The first theme of exploration that was evident while watching and reading The Martian was the loneliness Mark Watney endured while on Mars. The psychological impact this seemed to have on Mark was not as great as one might expect. A good example of this was when Teddy wondered “What must it be like […] [to be] stuck out there. [Thinking] that he is completely alone and that we have all given up on him” (p.63) and Mark responds by writing in his journal his thoughts on “how can Aquaman control the whales? They are mammals! It doesn't make sense." (page 64). This leads to the next theme that emerged while reading the novel. Mark's humor constantly emerges throughout the novel and one of the best examples comes from when he asked “how are the puppies” (p.13), immediately after realizing that he would probably starve on Mars. This sense of humor is something that helped Mark in his survival because instead of going crazy like most people would if trapped alone on an ENTIRE planet, Mark was able to keep himself mentally healthy throughout the process. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay I thought Mark and I were very similar people as I read the book. His constant problem solving reminded me of my constant need to solve every single math problem I've ever been given, even if it would take me an hour for each question. He had a solution for everything that was thrown at him, including the hab exploding, the Pathfinder failing on him, and the rover flipping over on him, just to name a few. In each of these cases, he overcame the near-death problem and resolved the problem quickly, seemingly effortlessly. I personally feel that I am the same way in that I am extremely adaptive to my surroundings. Whether it's issues with my roommate, my teammates, or myself, I will always look for the best possible solution. Another trait that I definitely think Mark and I share is that we're pretty stubborn people. A great example of this is when Mark tells the botany team on Earth to "go fuck themselves" (p.150). In this case he refuses to take the advice of some of the best botanists on Earth because he considers himself the best and no one should give him orders. I am very similar in this regard as in math class I am extremely reluctant to take advice from anyone except the teacher as I feel my way is always the right way. Also, when I'm on the hockey ice, I feel like everything I was taught at a young age is the right way to do something, whereas most of the time I should probably follow the quality advice that my teammates and coaches have to offer. Finally I would like to point out that I really liked Mark's character because he wasn't your typical explorer. I also believe that in saying this there is no such thing as a “typical” explorer. Explorers are so unique from each other, which means there is no standard for Explorers. The other reasons I liked his character were that he was carefree in the worst situations, was willing to take risks (he punches a hole in his suit to become Iron Man in the movie), and was extremely driven as an explorer. All of these are qualities I look for when analyzing a good explorer.