The first theme of exploration that was evident while watching and reading The Martian was the loneliness that 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 there." [Thinking] he's totally alone and we've all abandoned him” (p.63) and Mark responds by writing in his journal his thoughts on “how can Aquaman control the whales?” They are mammals! This doesn't make any sense. (p.64). This brings us to the next theme that emerged while reading the novel. Mark's humor recurs constantly throughout the novel, with one of the best examples being when he asks "how are the cubs doing" (p. 13), right after realizing that he would probably starve to death on Mars. This sense of humor is something that helped Mark survive because instead of going crazy like most people would if they were trapped alone on an ENTIRE planet, Mark was able to stay mentally healthy throughout of the process. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an original essay As I read the book, I thought that Mark and I were very similar people. His constant problem solving reminded me of my continued need to solve every math problem I've ever done, even if it took me an hour per question. He had a solution to everything thrown at him, including the hab exploding, Pathfinder failing on him, and the rover rolling over on him, just to name a few. In each of these cases, he overcame the problem of impending death and quickly resolved the problem, seemingly effortlessly. Personally, I feel that I am the same way because I am extremely adaptable to my environment. Whether it's issues with my roommate, with my teammates, or with myself, I will always strive to find the best solution possible. Another characteristic that I really think Mark and I share is that we are pretty stubborn people. A good example of this is when Mark tells the botany team on Earth to "go fuck themselves" (p. 150). In this case, he refuses to follow the recommendations of some of the best botanists on the planet because he considers himself the best and no one should give him orders. I am very similar in this regard, because in math class I am extremely reluctant to take advice from anyone other than the teacher, because I feel like my way is always the right way. Plus when I'm on the ice I feel like everything I was taught growing up is the right way to do something when most of the time I should probably follow the quality advice that my teammates and coaches have to offer me. Finally, I want to point out that I really liked the character of Mark because he was not a 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 that there is no standard for explorers. Other reasons I liked his character were that he was light-hearted in the worst situations, took risks (pushed a hole in his suit to become Iron Man in the movie), and was extremely driven as an explorer. All of the above are qualities I look for when analyzing a good explorer..