Emily St. John Mandel, Station 11

New York: Knopf, 2014

Analysis by Ryan Carron, MacKenna Morris, and Bernadette Osborn

Summary

This novel offers two different stories, with one being before the Georgia Flu and the other after. The Georgia Flu comes over on a plane to Toronto, with a 99% death rate. The illness spreads the globe rapidly, and people die within a day. Some survivors live out of Severn City airport and other small communities (“towns”) as one way to build community, a human need, and have the best chance for survival. Some other survivors decide that they want to live the rest of their lives as part of the “Traveling Symphony,” where they create art and music for others as they travel. However, some people become sucked into a cult made by the Prophet, who carries out his idea from his mother that the virus happened for a reason. In the cult, he kills many innocent people especially those who do not agree with him and takes multiple wives and children as his own. The Traveling Symphony sticks together to stay safe from him by making offerings and continuing to bring beauty to the world, even amid The Prophet’s legacy of fear and violence.

Setting

Before the Georgia Flu: Placed in Toronto and LA, where society is presented as very similar to our current times. It is meant to be our world, which is what makes the story of losing it that much more terrifying and near.

After the Georgia Flu: Placed in the Great Lakes region. Small groups of people live in what are “towns,” however, over 200 people live in the Museum of Civilization, which is an old airport that is believed to host the most survivors in the region. The world is very desolate and survivalistic.

Characters

• Kirsten Raymonde: She is a member of the Traveling Symphony and former child actor. She believes in the power of art to make the brutality of post-pandemic life worth living. Specifically, she relies on the Shakespeare that she performs and marks the people she has had to kill using her expert knife skills though tattoos on her body which makes sure she never lets the brutalities of the world leave her. She also uses her acting to bring meaning to the brutal world beyond survival which so many solely focus on. She doesn’t remember anything much from before the pandemic because she was so young, and she does not remember the first year after the pandemic when she was walking through the country with her brother when she got a mysterious scar, so she believes something traumatic must have happened to cause her to repress her memories. The only thing she remembers from her pre-pandemic life is performing as a child actor with Arthur and the night that he died on stage, so she is always looking for more clues about her past though him and anything to do with him.

• Arthur Leander: He is a famous actor who died from a heart attack at the beginning of the novel in a performance of King Lear that Kirsten was also performing in and Jeevan was attending. He is a reflection of the past since he died shortly before and never witnessed the pandemic. He consistently hurts the women he loves through infidelity and abrupt departures, causing transformative changes in them. His use of Victoria as a confidante backfires when she publishes his letters, reclaiming her power over their relationship. Arthur’s focus on his appearances over genuine connections early in his life is evident even with old friends like Clark. Despite the many flaws that are highlighted throughout the novel, his kindness still impacts many but much like the character he was fond of portraying, King Lear, he only realized his mistakes too late which left him regretful of spending his whole life chasing superficial things. One particular act of kindness that is crucial to the novel is when he gave his ex-wife’s comic book to Kirsten and befriended her on the set of their production. This act and his overall kindness is one of the only things that Kirsten remembers from before the pandemic, so it greatly influences her life. Ultimately, he finds solace in acting for art’s sake in a relatively small theater production instead of chasing fame which highlights that he is acknowledging the beauty in small moments at the end of his life.

• Miranda Carroll: Arthur’s first wife who created the Dr. Eleven graphic novels. 

• The Prophet / Tyler: He was a child when the pandemic started and was stranded in the airport with his mother (Elizabeth). He ends up creating a cult because of his mother’s beliefs about the pandemic. His cult focuses on the messages of Dr. Eleven, violence, and scripture, believing that everything happens for a reason. He takes wives, children, and kills many people. He is both the prophetic figure and antagonist of the novel, who is always grappling with the meaning of civilization’s collapse, thanks to his mother. His mother influenced him to interpret the pandemic as a divine event and thus the survivors were chosen by some higher power. While Kirsten has faith in art, Tyler embraces a new rigid religious ideology which allows him to divide the world into simplistic moral categories. Kirsten and Tyler embody opposing worldviews, reflecting different aspects of Arthur’s character. Kirsten embodies his appreciation for art and theater.

• Clark recognizes the danger of Tyler’s beliefs early on, foreseeing his ability to gather followers. Kirsten and Tyler embody opposing worldviews, reflecting different aspects of Arthur’s character. Kirsten embodies his appreciation for art, while Tyler mirrors his self-absorption, evolving into a cult leader akin to his father’s celebrity status. Ultimately, Kirsten’s love of art prevails over Tyler’s ego-driven ideology, leading to Tyler’s demise at the hands of his own followers.

