Blog Journal for Station Eleven (3)

 My new community shall be called Outdoorsia. The system of government is simple, every 5 years there will be a new election, the the individual with the highest number of votes can win. Anybody with a college degree, ten or more years living in the community, and between the ages of thirty and sixty-five can run. Each president can serve a maximum of 2 terms. If a president unexpectedly passes while in office, the vice-president, who got second in the voting becomes the next president. The vice president will rule until another vote can be processed, usually taking one calendar year. The land of Outdoorsia is about how you would expect. Houses are small, and yards are big. People spend most of their time exploring Outdoorsia's vast landscape including lakes, mountains, deserts, plains, and really any environment you can think of. Outdoorsia specializes in farming, using its vast environment to grow many different kinds of crops. Most of Outdoorsia's income comes from trading crops and tourism, as people come here to lose themselves in Outdoorsia's beauty. As a result, most of Outdoorsia's citizens tend to be farmers or tour guides. Along with this, due to the extreme farming that kids help with growing up, Outdoorsia is known to produce many great athletes. The main problems that are removed from my society are crime. Outdoorsia is a welcoming community and is open to sharing its resources to others in the community. Along with this, the Outdoorsia police department is top-notch and zero tolerance. Even a crime as small as stealing can result in a hefty time and a large fine. The citizens of Outdoorsia are happy and hardworking individuals. Problems rarely arise because of the individualistic nature that people carry. However, when someone in the community is struggling, everybody comes together to help. They might not be the richest community on the planet, but they are one of the happiest. When they're not farming, citizens might be at sporting events, the pubs, or relaxing before starting the next day. The picture below depicts two of Outdoorsia's typical farmers. 

Quotes:

"Clark had thought he was meeting his oldest friend for dinner, but Arthur wasn't having dinner with a friend, Clark realized, so much as having dinner with an audience." (112)

I find this quote interesting because it shows the peak of Arthur's character development. His whole life he didn't enjoy the fame. He tried to fly under the radar, often wearing disguises when in public. He sometimes parties, but doesn't necessarily like the rockstar lifestyle. As he grows in fame, he starts to absorb the attention. He starts throwing lavish dinner parties, which is merely an attempt to cover up an affair. He throws away all his past relationships as be becomes self-absorbed. Rather than doing what's best for others, he only focuses on himself. Arthur became the type of person he used to hate, and he let the fame get to him. 

"Hell is the absence of the people you long for." (144)

I found this quote interesting because it shows Kirsten's relationship with people. In the wake of them being left behind by the caravan, Kirsten has never felt more lonely. It's only she and August to survive on their own, rather than a community to help support them. This raises the importance of community in this futuristic world, though I think it can reflect onto our own lives as well. When you have people around you supporting you, life is easier and more interesting. However, if you are left alone, even simple tasks in life can seem daunting. It's important to rely on others in life, as it can help you grow as an individual. In the absence of her community, Kirsten feels like she is in a living hell. She only has August to back her, and she worries about the people who took her in. I also think this quote is important because it resonated with me even after I read it. Rather than Kirsten thinking about this concept, I feel like the is the author directly relating this to the readers. I think that the author is focusing on the idea of having others around you to support you as the main idea in this novel, and this quote certainly supports that idea. 

Discussion Questions:

1. The main insight that we get about Arthur is how his first marriage came to be, and also how it ended. Miranda was much younger than him, but they still fell in love with each other. They had a lot in common because they were both artistically minded while coming from the same island. It was originally his mom's idea to reach out to her. It wasn't until years later that they found their love for each other and got married. This is when Miranda started really working on the comic book that has been referenced a few times in the novel. However, at a dinner party, Miranda spots Arthur and another woman, Elizabeth, clearly bonding a little too much. She figures out that Arthur is having an affair, and decides to get a divorce. Elizabeth and Arthur later get married and divorced, and also have a kid. Arthur's best friend is a man named Clark who was an aspiring actor before taking up a job as a psychologist. We also learn about Arthur's personality, as he was a big partier earlier on in his fame. He got with many women whom he thought he would like, but he could never find the one that was right for him. He attended many parties, though he enjoyed it less and less as time went on. He starred in many big movies, and frequently traveled around to new gigs. We also learn that he originally wasn't going to be an actor until he realized that he wasn't cut out to major in economics. He took acting classes instead and worked on the side to support his dream. 

2. The main things that appear in both worlds are the comics, trucks (though they don't work in the future),  instruments, Shakespearean plays, the importance of clothing, and certain people such as Kirsten. The book Station Eleven represents tranquillity for Miranda. It's a place where she can take out all the bad parts of her life while keeping all of the worthwhile parts. She brings in important parts such as her dog and certain people, but keeps out things that tear her life apart. For Miranda the book isn't a work of art, it's simply a journal into her life. I think the main reason why Kirsten finds meaning in the novel is because it connects her to her past life. The comic, which was a gift from Arthur, was one of the only things she carried from her old life. Along with this, she remembers many of the morals that the book taught her even though she doesn't have it anymore. I think the main intriguing parallel that I saw was the dogs name. In the comic, the dog's name is Luli, to reflect Miranda's dog. The prophet also has a dog named Luli which is interesting because it's not a common name. Character-wise, I feel like Miranda depicts herself and Doctor Eleven. She uses this alternative universe to give herself power and feel accomplished. I think that Kirsten also thinks of herself as Doctor Eleven, as she is willing to do whatever it takes to survive. 

3. I think that there is irony in Kirsten's belief. Right after it's made clear that Kirsten has committed acts of violence to survive in the altered world, strange things start happening around them. One night while on night watch, Sayid and Dieter go missing, like they completely vanished. The only trace of them was a faint yelp that Kirsten and August heard. After looking, they couldn't find them and continued on toward their destination like protocol calls for. The next day while hunting another member of the Symphony goes missing, though they found a note in her bag. The note isn't dated properly, but it's possible that the person just made a mistake. They can't wait any longer in fear for their lives, so they keep moving. The next day, Kirsten and August go off to fish and when they return to the caravan, it's simply gone. It was horrible weather, so the only reason why they would have left was if they were in danger. Due to the rain, there were no tracks, so they couldn't tell where anyone went. They keep walking towards their destination, but they have no visual of the others. Once again, it's like they vanished out of thin air. Before all of this, a young girl from St. Deborah on the Water snuck into their caravan, so maybe she has something to do with it. Nevertheless, it feels like there is some form of foul play going on.