Station 11 Character Analysis

Words: 818
Pages: 4

Survival is Insufficient Station Eleven is a riveting story that follows the lives of characters affected by the tragic Georgia Flu-a disease that decimated the world population and the entirety of civilization as we know it. The novel weaves back and forth between the years prior to the collapse and the post-pandemic world that exists twenty years afterward. In the post-pandemic world, the narrative focuses on The Traveling Symphony-a band of musicians and actors that perform in settlements that have emerged since the pandemic. Although life in the Symphony is more dangerous than peaceful, members choose to travel and live by their motto: “Survival is insufficient" (Mandel 58). This motto embodies the purpose behind The Traveling Symphony: to find a purpose beyond survival. Throughout Station Eleven, Mandel explores this idea and the differences between living and surviving by using The Traveling Symphony and other characters.
The goal of The Traveling Symphony is to “cast a spell’ over people who spend “all their time engaged in the tasks of survival (Mandel 151). Often, this lifestyle seemed like “a difficult and dangerous way to survive” (Mandel 119) to its members; especially when traveling in “snow or rain through dangerous territory”. Besides the harsh environment, the internal conflicts between members create additional tension for the Symphony. The group is a “collection of petty jealousies, neuroses, undiagnosed PTSD
…show more content…
The Symphony finds purpose in their art, Clark in the Museum, and Jeevan in his family and job. Mandel conveys the message of an existence beyond the archaic drive for survival. Life is about finding your passions like Clark and cultivating friendships with the members of the Symphony; It is about art, music, and passion. Mandel shows that if we do not take the time, then why attempt survival at