The iconic 80’s song “Eye of the Tiger” by the band Survivor pairs well with Mark Watney’s powerful will to survive in the earlier days of his very long stay on Mars. Watney, barely alive, and believed to be dead by his crewmates he was left alone on the barren planet of Mars. Even worse, if one thing is out of place or suddenly breaks, he’s a goner. In chapter 2, through this hardship however, our protagonist brings himself to smile and crack jokes just like it was another leisurely day, however he is still utterly aware of his situation and he knows what he needs to do. The main lyrics of the song say, “It’s the eye of the tiger”. The eye symbolizes how a tiger is always focused on its target, in this case, how Watney is determined to reach
