FYE: The Martian

Predictability as a Survival Instinct

Unlike other castaways, Mark can approximately predict the timing of his potential rescue. How does that knowledge help him? How could it work against him?

While reading “The Martian” by Andy Weir it was noticeable that the amount of time for Mark was never a given, anything could happen. Mark, in the beginning of chapter 3, mention “I need to create calories. And I need enough to last the 1387 sols until Ares 4 arrives” (Weir 18). So basically, he must be resourceful to stay alive for the next 1425 days before Ares 4 arrives. With Mark knowing the number of days until there is a possibility of being rescued, it makes it easier for him to ration out the amount of food and water that he is going to need to survive. In chapter 2 he mentions that for him to survive and not die of starvation from low caloric intake he is going to have to plant and grow his own potatoes (Weir 12). By counting down the days until Ares 4 it gives him motivation and hope to want to live. He mentioned in the beginning of chapter 2 that there was enough morphine that it could become a lethal dose (Weir 10). I think that is where the downside to knowing the time comes into play, he isn’t just living day by day but instead he is slightly starving himself each day by thinking he is going to make it through the 1425 days until rescue. The whole point of him mentioning the dose of morphine was being he wasn’t going to starve to death, due to the lack of food or water needed to keep him alive. Another quote that shows that the knowledge of time is working against him would be when he mentioned, “I think I can eat a ¾ portion per meal and still be alright. That should turn my 300 days into 400” (Weir 10). Which in the end he could just be causing himself to suffer more in hopes of rescue, when all he was going off of was an estimated date of arrival for Ares whom may not even be coming.

Work Cited

Weir, Andy. The Martian. Crown: NYC, 2014.