Station Eleven Character Analysis

Everything is constantly changing. From the environments surrounding us to our daily schedules, change is quintessential to the human condition. All day long, we humans make choices that alter the outcome of life’s simplest to most complex details. In Emily St. John Mandel’s novel, Station Eleven, the audience witnesses the connection between choice and change in the many interwoven intricacies found throughout the plot. An example of this relationship is the Traveling Symphony’s choice of motto. “Survival is Insufficient” speaks volumes about the character of the misfit group of thespians and musicians, and it can also serve as a mantra for humanity in whatever phase of life we may find ourselves. Survival to the Traveling Symphony means
life, as does it to all the other factions of the post Georgian flu world that they find themselves living in. What sets the Symphony apart from everyone else is their refusal to forget their passions and, instead, embrace an altered lifestyle that still allows them to do what they love to do. In a world filled with savagery, the Traveling Symphony is a shining light of music and theatre to the otherwise dark world. They provide artistry and bliss to people who have resorted to brutality and animalistic tendencies. The Traveling Symphony should serve as a reminder of how to turn an insufficiency of civilization into an abundance of enthusiasm for doing what they have always enjoyed. One of the most cliché things about being a senior in high school is the constant reminders from teachers saying, “Don’t survive, thrive!” When students are counting down the days until graduation, the last thing they want to hear is to give more effort on something that is, for all intents and purposes, completely finished.
Therefore, this hackneyed statement devalues beneficial statements like the motto used by the Traveling Symphony, “Survival is Insufficient.” The versatility of this quote is abounding. In all facets of life, this quote can be applied. According to this statement, the stagnancy of life should not be endured, it should be used as motivation to project the best possible versions of ourselves. Whatever we may find ourselves partaking in, this quote reminds us to find the courage within ourselves to contribute to something in the best conceivable way. This quote also stresses the importance of finding your personal calling. Whether it be a ditch digger or leading a Fortune 500 company, this quote empowers everyone to make the most of themselves. In the age of tolerance, we find ourselves suppressing our true feelings and desires. The insufficiency of this existence is not what we were made to do. We are supposed to trail blaze new paths and constantly reinvigorate ourselves to make our university, our town, our state, our nation, our world the best it can possibly
be. Station 11 was a thought-provoking novel. It presented many scenarios of how to live life and the response of various types of humanity. From succumbing to environmental pressures to flourishing in a world all their own, the Traveling Symphony’s motto should be a testament to the freshman class at the University of Tennessee. When life gets tough, we should not drown in self-pity, but rather we should embrace adversity and continue to pursue our desires much like the Traveling Symphony did for those many years in the wilderness.