stayed in that apartment and died, accepting his fate in the warmth and comfort of the home. Instead, Jeevan decided to venture out, with no destination in mind. Rather than accepting death, Jeevan decided to fight to live. In this case, it meant adventuring out into the cold while undersupplied and trying to find somewhere that he could stay. Even though he didn't know where he would end up, he attempted to persevere instead of giving up. I also found this quote interesting because I feel like the last sentence has a second meaning. Jeevan spent the last few years of his life going through a career change because he didn't feel happy. Yet, the point that he felt cold was when he was alone and struggling to survive. I think that this quote shows that Jeevan is sick of losing the people around him, which might be a clue as to why he became a paramedic. 

Utopia Project:

I'm kind of pivoting from my original idea, but I think it would be fun to write about a future where an asteroid hits the Earth, wiping out a large population of the Earth and causing an ice age. I think the main characters should be teenagers, who have come together to support themselves and their families. They live in a community they created in the snow and use surviving animals to help complete daily tasks. Everyone has a role, and without group effort, survival would be difficult. Life is hard but peaceful. The world is cold and quiet, with small groups like the one I created scattered throughout the world. It'll be hundreds of years before the planet warms again, but survival is possible. The main character, who resembles me, is thrust into a leadership role in his community and must help lead his people to survival. 

Discussion Questions:

1. I think the main thing that he realizes is the importance of meeting other people. In his world, everyone is fighting for their lives, and it certainly would be easier if they did it together. Also, having someone to spend time with makes tasks easier, and can help pass time through conversation. In a matter of days, the concept of human connectedness faults because of the disease. People felt stranded, and couldn't communicate with others, stressing the importance of human interaction. I also think that Jeevan realizes that everyone has their time to die. Immortality is a big theme in that section, but nobody gets immortal. I think he uses this ideology to cope with Frank's death, along with the death of the people around him. 

2. I think that memory is also a source of destruction and hatred. I feel like the characters in the novel have lasting memories that haunt them. For example, even eleven years later, Miranda still remembers the moment when she figured out Arthur was having an affair. Along with this, Kirsten keeps mentioning this tattoo she had, which symbolizes her killing someone. In this novel, memories help bring the characters together, but it also creates gaps in relationships and holes in stories. I think the same could be said for our own lives, which is what Mandel is getting at. I think it's much more normal for people to dwell on the negative moments in their lives than to remember the good details. Personally, I remember some of the worst moments of my life much stronger than when I was my happiest. I think that Mandel is saying that people shouldn't focus as much on the negative moments in life. We are lucky to be alive and have the high-functioning society we live in, so we should cherish it. In the case of the novel, these people don't have what we do, so we should be grateful and think about all the positives in our lives. 

3. I think that airplanes are a novelty to the people in the novel. Without most technology working, the places have since been grounded. Stories have to be told about how those massive objects once flew in the sky, which doesn't make sense to the people born after the flu. I think it helps show how advanced humans have become, especially in the last 100 years. We went from severely underdeveloped cars that could barely travel 20mph to having aircrafts that could travel at 500mph while also carrying hundreds of people. Along with this, I think that airplanes also represent the downfall of human civilization in this case. The disease first started to spread because of a plane, which was full of infected people upon landing. Along with this, the prophet marks his outcasts with a plane symbol, showing the almost cult-ish ideology surrounding planes. In the end, planes represent both curiosidespairdispair depending on the viewpoint that is used to look at them.