The call to adventure is the event in someone’s life when they are first informed that everything is going to change. In the Martian This occurs during a Mars mission abort caused by a dust storm, astronaut Mark Watney is slammed by debris from a communication satellite. Mark records his daily activities in a computerized log, the following is a part of the entry recorded on sol (Sols are Martian mission days) three, he says “Then one of those long thin antennae slammed into me end-first” (4). The debris causes Mark to fly out into the blinding dust storm. His escaping crewmates lose sight of him and they blast off into outer space and leave Mark, assuming he died in the collision. Mark is severely injured from this piece of antennae and is knocked out by his pain. The call to adventure is represented by the sound of his oxygen alarm. “A steady, obnoxious beeping that eventually roused me from a deep and profound desire to just ******* die” (4).
Mark’s whole life changed the second he was hit by the satellite; he is stranded on a planet completely alone with nothing but his wit and his will to survive. The oxygen alarm’s beeping wakes him up and brings him into his new, lonely, reality. After sealing his injury and repressuring his suit, Watney makes his way to the Hab, which is where the astronauts lived during their Mars mission. The next step in his journey is the refusal of the call. Refusal of the call is when the character refuses to take on the quest, this is not always a conscious decision. In Mark’s case, this step comes when he believes he has no way of returning to Earth and trying to survive is useless because his death is inevitable.
On sol 7 Mark talks about the things preventing him from surviving. “But if I could find a way to communicate, I might be able to get rescue” (11). Watney’s largest problem is the loss of communication with NASA. The lack of communication prevents Mark from telling NASA he is still alive, which means NASA won’t think to attempt a rescue operation with him. A more immediate problem for Mark is the limited amount of food he has, establishing communication won’t mean anything if he starves to death soon after. “Of course, I don’t have any plan for surviving four years on one year of food” (11). The next Mars mission (Ares 4) is set to arrive in four years, Mark must find a way to stretch his food rations from one year to four.
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This seems impossible to do because rationing would still make food his prevailing reason for not being able to progress. However, Mark Watney is not the type of person to give up which leads him into his next step, supernatural aid. Anything or anyone that helps the hero is their supernatural aid. Mark is stranded on a planet by himself, if anyone is going to be his supernatural aid it’s going to be himself. On sol ten he wakes up determined to set up communication and save himself, “Well, I’ve done three EVAs and haven’t found any hint of the communication dish” (11). An EVA (Extra-Vehicular Activity) most commonly refers to made outside a craft orbiting Earth, in Mark’s case it is any activity that is performed outside of the Hab. Performing three EVAs is very hard work, this shows Mark’s dedication to establishing communication. In the same entry, Mark talks about the lengths he went to in an attempt to find the communications dish.
“I dug out one of the rovers and had a good drive around, but after days of wandering, I think it’s time to give up” (11). Digging up a rover from the remains of a dust storm is not easy work, and definitely takes lots of physical activity. Mark has been searching for days, nobody is around to make him get up and search, only himself which makes Mark his own mentor. Once Mark decides to take on this daunting challenge, he starts to enter unknown territory and crosses into the first threshold. The crossing of the first threshold is the point in which the hero moves into unknown territory. In order to survive, Mark must cross the first threshold and find a way of producing more food; no one has ever produced food on Mars before.
Fortunately, Mark is a botanist. The following is a log entered on sol fourteen: “Within a week, the Martian soil will be ready for plants to germinate in” (14). No person has ever created fertile soil on Mars, this is the point when Mark leaves the known limits of his normal life. Due to Mark’s background in botany, he can produce fertile soil which can yield crops. Crossing the first threshold means venturing into dangerous territory, this means risks need to be taken. Once Mark commits to the challenge of taming Mars, he has to take risks to survive. Within log entry sol thirty Mark writes, “I have an idiotically dangerous plan for getting the water I need” (24). To maintain his crops, Mark needs water.
However, he doesn’t have enough water to keep them stable, so Mark resorts to creating his own, which is very dangerous. Mark has never crafted his own water before, this is all unknown to him. This idea turns out to blow him up but eventually works. The next step in Mark’s ordeal is the belly of the whale. The belly of the whale is the point of final separation from the hero’s normal life. For Mark, his belly of the whale part of the journey was when he almost blew up the Hab. In Mark’s grand plan to produce water for his crops, he overlooks a detail nearly resulting in his death. In log entry sol thirty-seven Mark writes, “But it never occurred to me that some of the hydrogen just wouldn’t burn” (36). Mark’s scheme for creating water overlooked the possibility of hydrogen and the fact that some wouldn’t burn. When hydrogen is sparked by electricity it creates a very tiny burst of energy.
In Mark’s case, the hydrogen wasn’t accounted for resulting in it being built up into a massive quantity. The buildup of this hydrogen means one tiny electrical spark can make a huge explosion as opposed to a tiny spark. In the same entry, Mark gives readers of his time remaining for creating a way to get rid of the excess hydrogen. “I can stay for a day or two, tops, before the CO2 filters from the rover and my spacesuit fill up” (37). This is Mark’s most dangerous task yet, he has two days to get rid of a hydrogen bomb. This represents his final separation into his journey from his normal world, he accepts potential for a new world and self. All he has to do is defuse his own house. On Mark’s quest, his next step is the road of trials. The road of trials is a series of tasks that the hero must endure to begin their transformation. Most of Watney’s quest to survive is the road of trials.
