Motifs in Station Eleven by

Motifs in Station Eleven by https://padlet.com/fryersmithsophie/z49n3rj0f5l3zibj The use of a symbolic structural feature to convey key ideas of the text en-us 2021-08-05 03:20:52 UTC 2022-09-05 10:20:40 UTC hello@padlet.com Chapter 22 fryersmithsophie https://padlet.com/fryersmithsophie/z49n3rj0f5l3zibj/wish/1669578403 Example and explanation: When Dieter and Kirsten are lying in their tent, he recounts a dream he'd had the previous night, where he had seen an airplane, and he "was so happy". He interpreted it as meaning that "[t]here was still civilisation somewhere."
Analysis: As dreams often represent innermost desires, and this is reinforced by Dieter's memory of how it made him feel, it reflects the hopes of those in the post-Georgia Flu world, that civilisation as they knew it will resume.
Response: As a contemporary reader, who sees the impact of the coronavirus, and limitations of travel, I can relate to the joy of seeing a plane, and the hope it elicits. It represents freedom and a sense of normality, that the current situation might not be as dire as believed. ]]> 2021-08-05 03:40:22 UTC https://padlet.com/fryersmithsophie/z49n3rj0f5l3zibj/wish/1669578403 Chapter 22 fryersmithsophie https://padlet.com/fryersmithsophie/z49n3rj0f5l3zibj/wish/1669774136 Example and explanation: In this chapter, Dieter expresses his curiosity about the rest of the world once the pandemic took place, and whether the entire planet was affected. "I used to think about the countries on the other side of the ocean, wonder if any of them had somehow been spared. If I ever saw an airplane, that meant the planes still took off." This parallels Clark's musings in Chapter 55, "...whatever became of the countries on the other side?" Clark has a more pragmatic attitude than Dieter; he "has no expectation of seeing an airplane rise again in his lifetime..."
Analysis: Aeroplanes, as a means of travel, are a significant symbol, in that they represent connectedness between state and countries. Furthermore, unlike ships (which can only be seen from shore), they are frequently seen in skies around the world. By both Dieter and Clark considering the potential of air travel, and speculating on the rest of the world, it highlights the insular lives of the characters in the novel, and how limited their experiences are, having no knowledge of what is actually occurring elsewhere.

]]> 2021-08-05 07:33:16 UTC https://padlet.com/fryersmithsophie/z49n3rj0f5l3zibj/wish/1669774136 Chapter 39 fryersmithsophie https://padlet.com/fryersmithsophie/z49n3rj0f5l3zibj/wish/1672492206 Example and explanation: "The prophet marked him."
"It's an airplane."
As Kirsten is taking first watch, once they had been presumably abandoned by the Traveling Symphony, August brings her attention to a man they'd met previously, scarred by the prophet. He alerts her to his belief that the scar she interprets as abstract, is actually an aeroplane.
Analysis: Once the reader discovers that the prophet is actually Tyler, who spent formative years at the Severn City airport, the choice of symbol makes more sense.

]]> 2021-08-09 05:05:40 UTC https://padlet.com/fryersmithsophie/z49n3rj0f5l3zibj/wish/1672492206 https://padlet.com/fryersmithsophie/z49n3rj0f5l3zibj/wish/2253893373 Example and explanation: The paperweight is passed along the journey in station eleven, through the hands of many of the novel's important characters. In chapter 2 the paperweight is introduced as "In the dressing room, Tanya gives Kirsten a paperweight and tries to contact the young girl’s parents." However the journey of the paperweight begins with Clark who purchases it at a museum gift shop. Clark passes the paperweight as a gift to Arthur and Miranda at the dinner party, Miranda keeps the paperweight for years. She passes it back to Arthur a week before the collapse but he just sees it as clutter symbolising the materialism he tries to escape before his life ends. Arthur re-gifts the paperweight to Tanya who gives it to young Kirsten as a distraction from Arthurs death. This journey from person to person is a physical representation of the interconnectivity the novel explores. Kirsten is the final owner who sees it as a piece of beauty. She sees it as a block of glass with a storm cloud inside, the weight is at once stunning and completely useless in the post-collapse world. She continues to carry it around with her. The paperweight represents the novel’s appreciation of art and beauty as something that, while not practical for survival, is essential for doing more than surviving.]]> 2022-08-03 04:13:21 UTC https://padlet.com/fryersmithsophie/z49n3rj0f5l3zibj/wish/2253893373 https://padlet.com/fryersmithsophie/z49n3rj0f5l3zibj/wish/2253893695 Chapter 2
EXAMPLE AND EXPLANATION
"in the children's dressing room, tanya is giving Kirsten a paperweight" "stop crying and look at this pretty thing" after Arthur's death Kirsten is upset and crying in her dressing room, and Tanya (the wrangler) tries to diffuse the situation by giving her a paperweight. Kirsten finds the paperweight beautiful.
ANALYSIS
The paperweight represents the beauty of life, life before the pandemic. The paperweight becomes significant in Kirsten's life as it is mentioned in several other chapters throughout.

