Ross Tisdell - Watney and His Psychological Victory

In a situation where Mark was completely isolated from civilization, he had to rely on anything possible to keep his mental psyche intact and remain hopeful for help to arrive. Considering the amount of time he spent on Mars, his internal dialogue was vital to controlling his emotions and incentivizing his survival. His logs that he created also were a way to cope with his emotions, as well as helping him identify what he was feeling at the time. With emotional stability, one can consistently become confused, making it hard for them to be able to identify situations, as well as their own feelings. 

One of my favorite lines from the novel depicts a change of scene from a serious situation, to a sudden reality shift to Mark’s log and how he actually is thinking:

“He’s stuck out there. He thinks he’s totally alone and that we all gave up on him. What kind of effect does that have on a man’s psychology?” He turned back to Venkat. “I wonder what he’s thinking right now.”

LOG ENTRY: SOL 61 How come Aquaman can control whales? They’re mammals! Makes no sense” (Weir, p.63-64).

These brief moments we see into Mark help verify that he is not succumbing to emotional instability and fighting off any thoughts and anxieties of death. In comparison to botany, without his sense of humor keeping his anxieties at bay, there is no way he would have been able to stay sane. The ability for Mark to keep his emotions intact, in unison with his ability to problem solve and create food for himself, shows a level of motivation and blind hope that is normally unseen in individuals. The time between being initially stranded to his ultimate rescue is a testament to his ability to analyze his situations calmly, using his personal attributes and sense of humor to survive.

Works Cited

Weir, Andy author. The Martian : a Novel. New York :Crown Publishers, 2014. Print.