The Martian

Human history is full of explorers, and we have numerous stories, based in actual history or myth, that concern exploration. These stories often present a romanticized view of exploration and what it is like to be an explorer. But there is the question of what it truly takes to be an explorer—what it feels like to be an explorer actively engaged in exploring a new world, and what exploration even is.

Astronauts are modern explorers and fit into a long tradition of human exploration. But, from the novel’s perspective, the characteristics that make a good explorer haven’t changed. Watney was recruited as a member of the Ares 3 crew partly for his temperament, according to Dr. Irene Shield, the mission psychologist: “[H]e’s particularly resourceful and a good problem-solver [...] also, he’s a good-natured man. Usually cheerful, with a great sense of humor” (89). These characteristics are partly the reason that Watney is successful in his bid to leave Mars; further, these qualities typify explorers more generally. His many learned skills are called upon, as with his botany experience and potato farming. Just as important are his more innate traits—who he is and the way he approaches the world. His temperament makes the mental, emotional, and physical work of exploration possible.

The narrative several times parallels Watney’s experience with what other explorers have gone through. To navigate the surface of Mars in the absence of landmarks, Watney first uses one of Mars’s moons, Phobos—a classic navigation technique developed thousands of years ago—and then later, a sextant. As Watney himself says, “It’s kind of silly if you think about it. I’m in my space suit on Mars and I’m navigating with sixteenth century tools. But hey, they work.” (288). One day, on his trip to Pathfinder, he realizes that there is a bizarre tedium to his current life: With everything he does, it’s the first time the act has occurred on Mars. He remarks, “I’m the first guy to drive long-distance on Mars. The first guy to spend more than thirty-one sols on Mars. The first guy to grow crops on Mars. First, first, first!” (99). But at the end of this section, he realizes, “I’m the first person to be alone on an entire planet” (99). This reminds the reader of the lonely tedium of even this groundbreaking time in the protagonist’s life, where he is truly exploring and discovering every day. Even his reference to himself as a “space pirate” places him in the history and mythology of explorers who lived on the edge of civilization.

In addition, exploration itself shows itself to be a different matter than how it is represented in history books, novels, and myths. According to The Martian, exploration is often a matter of survival. It is a matter of rationing food and planting potatoes in your own “manure.” It is scary and dangerous but also tedious and frustrating, as Watney’s travels reveal. As he makes his way across the surface of Mars, he spends a fair amount of time doing things like watching television while he waits for his solar cells to charge. As he pithily says, “Now, on to my next task: sitting around with nothing to do for twelve hours. I better get started!” (98) To face the challenges of exploration, Weir suggests, a person must have certain characteristics and, admittedly, a whole lot of luck. The Martian thus offers an alternative view to our romanticized mythologies surrounding exploration. While Watney does experience the joy of discovery, his struggles also reveal a different side to exploration, one that is by turns tedious and terrifying.