Station Eleven Essay

Station Eleven, written by Emily St John Mandel is a novel that explores the lives of people before and after a pandemic wiped out ninety-nine per cent of the world’s population. Mirroring themes in Shakespeare’s plays, pandemics of the past and the responses by governments, Mandel shows how “survival is insufficient” and that what was best about the world usually needs to be maintained. She can explore the complexity of this notion however by creating characters who consider what is “best” in very different ways. This is signified by a continuous discussion throughout the novel of what art is, and why it has maintained its value in the post-collapse world. Faith and religion play a large role in the survival and prosperity of many characters such as Tyler Leander (later the Prophet) and August (a member of the Traveling Symphony). Relationships are also shown to have great importance in supporting the theme of beauty, what was best and the insufficiency of plain survival. An appreciation of beauty for the lives of a collapsed society is displayed as a core part of their existence. This is evident throughout many aspects of the text such as the Traveling Symphony, Clark’s Museum of Civilisation and the Dr Eleven comics. Beauty plays an extremely large role in the lives of those involved in the Traveling Symphony, in particular, Kirsten. Shakespeare is considered art. There are many connections to his plays after the pandemic. The Traveling Symphony performing A Midsummer Night’s Dream is proof of people wanting “what was best about the world” as Shakespeare is considered the best English playwright. Kirsten reflects that there “is still such beauty” after the collapse and that endured the horrors of the Georgia Flu. Mandel uses symbols such as Kirsten’s glass paperweight, with a storm cloud on the inside and nature to represent Kirsten’s deep-seated need for beautiful things in her life. The storm cloud within something beautiful is representative of the pandemic and collapse, that within all the beauty that was left behind, there remains a storm of an anarchic society, Kirsten’s “damaged home”, full of disconnect and death. The idea of best and how that connects to beauty and art tie into the Traveling Symphony’s motto “because survival is insufficient”. Although the definition of art is debated throughout the novel, Shakespeare and Beethoven are recognised as artists. Carrying around the paperweight is a way for Kirsten to feel connected to her past, and what was “best” about it. Shakespeare and the paperweight represent beauty and art, something many characters consider to be best about the world as they brought humanity to life rather than just dwindling its beauty. Religion, a core part of humanity and millions of people’s lives has many roles throughout the text and is perceived in a myriad of ways, causing both peace and terror. The Prophet frequently relies on religion to “justify” his actions. He refers to the Bible calling the Georgia flu “our flood”. Religion and faith for August on the other hand is what, to outsiders, is used for good. Mandel portrays a constant battle between morality and immorality and its connection to fate. The way religion and faith are portrayed with Tyler contradicts Dieter’s idea of people wanting “what was best about the world”. Although Tyler views his actions in accordance with the teachings of the bible, in particular the Genesis flood, it is almost entirely the opposite of what was best about religion in the old world. Religion is explored as a negative aspect of the pre-collapse world in many aspects of the novel. There is a dichotomous relationship between the portrayal of religion and the portrayal of art and relationships, or what was best about the world. Throughout her novel, Mandel suggests that relationships are a way to escape the limitations of simply surviving, living without truly living. Clark’s feeling of “sleepwalking” through his life is dramatically changed when the pandemic hits. Clark is struck by an overwhelming urge to connect to people, at Severn City Airport he reconnects with Elizabeth Colton, proof of a need to connect to the past as a way to feel that the world is still moving, and can still go forward. This strongly reflects the idea of “hell [being] the absence of the people [people] long for.”. A desideratum for relationships is symbolised by the Travelling Symphony, and although the group is dedicated to keeping art alive, it also serves the purpose of establishing relationships. Though Francois comes to the realisation that “everyone dies” in the Travelling Symphony, it is that everyone is together and that no matter what if they follow the plan, they always end up together. Conversely, Miranda Carroll lives alone, even when married to Arthur Leander. She does not fit into his world, after her and Arthur separate she is glad to be out of the spotlight and for no one to “[know] who she is”, and she is once again alone. Miranda seems destined for a life and death of solitude, but she is not shown to be upset by this, as she dies she “tried to forget the sweetness of life on Earth.” and she did not “repent” anything. Miranda was content with her world art, in creating Dr Eleven and dying thinking of it, once again showing the weight of art in people’s lives. Relationships end due to death of humanity and the death of technology throughout the novel, but it is shown that the ones that remain are what is best for people, what was best about the old world and what is best about the new world. Station Eleven captures art, memory, religion, survival and relationships in bubbles. Showing how over time they expand and contract in their presence in peoples’ lives, but never shrinking in importance. The dichotomy between what survived and what did not shows what people value the most in a post-collapse world and these things are not black and white, right and wrong, but the fuzzy grey areas of life and humanity, art, religion and relationships. Proving that it is true, “survival is insufficient”.