]]> 2022-08-03 04:13:58 UTC https://padlet.com/fryersmithsophie/z49n3rj0f5l3zibj/wish/2253893695 https://padlet.com/fryersmithsophie/z49n3rj0f5l3zibj/wish/2253893787 Dr Eleven takes on symbolic significance by mirroring what is occurring in the world after the collapse. Dr Eleven and the other inhabitants of Station Eleven have left the world they know behind, just as those who survive the collapse find the world they live in utterly changed. Representing the survivors’ new world, Station Eleven is damaged, resulting in a perpetual state of twilight and raised oceans. A few years after the escape, people on Station Eleven disagree on a fundamental point: Dr Eleven and those that dwell on land do not wish to risk a return to earth, while those who live Undersea want to return. Similarly, some of those who survive the collapse disagree about whether it is possible or even desirable to return to a world like the one that preceded the collapse. ]]> 2022-08-03 04:14:06 UTC https://padlet.com/fryersmithsophie/z49n3rj0f5l3zibj/wish/2253893787 https://padlet.com/fryersmithsophie/z49n3rj0f5l3zibj/wish/2253895124 Analysis: The paperweight represents human connectivity as it is passed around, the "smooth lump of glass" with a cloud inside it represent the fragility of human connections. The paperweight suggests this as as soon as the glass breaks a storm could be released, although carried as an item of beauty by Kirsten (in chapter 12).]]> 2022-08-03 04:16:35 UTC https://padlet.com/fryersmithsophie/z49n3rj0f5l3zibj/wish/2253895124 https://padlet.com/fryersmithsophie/z49n3rj0f5l3zibj/wish/2253896647 example and explanation: Clark purchases it at a museum gift shop. Clark then gives it to Arthur and Miranda at the dinner table
Analysis:
The paperweight symbolises human connection. It passes through the hands of many of the novel’s important characters. It originates with clark who purchases it at a museum gift shop which slightly foreshadows his role . Clark then gives it as a gift to Arthur and Miranda at the dinner party, but Miranda takes it and holds on to it for years. In the weeks before the collapse, she decides to return it to Arthur.
Response: As a reader who see's the impact of civilisation and the importance of quality life and gifts throughout the novel it relates to interconnectivity between people as it is passed along and follows each characters influence on one another and the way fate operates in station eleven ]]> 2022-08-03 04:19:27 UTC https://padlet.com/fryersmithsophie/z49n3rj0f5l3zibj/wish/2253896647 Example and explanation https://padlet.com/fryersmithsophie/z49n3rj0f5l3zibj/wish/2253897070 All the plays that occur in the novel reflect the circumstances of people explored in the play. King Lear (which Arthur acts in) is significant as Lear deals with intense amounts of regrets (reflecting upon Arthur). The king also is manipulated by the superficial flattery of two of his daughters while ignoring the honest love of his third, which is what Arthur does when getting distracted by Elizabeth Colton and Lydia Marks, rather than focusing on the true people in his life (Miranda, Clark and Tyler).]]> 2022-08-03 04:20:13 UTC https://padlet.com/fryersmithsophie/z49n3rj0f5l3zibj/wish/2253897070 Example https://padlet.com/fryersmithsophie/z49n3rj0f5l3zibj/wish/2253897162 Example: The lead caravan carries an additional line of the text: "Because survival is insufficient."

Analysis: The motif of this quote written on the lead caravan is the motto for the travelling symphony. Their motto foreshadows the character development of Kirsten resulting in her killings and that you have to do more then just survive in the post collapsed world.

]]> 2022-08-03 04:20:17 UTC https://padlet.com/fryersmithsophie/z49n3rj0f5l3zibj/wish/2253897162 Chapter https://padlet.com/fryersmithsophie/z49n3rj0f5l3zibj/wish/2253897450 Example and explanation:

Analysis:
Kirsten continues to carry the paperweight after the collapse and thinks it is one of the most beautiful objects she has ever seen. The paperweight represents beauty in the post-collapsed world.