After defusing the Hab, and setting up the potato farm, Mark immediately starts work on communication and a way to reach the Ares 4 mission site, these are all big journeys he has to take with the rover. To establish communication with NASA Mark must drive to Pathfinder, a Martian rover that lost contact with Earth in 1997. In log entry sol sixty-three Mark writes: “Step one is to loot Rover 1’s battery and install it in Rover 2” (67). Mark’s first big problem with the trip to Pathfinder and later on Ares 4, is heat and the amount of power it consumes. If he turns the heater on it will eat up half his battery life, he solves the power half of the problem by taking the battery from rover one and putting it in rover two. But he cannot go long term without freezing to death. In log entry sol sixty-eight Mark records his findings, “I’m going to use the RTG. The RTG (radioisotope thermoelectric generator) is a big box of plutonium” (73).
Mark’s solution to the heat part of the problem is to plop a big box of plutonium in his rover. This, of course, is very dangerous but is necessary to reach his ultimate goal. By using the two batteries and the RTG this solution solved one of Mark’s biggest problems. The rover runs Mark performs are dubbed the Sirius missions. Sirius one and two were failures, but from these failures came solutions and fixes which eventually led to him reaching the Ares 4 site. The next step in Mark’s journey is the meeting with the goddess. The meeting with the goddess is when the hero experiences an all-powerful love. This occurs when Mark finally establishes communication with NASA. In this log entry on sol ninety-seven Mark writes, “I spent three months as the loneliest man in history and it’s finally over” (115).
After living in solitary for so long, NASA represents the all-powerful love that Mark experiences. He finally has someone to talk to and he shows much more emotion than conveyed in his previous entries. In the same entry, readers find out how much emotion Mark actually felt about being alone. “When I got back to the Hab and took off my EVA suit, I sat down in the dirt and cried” (116). When Mark cries, the pain of being alone is taken out from inside him. Mark expresses the undying love he has for people and the desire for someone to talk to after so long. Many sols and projects to maintain a stable life pass when finally, Mark is in the middle of his trip to Ares 4. Here he experiences the next step, woman as the temptress. Woman as the temptress is anything that tempts the hero to abandon their quest.
Many sols have passed since the meeting with the goddess, three hundred ninety to be exact. Mark Watney is now very close to the Ares 4 mission site when he experiences woman as the temptress. After so many sols Mark eventually lost contact with NASA after he accidentally supercharged Pathfinder. In log entry sol four hundred eighty-seven Mark states, “If I could get Opportunity’s radio working, I’d be in touch with humanity again” (305). Mark is so tempted to go to this rover after being alone for even longer than he was before Pathfinder. The thought of talking to humans again has so much value for Mark that he seriously considers diverging from his current path even though he is only a couple sols away from Ares 4.
The following is from the same entry: “I’m sick of being on my own, damn it!” (306). Opportunity physically represents woman as the temptress in Mark’s quest but really it is the idea of talking to someone that is keeping Mark from moving on. The same feelings are brought to light again from when he first established communication with NASA and it almost stops Mark from continuing. However, Mark realizes it would be smarter to go to Ares 4 rather than stay and risk any damage to his rover due to elongating the trip. Atonement with the father is Mark’s next step. Atonement with the father is the thing that holds the ultimate power in the hero’s life. When Mark finally reaches Ares 4, he experiences atonement with the father.
The MAV (Mars Ascent Vehicle) holds the ultimate power in Mark’s life. The MAV is the only thing that can launch Watney back into orbit in hopes for him to be picked up by his crewmates. In log entry sol five hundred forty-three Mark records: “It might not launch at all” (337). Mark faces the very real possibility that the MAV could just be, broken. After making modifications to it in hopes of increasing travel distance Mark could’ve screwed up to MAV, which means he could very well die. In log entry sol five hundred forty-nine Mark says, “I face the very real possibility that I’ll die today” (340).
After everything he’s done to stay alive, the MAV holds the ultimate power in deciding if he lives to see another day or not. Mark also plays a part in his own fate because he is the one who made modifications to the MAV. During these final hours, Mark is in a period of rest, this is when Mark experiences Apotheosis. Apotheosis is when the hero is in a state of peace and rest. This occurs during Mark’s final four hours before he takes off beyond the Martian surface. In log entry sol five hundred forty-nine Mark records his status, “I’m ‘awaiting launch instructions’” (340). Mark has done all he can do; he now relies on everyone working to save him to bring him home. He has spent so long surviving on this planet and has fully grown into his new self. In the same log entry, Mark looks back on his stay on Mars. “My terrifying struggle to stay alive became somehow routine” (341).