• Jeevan Chaudhary: He was a paparazzo and then a journalist in the pre-pandemic world, but he was studying to become a paramedic. His life before the pandemic was marked by a search for meaning in his work, which led him to despise his career as a paparazzo and journalist, causing moral conflicts and self-loathing. Despite moments of empathy, such as connecting with Miranda, he still engages in unethical behavior for profit, a decision he deeply regrets. However, the pandemic prompts a shift towards his true calling in medicine, where he finds fulfillment through acts of compassion and service. Jeevan’s transformation is highlighted by his efforts to save Arthur’s life, supporting Kirsten after Arthur’s death, and caring for his brother. While Kirsten finds purpose in art, Jeevan discovers meaning through helping others, ultimately finding peace and fulfillment in his new role as a doctor in the post-pandemic world with his paramedic training.

• Clark Thompson: Was Arthur’s best friend and was stranded in the airport. He created the Museum of Civilization to collect technological items and even though they no longer work they represent the pre-pandemic world.

• Elizabeth Colton: She is Arthur’s second wife, and Tyler (the prophet)’s mother. She was stranded at the airport in when everything shut down, but eventually leaves with Tyler when a group comes through the airport. She believes that the pandemic happened for a reason, and those that are alive were saved for a reason, and this thought propels Tyler into creating his cult.

• August: A member of the Traveling Symphony, who is Kirsten’s closest friend. He is portrayed as a positive light in the dark times that he and Kirsten go through together, and even though he is the second violin, he writes poetry in secret. A constant in his pre-pandemic life was TV, so that is what he hangs on to from the past and he collects TV guides when he and Kirsten break into homes to loot them.

Timeline of Related Events, Situations, Social, Political, Cultural Developments, and Climate

• 33 years before pandemic
  • Arthur leaves Delano Island to go to University of Toronto. He drops out of school to become an actor and meets Clark Thompson.
    • School was not his main objective when coming to Toronto but instead it was the method of this escape.
• 14 years before flu
  • Arthur is an acclaimed actor but he is still lonely, so he calls Miranda (a girl from his hometown new to the area). Miranda at the time is working at a temp company to support her artist boyfriend who abuses her. She leaves him and runs away with Arthur who she ends up marrying.
• 11 years before the flu
  • Miranda and Arthur host a dinner party at their house to celebrate their anniversary and Arthur’s movie. Miranda figures out that Arthur is cheating on her with his co-star, Elizabeth. They divorce shortly after, and Miranda works her way through the temp company and makes a career for herself while still writing/drawing her comics.
• One year before the flu
  • Arthur reflects on his regrets in life and wants to become a better person. He performs as King Lear and falls dead on the stage after a sudden heart attack.
• The Georgia Flu
  • It started in Georgia and other places overseas, so most Americans did not even realize how serious it was.
  • It started as just a few cases but spread rapidly as it has an extremely short incubation period.
  • Soon everything was in chaos. People tried to leave, but the highways all got blocked. The airports weren’t sending out flights. Soon there was a black out and the internet and cell service went down.
    • Day 3- Toronto is in a gridlock.
    • Day 6- The news ends.
    • Day 7- The internet is disconnected.
    • Day 27- Running water stopped.
    • Day 47 – There is a fire in Toronto.
• Year 1
  • Severn City Airport
    • Day 1-6: many people leave as suggested by airport staff, but others choose to stay and set up camp in the terminal. They raid the lounge and Mexican restaurant for food but soon run out. One girl doesn’t have her meds and is going into withdrawal.
    • Day 7: TVs begins to stop running programs.
    • Day 8: TSA officials with guns leave when they run out of food and return with deer they hunted.
    • Day 12: lights go out, so they have to adjust their sleep schedules.
    • Day 15: A pilot makes one last flight to LA and takes a lot of people with him.
    • Day 16: another pilot flies to do recon but doesn’t return.
    • Day 61: they see a helicopter but it doesn’t stop.
    • Day 80: many people have learned another language to communicate with the others in the airport since they are from all over the world.
    • Day 100: a scouting team is sent out and Clark establishes the museum of civilization with the small items he finds around the airport.
    • Day 101: the scouting team removes the quarantine sign blocking the airport.
    • Day 102: the first stranger walks into the airport.
• Year 2
  • Elizabeth and Tyler decide to leave the airport and live a more spiritual life in their faith with a new group that had come to the airport on their way south.
• Year 3
  • Jeevan found a peaceful settlement on an island founded by a sales team from the marketing firm of a company.
• Year 10
  • Jeevan married one of the settlement’s founders.
• Year 15
  • The Traveling Symphony land in New Petosky and Kirsten gives an interview for the New Petosky News, a newly founded newspaper.
  • Clark then receives this newspaper and learns of Kirsten’s existence.
  • Jeevan treats a patient in McKinley who was shot by the prophet and her husband tells them a story about the Prophet and his methods.
• Year 19
  • Two symphony members, Charlie and Jeremy along with their infant daughter Annabel arrive at the Severn City Airport. It is there that they meet Clark and inform him about the prophet who Clark eventually realizes is Tyler.
• Year 20
  • The Traveling Symphony’s return to St. Deborah’s By the Water where they had left Charlie and Jeremy but receive a very different welcome than before and learn of the Prophet and his impact on the community.
  • The prophet is furious that the symphony did not return Elanor (the young girl who he has chosen to be his next wife) and decides to kidnap members of the symphony.
  • Kirsten and August are separated from the rest of the symphony and have to travel alone.
  • Kirsten kills a few of the prophet’s men and rescues Sayid. However, she is later captured by him, and he prepares to execute her. She is saved by a young boy who did not like being part of the group and he betrays the prophet by saving her.
  • Kirsten donates her beloved copies of Station Eleven to the Museum of Civilization.
  • Clark shows Kirsten a distant town with lights (electricity) from the watchtower.
  • Clark reflects on how the ruined world is starting to rebuild itself.