Response:
The paperweight represents the novel's appreciation of art and beauty and allows the reader to understand that even if the paperweight is just taking up space and is not practical for survival it is essential for doing more than surviving. ]]> 2022-08-03 04:20:35 UTC https://padlet.com/fryersmithsophie/z49n3rj0f5l3zibj/wish/2253897450 https://padlet.com/fryersmithsophie/z49n3rj0f5l3zibj/wish/2253897458 Kirsten is the object’s final owner, the paperweight represents beauty. The weight is at once stunning although completely useless in the post-collapse world. When she receives it, Kirsten believes it is the most beautiful object she has ever seen. After the collapse, she continues to carry it around with her for this reason, even though it is utterly impractical. In this way, the paperweight represents the novel’s appreciation of art and beauty as something that, while not practical for survival, is essential for doing more than surviving. ]]> 2022-08-03 04:20:36 UTC https://padlet.com/fryersmithsophie/z49n3rj0f5l3zibj/wish/2253897458 https://padlet.com/fryersmithsophie/z49n3rj0f5l3zibj/wish/2253904029 Example and explanation:
"Survival is insufficient" this is the motto for the travelling symphony as they desire to live a full life despite the collapse which reoccurs throughout the novel.
Analysis:
Through the traveling symphony they show the need to spread joy to others/thrive than to survive. There is a circularity within the book about the need for art in a world where everything else is lost.
Response: As a contemporary reader who has experienced a pandemic I understand the need to find beauty in simple things such as art. ]]> 2022-08-03 04:31:40 UTC https://padlet.com/fryersmithsophie/z49n3rj0f5l3zibj/wish/2253904029 Chapter 51 https://padlet.com/fryersmithsophie/z49n3rj0f5l3zibj/wish/2253905637 “It isn't possible,” she said.“But there it is. Look again.” In the distance, pinpricks of light arranged into a grid.

Explanation: Kristen goes to the airport and Clarke shows her the telescope, she is introduced to electricity.

Analysis: The reappearing of electricity in the post-apocalyptic society provides a sense of promise that society is rebuilding itself suggesting that humanity is still on an upward progressing path, even if it was shaken off course or into a new era by the emergence of the Georgia Flu.

Response: A response of hope for the future in the novel is created that manmade creations will be available again and a course of returning to the old lifestyle is suggested. Kristen accepts that she will follow the symphony to any sign of hope that the old world may be restored, this is evident in the symphony’s travel to the civilisation of the airport and the town with electricity.

]]> 2022-08-03 04:34:25 UTC https://padlet.com/fryersmithsophie/z49n3rj0f5l3zibj/wish/2253905637 Paper Weight https://padlet.com/fryersmithsophie/z49n3rj0f5l3zibj/wish/2253956299 Paperweights, like aeroplanes, function as symbols in a variety of ways. In Station Eleven, the paperweight represents a human connection in addition to its unusual journey. Several key characters have the paperweight in their possession throughout the novel. Beginning with Clark, who bought it from a museum gift shop (foreshadowing his role as curator of the Museum of Civilization) and gave it to Arthur and Miranda at the dinner party, but Miranda took it and kept it for years, until weeks before the collapse.

Miranda returns the paperweight to Arthur, who has no memory of it, in the weeks leading up to the collapse; this represents the clutter and materialism he is attempting to avoid before the end of his life.

Following Arthur's death onstage, he immediately re-gifts the paperweight to Tanya, who then gives it to young Kirsten as a distraction from the chaos occurring. This physical journey from one person to another represents the novel's interconnectedness; it follows the novel's main characters' possible connections and represents the influence they have on one another, as well as the way fate appears to work in Station Eleven.

To Kirsten, the final owner of the object, the paperweight represents beauty. In the post-collapse world, the weight, a block of glass with a storm cloud inside, is both beautiful and completely useless. When Kirsten receives it, she believes it's the most beautiful thing she's ever seen. Despite the fact that it is impractical, she continues to carry it around with her after the collapse. This way, the paperweight represents the novel's appreciation of art and beauty as something that, while not required for survival, is necessary for more than just survival.

]]> 2022-08-03 06:15:27 UTC https://padlet.com/fryersmithsophie/z49n3rj0f5l3zibj/wish/2253956299 Chapter 37 https://padlet.com/fryersmithsophie/z49n3rj0f5l3zibj/wish/2254055462 Example and explanation:
In the interview with Diallo, Kirsten mentions fragments of her memory before the pandemic mostly being objects powered by electricity, like air conditioners, fridges and computers. She also mentions "A sea of electric lights. It gives me chills to think of it."
Analysis:
The fact that electricity is one of the only things that Kirsten can remember before the collapse shows that, just like acting, she keeps the idea of electricity close to her heart. It has proven to help her through her journey and brings her hope to keep moving forward.
Response:
As a contemporary reader who uses electricity on a day-to-day basis I am grateful for the little things that I have and use everyday.

