Key Scene: Each member will post what they feel is a key scene from that week’s section and why (2-3 sentences)

Favorite Quote: Each member will post their favorite quote from this week’s section and explain why in 2-3 sentences.

Question: Each member will post a question that you want to discuss with your book group (all group members should respond to the question in the comment section for each posted question).

Themes: Each member will create a post tracking and discussing emerging themes. Elaborate on your theme with at least 2-3 sentences. 

A key scene can be seen during chapter 3 where, a conversation is set between two characters, Jeevan, the first character that we are introduced to and Hua, a close friend of Jeevan who works in the ICU. Where we learn about the fatality of the Georgian virus.

"This was during the final month of the era when it was possible to press a series of buttons on a telephone and speak with someone on the far side of the earth". I like this quote because it adds suspense to the storyline. Additionally, it can be seen as foreshadowing for future chapters which intrigues the reader to continue reading.

Arthur's death from the first chapter is a key scene as it started showing how dangerous the Georgia Flu is and the start of deaths from the Georgia Flu. It also showed what life was like before the pandemic struck.

"Of all of them there at the bar that night, the bartender was the one who survived the longest. He died three weeks later on the road out of the city." (Chapter 2) This quote stuck out to me as it foreshadows the effect the Georgia Flu will have on people. It also foreshadows people are trying to leave the city to escape the virus but unsuccessfully do as death gets to them first.

In chapter 11, what is the significance of the comparison of the 1594 flu to the present Georgia flu and what does it symbolize?

An emerging theme is how fragile life and civilization is. The story shows the before and after the flu and shows how easily civilization can fall. It also shows how easily one's life can end.

A key scene is when it is revealed the prophet has 4 wives promised to him. I feel this is important as it shows how he wants power and dominance, which in his eyes comes in the form of women.

"Will you take me with you?" (pg. 64) I like this quote because it reveals more about the city and that people want to escape this place. It adds suspense as now we want to know more about what is going on in the city that makes people living in the city want to leave.

What is your prediction or connection to how the Prophet and Miranda both ended up having dogs named Luli?

An emerging theme is tyranny or abuse of power as we see the Prophet use his power to control the town. He abuses his power to get women be his wives and goes unchecked in power as people fear him.

A key scene of this week read is when the Symphony performs in St. Deborah and encounters the Prophet (18-19). I feel like it is important as the Symphony sorta symbolizes creativity and hope while the Prophet appears to bring fear and control. Its like showing how dangerous power can be in a broken world.

My favorite quote this week was "The more you remember, the more you've lost" said by Kirtsen in chapter 14. I feel like this quote is a sign of comfort and pain at the same time. While Kirsten is reflecting pre-Georgia Flu, she is able to remember those memories but they are also something that haunts her in a way in this dystopian world where many people are gone.

Why do you think Kirsten still continues to collect artifacts before the collapse? Is it way for her and the other survivors to preserve the lost world?

I believe the theme of the week is the endurance of memory and time. As the Symphony keeps performing plays to keep the "art" alive, the Prophet brings back the danger of power as he twists fate into fear and taking control.

A key scene is when 3 members of the Traveling Symphony disappear without a trace in a span of a couple of days. This is important as it leads to Kristen and August later also being separated from the group while they were scouting ahead. It brings a mysterious element into the storyline as these people disappear without a trace.

"If I ever saw an airplane, that meant that somewhere planes still took off. For a whole decade after the pandemic, I kept looking at the sky." This quote is important to me as it shows even when it's been a decade since they have seen an airplane in real life, they still hold onto hope that somewhere there still are airplanes. It shows how they still hold onto hope that there is civilization somewhere no matter how much time has passed.

What is your prediction of where all the members disappeared to and what happened to them?

An emerging theme is the loneliness of the members of the Traveling Symphony. Even though they all travel together, they are all in different stages in life and have had different experiences making it hard to relate with each other in other ways than the Traveling Symphony.

Towards the end of chapter 32, when Jeevan made up his mind on leaving the apartment after 47 days and tells his Frank, causing a heated conversation between the two brothers, where Frank begins reminiscing on his past and how he cannot live to see another "war zone". And their conversation comes to an end where Frank tells Jeevan that he should try to go out and survive in the post apocalyptic world, but Frank decides he will take his own life as he cannot. This scene reveals how not only do people make sacrifices for loved ones, but also survival isn't only physical it is also emotional.

"Hell is the absence of the people you long for". This quote shows how in human nature death isn't our toughest battle but grief and the memories of loved ones are.

Why do you think Kristen has such a huge fixation on Arthur?

An emerging theme which can be seen is death. Throughout chapters 22-33 death is explored through different perspectives and how different characters react and deal with death.

a key scene is when Kristen and August go fishing during heavy rain and they return to find that the Symphony is gone. They continue on the route that the Symphony would have taken but do not find any sign of them.

Kirsten walked by the first caravan, trying to think of nothing. A sense of being caught in a terrible dream. This quote really shows not only the difficult standard of living but also the shock that Kirsten still has. it feels like a dream, unreal, hard to grasp.

I really want to know what happened to the people who disapear

A big theme is the mystery and unknown. The people aren't sure what exactly happened what the people who has gone missing. They are also so focused on trying to stay alive they still find it hard to comprehend their predicament. There is a lot of unknown about the future of the caravan too. Additionally, the whole plot is a bit mysterious. With three separate storylines, the reader is faced with the question of when the lines will come together and relate to each other

a key scene is when Jeevan meets Ben who is unaffected by the Flu, his whole family died within 48 hours of getting the flu. This is important as it reinforces the idea of how fast the world as changed into a dystopian setting.

Well, it's nice that at least the celebrity gossip survived.'" This quote was spoken by Kirsten in chapter 38. When her and August were looking through an abounded house and they found a photo of Miranda Caroll visiting a production of King Lear. Kirsten jokes that the celebrity gossip survived, which is ironic cause everyone in the photo died soon after the photo was taken.

Why did some random guy have an airplane scar? What is the significance?

A key theme in this part is the frustration, they have gotten used to life after the pandemic. Yet they are just constantly frustrated with the unknown of people disappearing. They hope for a parallel universe where technicology still exists and it could be much easier to locate each other.

A key scene occurs when Clark reads the Station Eleven comic, during which, he comes to the conclusion that a part of the comic is biased of him. This sparks strong emotions within Clark, as he begins to reminisce on the world before the epidemic. This moment provides him confront as he manifests behind the idea that civilization is slowly being restored.

"In the distance, pinpricks of light arranged into a grid. There, plainly visible on the side of a hill some miles distant: a town, or a village, whose streets were lit up with electricity." This is a turning point in the book which occurs in chapter 51. Where Clark present his discovery to Kirsten about a town with electricity. This quote provides the readers with a sense of hope, that humanity is beginning to rebuild. And the quote can feel even more meaningful due to several chapters which explored much more violent themes.

What role do you think that the comic book, Station Eleven, is biased off Arthur, Clark, and Miranda? Specifically the scene mentioned in chapter 55.

A big theme which is explored through these last chapters can be seen as memory and hope. Throughout the chapters, we can see how characters continue to have recollections of the world before the collapse, and further see this in the museum at the airport which is a reminder of the past. Another prominent theme is hope, which is intertwined with memory but can also be seen throughout the chapters mainly through the last five chapters of the novel, representing human resilience.