Note: This book does not highlight and particular climate events of importance, but the main disaster of this book is the Georgia Flu, and studies have shown that with climate change, major pandemics like this one could become more and more likely and frequent which makes the Georgia Flu the main climate related event of this novel.

Imagined Human Actions and “Solutions”

The change brought on by the Georgia Flu in the early days of the pandemic was so rapid and so violent that all people can focus on is pure survival, at any cost. People tried to contact their loved ones, or jump into cars, boats, and planes to try and run away from the Flu in the panic of not knowing where it really was or who had it. Others with enough foresight and preparation, like Jeevan, hunkered down and waited out the end of society as they knew it. To be a human emerging into that new world, and finding nothing but the ruin and phantoms of the old one everywhere, was to commit to moving forward in whatever way possible. In those first few years that meant one thing only, the commitment to constantly strive to survive. It was only years later that people could turn their attention to any kind of “solution”. Those “solutions” mostly revolved around either trying to preserve and remember the old world, or trying to bring it back. For the Traveling Symphony, the solution was to preserve the art of the old world in the new one. For Clark, the museum is his solution, where artifacts of the past are held and treasured. Some sought the internet, floating around them like a spirit, or entertaining the goal of harnessing the electricity we once wielded so easily. Even the Prophet himself was oriented towards what he believed to be a solution, in which the cleansing power of religion from the old world is executed in the context of the new.

Portrayal of Heroes and Villains

It is made clear that in this world heroes and villains are not so black and white. People in a world made dangerous and disconnected are driven to do such things that many in the old world never had to do. Many have had to kill, Kirsten marks those she has killed on her forearms in the shape of knife tattoos. She is one of the story’s “heroes,” but she carries these reminders not only for herself, but to show others what she is capable of. The Prophet is certainly the most “villainous” character in the book, however his backstory is revealed to the reader and in it he is made more than a one-dimensional villain. He was in fact once a boy, a victim of the pandemic just like everyone else. Station Eleven is a story of victims and what they will do in the world that hurt them, the difference between these victims being whether or not they use their hurt to make victims of others.

Technology

New: No new technologies exist since almost everything has been lost, so the focus of technology on this book is how people survive without the technology we as a society have become so reliant on and how old technologies are used for new purposes.

Old: Old technologies are now used for different purposes since there is no electricity. For example, planes are now simply used for shelter. Post-Georgia Flu, people and children look for the Internet like it is a spirit around them to understand the previous world, since they are relics of another time. Old technologies allowed humans to sleepwalk through life and appear mundane; however, in the post-pandemic world, they are miraculous. In the new world, without technology, people are physically cut off from each other, but technology in the old world also isolated people

American Environmental Thought

Station Eleven reflects a great deal of American environmental thought. It echoes the ideas of back to the land movements, however forced they may be by global circumstance. Perhaps sustainable communities of hunters and farmers can be formed, but they came at the cost of modern life, modern medicine, and modern comforts. Additionally, there is no longer a  “civilized” world from which people need to escape into the wild. Nature is no longer that place through which humans visit to find rejuvenation and transcendence. With the line between the human world and the wild world blurred and broken, transcendence is instead found in the art and humanity of the old world. It is like there has been a flip of the script, in which the music of the symphony, the theater of Shakspeare, and Miranda’s comic book have become the brief respite from the wild, brutal, survivalist living of the post-pandemic world. 

How does this imagined future reflect on our present?

This imagined future affects our present in a few different ways. First, it shows how different people react to disaster. For example, The Prophet formed a cult built on fear and violence; however, the Traveling Symphony reacted by sharing art to bring beauty back into the world. Additionally, it makes the characters and readers more appreciative of everyday life and the mundane, asking the questions: When you lose everything, what is left? How dependent are we on our current technology? This novel answers some of these questions in that we depend on our current technology. However, humans can survive with a sense of community. It also raises the question: What is society? When everything is lost, what becomes necessary? What do we crave? When everything is lost, society becomes what we continuously crave and find necessary in life. Humans find art necessary in order to see the beauty in the world and for a piece of heart. Relics of the old technology provide different uses, such as providing shelter and creating a town. Community allows people to lean on each other in difficult times, gives people a stronger sense of self, and can help people cope with negative experiences and feelings. Lastly, it gives us purpose in life as to what our “job” is and how we can contribute to society. Society is and becomes art, relics, community, and purpose when everything is lost.