]]> 2022-08-03 09:46:10 UTC https://padlet.com/fryersmithsophie/z49n3rj0f5l3zibj/wish/2254055462 Examples: https://padlet.com/fryersmithsophie/z49n3rj0f5l3zibj/wish/2256471492 "There was still a civilisation somewhere. I fell to my knees. I started weeping and laughing, and then I woke up"

"She had been dreaming of a room, rehearsal space at college, an impression of laughter- someone had told a joke- and she tried to hold on to this, clinging at these shreds because it was obvious even before she was entirely awake that everything was wrong." (page 289)

]]> 2022-08-08 06:44:34 UTC https://padlet.com/fryersmithsophie/z49n3rj0f5l3zibj/wish/2256471492 https://padlet.com/fryersmithsophie/z49n3rj0f5l3zibj/wish/2256474142 example and explanation: “she knew he was dead” Kristen has a dream that August is dead and she is left alone.

Analysis: Kristen's fear of loneliness is displayed when she has a nightmare that August, the only person she has left, is dead and she is left alone. “she knew he was dead”

Response: This line shapes an accepting attitude toward death in the "new" world and the overwhelming sense of loneliness and abandonment as she could relate to these feelings that had been experienced in her past and didn't have to see him dead, instead she "knew" as she had already experienced what it felt like.

]]> 2022-08-08 06:50:45 UTC https://padlet.com/fryersmithsophie/z49n3rj0f5l3zibj/wish/2256474142 Example: https://padlet.com/fryersmithsophie/z49n3rj0f5l3zibj/wish/2256476351 'Kirsten woke abruptly with tears in her eyes. She dreamt that she'd been walking down the road with august, then she turned and he was gone and she knew he was dead. She'd screamed his name, she'd run down the road but he was no where. When she woke up, he was watching her, his hand on her arm. "Its nothing its just a bad dream" "I have bad dreams too" ]]> 2022-08-08 06:55:50 UTC https://padlet.com/fryersmithsophie/z49n3rj0f5l3zibj/wish/2256476351 Example and explanation https://padlet.com/fryersmithsophie/z49n3rj0f5l3zibj/wish/2256476978 Example and Explanation:
Books (specifically the Dr 11 series) symbolises knowledge and a connection with the pre-collapse, and escape from a horrific world after the collapse. Books have become more recognised and appreciated then ever thought possible. Miranda (the author of Dr 11) has a disagreement with her then-boyfriend Pablo, which uses dramatic irony as he says, "you're always half on Station Eleven," and, "I don't even understand your project. What are you actually going for here?"

Analysis:
The dramatic irony used allows readers to appreciate the fact that the Dr 11 series will one day be constantly referred to, read and thought of by owners of the series, even after the author, Miranda, has passed. It allows readers to find Pablo's doubting opinion frustrating, as they know that some day the Dr 11 series will be a prominent keepsake of the owners of the series. For Miranda, the hobby of writing the 'Dr 11' series distracts her from her toxic relationships and problems in her life, reflecting upon Kirsten and her reading of the series to distract her.

Response:
The Dr 11 series allows me to understand that in a world where there is frankly no escape from problems or concerns, a book series is the only escape of mainly Kirsten. I can understand how there is not much left in the world and in modern world we use things such as television, exercise, cooking, and more as an escape from our problems, that in 'Station Eleven,' Kirsten uses the Dr 11 series as an escape from her problems in the post-collapse world.]]> 2022-08-08 06:57:17 UTC https://padlet.com/fryersmithsophie/z49n3rj0f5l3zibj/wish/2256476978 https://padlet.com/fryersmithsophie/z49n3rj0f5l3zibj/wish/2256477513 example and explanation:
The book Dear V is a publish of Arthurs letter to his friend Victoria this exhibits a final way in which books function within the novel. "once i walked along the beach with my best friend V" represents the way in which memories have been remembered.

analysis:
Dear V shows the way that publication can impact people and it shows how painful it was for Arthur and damaging for his friends and other people too. This signifies how the printed word contributes to what is remembered and what will be forgotten.

response:
As a reader this highlights appreciation for moments in life that are deliberately written down to be remembered and cherished especially for Arthur who wrote Dear V for his friend Victoria. This suggests how we must hold onto moments and people that are special to us especially during moments of disaster such as the outbreak of the Georgia flu.]]> 2022-08-08 06:58:43 UTC https://padlet.com/fryersmithsophie/z49n3rj0f5l3zibj/wish/2256477513 https://padlet.com/fryersmithsophie/z49n3rj0f5l3zibj/wish/2256477922 "She had been dreaming of a room, rehearsal space"
Analysis: the context of this quote is that she is in a traumatizing position in which she "dreams" of her past and a life she took for granted which she now reflects on. This quote demonstrates the extent to the situation she is in. ]]> 2022-08-08 06:59:37 UTC https://padlet.com/fryersmithsophie/z49n3rj0f5l3zibj/wish/2256477922 Chapter 25 https://padlet.com/fryersmithsophie/z49n3rj0f5l3zibj/wish/2256477962 Example: Arthur tells Miranda that he 'treated Victoria like a diary.'

