The Martian

How does Weir use dramatic irony to create and maintain tension in The Martian?

Analyze the use of humor in The Martian. How does it further the meaning of the text? What does it contribute to the reader’s understanding of Watney’s character?

What are some of the dominant qualities of Watney’s character in The Martian? How do they contribute to his success and survival on Mars?

How do Teddy and Watney approach decision-making differently? How might their respective circumstances shape their decisions?

How does The Martian deromanticize the notion of exploration? According to the book, what is exploration, and being an explorer, really like?

How does Weir create tension in The Martian? What literary techniques does he use to keep the reader engaged?

Watney, NASA, and the Hermes crew use only techniques based in contemporary scientific understanding. How does this knowledge affect the reading experience? How would that experience be different if Weir had developed a new science fiction world, with different rules than those of our reality?

At the end of the novel, Watney states, “[E]very human has a basic instinct to help each other out. It might not seem that way sometimes, but it’s true” (369). How does the novel support this assertion?