Relatable Narrator In The Martian

When it comes down to it, most people would rather listen to a biased tale from one of their best friends than an unbiased recollection of the same event by someone uninvolved, which is exactly why Mark Watney of The Martian makes such a convincing and relatable narrator. Andy Weir, the author of The Martian, uses personability to create an environment surrounding the botanist, mechanical engineer, and astronaut who leads the novel that gives the reader a reason to become invested. Not only is Watney wildly qualified to do what he does, as he is an astronaut, after all, but he is relatable and enjoyable to interact with through the style of writing provided by Weir. While The Martian may not have been intended as such, it can be considered …show more content…
Whether or not this is a reflection of his true character or, perhaps, the fact that he is a character, written by Andy Weir, it continues to be an interesting and complex look into an isolated psyche. It is stated several times in the book that Watney was always like this, as on page 90, it is mentioned that “[Watney] was chosen for the mission in part because of his personality. … Mark not only fits well into any social group, he’s a catalyst to make the group work better.” In continuation, it is also reflected upon, on page 63, that an experience such as his would be traumatizing in a way unlike anyone else would have ever had to face, with “‘What must it be like?” [Teddy] pondered. “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?’” This is one of the best strategies Andy Weir uses to develop Mark Watney as a convincing and relatable narrator. Further, in addition to the iconic first lines of the book, Watney’s relatively naive views on his situation in the very beginning can accurately summarize the duality presented in Watney by way of humour and …show more content…
Although he may, as previously mentioned, use humour as a defense mechanism, he is also, at moments, completely sober. His clarified perspective can be seen in “The medical area has morphine for emergencies. And there’s enough for a lethal dose. I’m not going to slowly starve to death, I’ll tell you that” (10). Although there is an endless selection of humourous options in regards to Watney’s view of his own death that one could choose from, such as “An ironic death for someone with a leaky space suit: too much oxygen,” (5) it is also very true that he, in the same way that he is skilled and an intellectual, has an appropriately severe view in enough moments to keep himself