NOTE: No class on Tuesday, since I unexpectedly have to be out of town. We'll meet back on Thursday, so more time to read and/or catch up with the reading!
Answer TWO of
the following questions, again in short paragraph each (a few sentences):
Q1: Despite
being on the cutting edge of science (he’s on Mars, after all), how does
survival often force Watney to use very low tech or even primitive methods? Why
might it be difficult for a robot or a rover to duplicate these techniques?
Q2: Where else
in these chapters do we realize that being the only person on a planet is not
merely a matter of physical, but mental, survival? What does Watney need to stay
sane and functional as a human being? How aware is NASA of these requirements?
Q3: Do you think
Watney’s response to his sudden celebrity and the involvement of NASA in his
day-to-day existence is realistic? If not, why do you think Weir portrayed him
in this manner? But if so, does this say more about his personality as an
astronaut, or his personality as someone who has been stranded on the most
desolate place in human imagination? Try to focus on a specific scene in your
response.
Q4: These
chapters complicate the narrative of The
Martian, going backwards to the entire Ares 3 mission, as well as reports
from the various labs where the HAB was being fabricated. Why do we get these
new perspectives in the story? How do they change what we see and/or how we experience
it? Do they change the story substantially for you?
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