A breach in the hab causes Mark’s potato plants to die.

China determines to help the US by giving them their own probe to use.

NASA’s Iris probe crashes in the ocean after liftoff.

Mark communicates with Earth through a complicated system which later improves.

They decide not to tell the crew of the Hermes that Watney lived.

NASA scrambles to tell the public Watney is still alive.

With these devices, he’s able to reestablish contact with Earth.

He takes a trip in a rover to pick up the Pathfinder probe and Sojourner rover.

Mark starts crowing crops inside the Hab.

He fixes his injuries and analyzes his situation,.

Mark is stranded on Mars after a storm.

He figures out a way to grow potatoes only to have his crops destroyed when the Hab explodes. For example, when he first comes to realize the desperate nature of his situation and puts his botany expertise to work. Throughout the book, Watney is continually trying to offset the effects of living on Mars. It’s the only antagonist this novel has, and it’s an admirable one.

Nature is the force against which Watney is continually contending. Without the threat of Mars and the vacuum of space, there would be little plot in this novel. No matter what goes wrong, he does his best to overcome it. But, it’s Mark’s attitude towards his situation that makes it survivable. Throughout the novel, all the characters show some degree of perseverance. Watney’s perseverance, as well as that demonstrated by the men and women working to save him on Earth (not to mention the crew of the Hermes), is impressive. When he finally makes contact with Earth, he breaks down, knowing he’s going to get help but that he’s also going to be able to relay messages to his family. He makes logs throughout his time on Mars, using these diary entries as a way of talking to someone. Not only is he without the assistance of other people for most of the novel, but he’s also without their company. Mark’s isolation is a threat to his survival. They are:ĭespite the prevalence of these three themes, there are many others, such as teamwork and science, that are important parts of the novel. Below, readers can explore three of the most important themes in The Martian.

The martian by andy weir