Mark has united his two conflicting spirits, what was once a Mark who would give up has become one who knows how to survive on a planet by himself. He now rests, waiting to return to other people and once again experience the all-powerful love and compassion of talking to another human. Now it is time for Mark to achieve his goal and receive the ultimate boon. The ultimate boon is the achievement of the goal of the hero’s quest. Once everything is ready for launch, Watney achieves his ultimate boon, he has survived Mars up until the point where he makes his return. This line is spoken from Commander Lewis to mission control. “’ We are go for launch and will proceed on schedule’” (343).
Mark has completed his goal, to survive long enough for him to reach the Ares 4 MAV. He now puts his survival in the hands of others, all he can do is watch and wait. The narrator speaks the next line. “The MAV launched with incredible force” (345). This is it, everything Mark has done until now has built up to the launch of this rocket. He managed to survive the year and a half on Mars and the last part of his journey, he didn’t blow up in the MAV. However, things never go perfectly as planned. This is the point in time that Mark experiences the refusal of the return. The refusal of the return is anything that keeps the hero in their new life. Watney’s refusal of the return is not intentional, he’s been actively working to prevent that! Complications happen during launch; this is told to readers by the narrator. “Concentration became difficult, but something in the back of his mind told him that flapping was bad” (346).
During the launch a piece of Hab canvas Mark put on the ship became loose. This slows down the MAV which means less distance will be covered and he won’t reach his crew. This is immediately picked up on by his crewmates as well. “’ It’s sluggish; fighting me’” (346). Martinez, the pilot guiding the MAV notices the change in speed due to the flailing Hab canvas. This small change in speed is preventing Mark from leaving this new life. Fortunately, there is a chemist on board who can assist with the magic flight. The magic flight is when the hero escapes with the boon. In the Martian the magic flight involves the crew; they must cut the distance between them and Mark to a much shorter distance. Commander Lewis speaks to mission control in the following line. “’ Be advised we are going to deliberately breach the VAL to produce thrust’” (354).
The plan the crew comes up with to cut the distance between them and Watney is to blow up the top of the Hermes spaceship. This can create counter-thrust that would slow down the Hermes and make the intercept velocity slower. When Dr. Beck jumps out of Hermes to intercept Mark, he says the following. “’ Aaaaand counter-thrusting,’ Beck said, firing the MMU thrusters again” (364). The MMU is a manned maneuvering unit, it is used for space work done outside of the space ship while being tethered to it. This establishes the danger of catching Watney, if Beck’s tether breaks, he will be stranded like Mark has been. Luckily for Mark and Beck, he does reach the MAV and rescues Mark from without.
Rescue from without is when the hero is aided by others to bring them back to normal life. Mark’s nears the end of his journey when he is rescued from without. When Beck enters the MAV, the narrator says this line. “The two gripped each other’s arms to keep Beck from bouncing away” (365). This is the first time in one year and a half that Mark has made contact with another human, Beck represents the final guide in bringing him home. When they exit and make it back to Hermes it symbolizes Beck escorting Mark into his old life. When the full crew, including Watney, are safely on Hermes, Commander Lewis makes a final report to mission control. “’ Houston, this is Hermes Actual, six crew safely aboard’” (366).
Mark has completed his journey; he is safely back with his crewmates and on track to a safe trip back home. The struggles he’s endured without his crew and in the end, it was his crew that saved him. Once aboard Hermes Mark enters one last entry and crosses into the return threshold. The crossing of the return threshold is the point in time which the hero returns to normal life and incorporates the lessons they learned on their quest into their daily lives. The point at which Mark crosses the return threshold is within his final entry, log entry mission day six hundred eighty-seven. “That ‘687’ caught me off guard for a minute. On Hermes, we track time by mission days.” (367). This is the first instance where Mark starts to adjust back into normal life. He changes from sol to days which may seem very minor. However, this tiny change symbolizes him slowly reverting back to how he was prior to his adventure.
But surviving a year and a half on Mars wasn’t all for nothing. After all this, Mark brings back one essential idea. “But really, they did it because every human being has a basic instinct to help each other out” (368-369). Mark takes away the idea that he was saved because human beings always help those in need. Throughout his journey, he longed to talk to another person, and when it came time to save him, he put his trust in people. This begins his master of two worlds. Master of two worlds is the step when the hero achieves a balance between their inner and outer worlds. In Mark’s final entry he masters his two worlds. “This is so fundamentally human that it’s found in every culture without exception” (369).
Mark unites his inner and outer personalities. The achievement of finally reaching his goal activates this. “Yes, there are ******* who just don’t care, but they’re massively outnumbered by the people who do” (369). Here Mark reinstates the faith he has in people. He has derived a spiritual lesson from his physical adventures. Finally, after a year and a half of daily struggles, Mark is free to live. The final step in the hero’s journey is the freedom to live, this is the point in a hero’s quest when they are free from the threat of death. Mark experiences this in the same final entry, Mark expresses his gratitude towards people.
“And because of that, I had billions of people on my side” (369). He is back with other people, not dwelling on how much he wanted to talk to another person. He has achieved his goal and is no longer in the mortal danger he was for so long. The last sentence in Mark’s final entry is: “This is the happiest day of my life” (369). Mark won, he beat Mars, he survived the impossible and he is not looking back on his struggles. He isn’t searching the future for any problems either; he’s simply, living in the moment.
