Mark Watney's Survival In The Martian By Andy Weir

In Andy Weir’s novel The Martian, protagonist Mark Watney attributes his survival to his crew, who selflessly returns to Mars to save him. The concept of the importance of unity as a result of comradery reoccurs throughout the novel. Even before leaving for Mars, NASA hired psychologists who put efforts into motion to insure that the Ares 3 crew felt a sense of harmony among themselves. Watney recalls that “Thanksgiving was going to happen and NASA's shrinks thought it would be good for us to make a meal together. Not just eat it, but to actually prepare it. There’s probably some logic to that,” proving that even the mental health scientist promoted bonding efforts within the group (Weir .21). The Ares 3 crew did manage to build strong

The crew underwent difficult training, travel, and exploration that no one else had done before. As a result, the crew had a unique bond with each other that they would never share with anyone else. This exclusive friendship was so strong, that it led the entire crew to unanimously decide to spend another year returning to Mars to save Watney. It was because they had close relationships with Watney, that the Ares 3 crew preformed the selfless and heroic action of rescuing him. While returning to Earth, Watney accepts the fact that he was saved by the combined efforts of people of who care about him. Weir’s point is made clear that unity is fundamental for survival. Watney would not have survived on Mars if it were not for the selfless efforts of his crew; therefore, the Ares 3 team proved that unity is a distinguished necessity

However, the consensus was not easy to reach. Commander Lewis told the crew that ““we’ll only do it if we all agree. And before you answer, consider the consequences,”” there were many ways that the rescue mission could have gone wrong, and the team knew that if they messed up the supply rendezvous or the Earth gravity assist, they would die (Weir. 211). Additionally, they understood that saving Watney would require five hundred and thirty- three additional days of unplanned space travel that could also prove perilous. It would also mean that from start to finish, their mission would last over one thousand days. Yet, Ares 3 is a team of superb unity, and they each had such strong emotional attachments to Watney, that they unanimously decided that saving him was worth the risk. The sense of unity within Ares 3 was profound, not only did the members individually decide to save Watney, but they also reached that consensus as a group. The strong relationships within the Ares 3 team provided them with a profound sense of unity, which led them to selflessly over rule NASA’s plan, and return to Mars to save Mark