Survival is Insufficient

Station eleven by Emily St. John Mandel is an intriguing, futuristic tale about life following the collapse of society because of a deadly apocalyptic flu. Mandel transitions between the pre and post apocalyptic world, alternating between an omniscient perspective and the first person perspectives of Arthur Leander and members of the Travelling Symphony. Both time periods are linked through Arthur’s ex-wife, Miranda, who composed the comic book Station Eleven. As Miranda designed the comic, she received criticism for spending too much time on a useless project that nobody understood. As the story progresses, the reader realizes that Station Eleven is one of the few remaining pieces of literature and links to the old world. The comic offers insight into the state of society prior to the collapse; many people had time to engage in seemingly meaningless intellectual activities such as writing a comic book. This contrasts the post apocalyptic world in which people are consumed solely by survival. One of the most important lines of the book is the Travelling Symphony's motto, "survival is insufficient," which is part of the greater themes of intellectualism, pursuit of improvement, and human curiosity.

Mandel uses a direct and purposeful voice to disseminate the Travelling Symphony's message to the settlements in which they perform. Although the motto is only three words, it stands for the nobility and constant pursuit of living beyond the bare necessities. The Travelling Symphony strives to spread and promote the now ancient beauty of music, art and theatre. This is the beginning of reconstructing a functioning society that is not solely focused on hunting and gathering. Mandel gives the impression that intellectualism in the years following the flu has quickly vanished. The reader perceives the Travelling Symphony as the strongest and one of the only remaining connection to the old world besides the museum of civilization, located at the Severn City airport. In a post apocalyptic world where barbaric settlements revolve around merely surviving on a day to day basis, the encouraging and developmental approach of the Travelling Symphony offers a unique sense of hope and optimism for the future.

Although a link between the old world and the post flu world is necessary and adds another element to the plot, the novel lacks entertainment and excitement when recapping events in the old world. Most of the narrative was simply setting up events or themes that occur in the post apocalyptic world, without offering any insightful information. Understandably, the characters in the old world, such as Jeevan and Miranda, were not as interesting as the futuristic and adventurous Travelling Symphony; however, this left the reader disengaged for chapters at a time.

Mandel effectively communicates to the reader that intellectualism, curiosity and the desire to return to the previous state of society, although diminished, is not entirely dead. As a human race, Mandel reminds us that we should not take our lives for granted since the future is unknown, and opportunities present today, may not always be available. One should always attempt to improve oneself and the community in which they live, similar to the Travelling Symphony. Had the Travelling Symphony’s curiosity not lead them to explore other settlements and challenge the status quo, they may never have been able to discover electricity or civilization again. Although much of Station Eleven is placed in the future, Mandel’s message about the pursuit of living, rather than just surviving, is a timeless theme that readers should implement in their own lives.