Getting Home

30 days after Mark left the HAB in order to get to the Ares4 landing site, where a rocket will take him directly towards the rescue ship, Hermes. Mark is driving peacefully when he encounters a sand storm that slows down his progress. Mark manages a way out of the storm, only to flip the rover, and damage it slightly. Everything as just gone south on Mark, but he does not give up, uses all his wit to fix the rover and continue. When he finally makes it to the MAV or the rocket, Mark has to literally, dismantle the MAV so it would be able to make it out of the orbit. When Mark finally takes of in the MAV,  he faints because he is exposed to a substantial amount of G forces. Hermes is too far away to catch Mark, so he makes a hole in his suit so pressure will escape, allowing him to fly like Iron Man. After two years of isolation, Mark finally is reunited with his cremates and he is on his way back to Earth. His rescue has been symbolic to humanity, making them realize that they can accomplish anything when they unite.

Mark about to give up.

“I admit it’s fatally dangerous,” Watney said. “But consider this: I’d get to fly around like Iron Man.” “We’ll keep working on ideas,” Lewis said. “Iron Man, Commander. Iron Man.” (Weir 350).

  

Towards the end of the book we start to realize how Mark’s personality had a great influence in his chances of surviving. Any other person would have easily given up hope. But Mark always tried to stay positive, he always laughed and joked around. In this quote we can see how Mark stays positive and laughs at the situation even though he is in great peril.

“Every human being has a basic instinct: to help each other out. If a hiker gets lost in the mountains, people will coordinate a search. If a train crashes, people will line up to give blood. If an earthquake levels a city, people all over the world will send emergency supplies. This is so fundamentally human that it's found in every culture without exception” (Weir 368).

This ending quote can probably reveal the message and theme of the book. We can tell how solidarity influenced Mark’s rescue. Almost everyone on Earth supported and rooted for Mark Watney. Probably billions of dollars where spent in his rescue. This was a symbol of progress, not only it allowed development in science and technology, but it brought union all over the world. Differences where casted aside, and people allover the world united to rescue this one person. Mark Watney could not have made it home without the support and solidarity of everyone on Earth.

Mark is now safe after two years of loneliness. Mark would not have been able to survive if it weren’t for his optimistic personality and his amazing problem solving ability. Mark could have given up any time, he could have stopped trying but he did not. Mark Watney’s rescue has been symbolic to humanity, making them realize that they can accomplish anything when they unite.