How can Emily Mendel’s Novel “Station Eleven” Affect the Development of Students’ Personalities?

How can Emily Mendel's Novel "Station Eleven" Affect the Development of Students' Personalities?

The world is experiencing a pandemic and even though it is different from the narration in Station Eleven, some of the things in the book resonate with audiences today.

The deadly Georgia Flu hits a small town and before residents know what it is about, they are told it is likely to become a global pandemic. Naturally, there is panic when people find out that they are unlikely to survive what is coming. The story takes on three points of view; there is the pre-apocalypse world, the world during the pandemic, and what is left after this all is done. Those who survive the pandemic now have to deal with a new order, and the unfolding events show the important influence of the novel on the creation of society. It is eye-opening, chilling, and thought-provoking.

This novel is not the easiest read since it packs a lot in one. The three phases that characters live through require some concentration to take in. Luckily there are plenty of free essay samples about Station Eleven online that can help you unpack this novel. Some deep Station Eleven analysis in academic papers has been written and published for students and teachers to break this book down in ways that anyone can understand and appreciate.

There are several takes on this novel from the various authors that have published essays on this matter. Even though views differ, what they all seem to agree on is that this book remains one of the best-written in its category.

Here are some of the things that we get from the novel;

Looking Back

Memory distorts over time as the brain is designed to help one forget a painful past. In the book, we see incidences where the characters travel back into a past they can hardly remember. Kirsten lost her parents during the collapse and now she finds out that she and her brother had to walk to survive for a whole year. She has no recollection of this period, but she does remember losing her brother right before she found her band, Symphony. We all have moments in school or at home that taught us lessons that we would rather forget. This book shows that these moments, even when they are not the best, still shape our character in ways we might not even realize.

Thought-provoking

Taking a life, even one’s own doesn’t resonate the same way with everyone. Some people consider suicide as selfish, while others believe it to be selfless. Jeevan and his brother Frank have been walking and stumbling through the post-apocalypse days just to stay alive and so far, they have been doing well. Frank has a disability that he believes to be slowing them down. In a bid to help his brother get further with as little time as possible, he takes his own life.

Now, this is thought-provoking and reflective. We have to admit it took a lot for Frank to do as he did. It is now up to the reader to face an uncomfortable act and ask themselves what they really think of Frank’s actions.

Fickleness and Relentlessness

Georgia Flu is fictional but that doesn’t make it impossible, especially with what is happening in the world – COVID 19. Before the plague, the world thrived as it does all the time; people worked, got some education from a real classroom with a teacher, moved effortlessly from one place to the other, and so on. The mediocrity and boredom were accepted as the norm until the plague disrupted this flow.
What we see during and post the plague is a people waking up to unpredictability. This novel about the degradation of society shows that what we perceive to be normal can change in a heartbeat. Even friends cannot be trusted to stay by each other’s side where survival is concerned. The lesson here is in the fickleness of life and how one thing can change everything.

A Good Read for these Times

Whether you read this book in college or are just finding out about it, it is a good book to read now. Every part of it is enticing and even Stanza Eleven for students with all the phrases that take one back to how the book starts – excerpts from Shakespeare’s King Lear. Reading about the fictional Georgia Flu is likely to make you think about the present-time pandemic that the world is fighting.

Xsnoize Author
Mark Millar is the founder of XS Noize and looks after the daily running of the website as well as hosting interviews for the weekly XS Noize Podcast. Mark's favourite album is Achtung Baby by U2.

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