Analysis: Arthur admits that he used Victoria like a diary (Dear V), which symbolises the power that he holds over her. Arthur knows that Victoria will not reply and he is using her as a source to project his feelings and emotions to without getting a response. This objectifies her by Arthur not seeing her as a human being or her worth and the burden that he putting on her.

Response: As a contemporary reader we can see the problem with 'treating someone like a diary' as it is an abuse of power and an abuse in a relationship which is not mutual and reciprocal.

]]> 2022-08-08 06:59:44 UTC https://padlet.com/fryersmithsophie/z49n3rj0f5l3zibj/wish/2256477962 https://padlet.com/fryersmithsophie/z49n3rj0f5l3zibj/wish/2256478173 The Dr Eleven series of comics, refers to a symbolic significance throughout the novel as it mirrors, the present-day situation going on in the world after the collapse of humanity as a result of the Georgia virus. Dr Eleven and the other inhabitants of station eleven have to leave the world as they know it behind, this parallels the events in the book, as those characters who were so used to their modern-day society have to experience this ‘new’ world after the collapse of humanity. Station Eleven is damaged, much like the character's actual reality after the Georgia virus. After a few years of the escape on station eleven, come to a disagreement, Dr eleven and others do not wish to move back to land, while others are desiring to return. This once again parallels to the modern society plagued after the effects of the Georgia virus, how some believe that they can come back to a desirable world whereas others believe they will never return to the same earth as before the Georgia virus and the collapse of all humanity. ]]> 2022-08-08 07:00:20 UTC https://padlet.com/fryersmithsophie/z49n3rj0f5l3zibj/wish/2256478173 Chapter 11 https://padlet.com/fryersmithsophie/z49n3rj0f5l3zibj/wish/2256478239 Example and explanation
"Plague closed the theatres again and again, death flickering over the landscapes."
This plague parallels the Georgia flu in the book. Both the plague in Shakespeare's time and the Georgia flu killed many people. Although it killed masses of people this quote shows that art still lives on regardless.
Analysis
During Shakespeare's time, his plays got cancelled over and over again due to outbreaks of the plague, but he persisted to get his work to be noticed. This is similar to Kirsten and the Travelling Symphony continuing to perform his plays in honour of their similar situation.
Response
As a contemporary reader even though it has been centuries since Shakespeare's time people still appreciate the work he put into his plays even when times were tough. Kirsten's situation shows us that art carries on through the ages.]]> 2022-08-08 07:00:31 UTC https://padlet.com/fryersmithsophie/z49n3rj0f5l3zibj/wish/2256478239 https://padlet.com/fryersmithsophie/z49n3rj0f5l3zibj/wish/2256478649 Example and explanation "Kirsten glanced...a lowercase t wit an extra line ", the plane became a cult symbol for the prophet as he grew up at the airport. "I'm reading to the people inside...What if we were saved for a different reason?" Tyler was found talking to the airplane with people that were deceased inside as he believed he was the chosen one, this became a pivotal point in the novel as the readers realise the abnormality that stemmed from people's beliefs as they try to cope with the virus. People were left lost and puzzled, wanting answers of why some people died and some survived Tyler (The Prophet) formed their own beliefs.
Analysis: The airplane became a reoccurring symbol as Mandel draws a parallel between the vicious religious beliefs and the lack of uncertainty and instability within society ]]> 2022-08-08 07:01:38 UTC https://padlet.com/fryersmithsophie/z49n3rj0f5l3zibj/wish/2256478649 https://padlet.com/fryersmithsophie/z49n3rj0f5l3zibj/wish/2256479787 Chapter 24
Example and Explanation: When Kirsten is traveling separately from the symphony they come across a man (Finn) they ponder that "if hell is other people what is a world with almost no people in it? Perhaps humanity would soon flicker out. Kristen found this thought more peaceful than sad."

Chapter 23 page 142
As Kirsten and august become separated from the symphony they reflect that "hell is the absence of people you long for"

Chapter 10 page 48
" "Sartre: Hell is other people", in pen inside one of the caravans and someone else had scratched out "other people" and wrote "flutes". "

Analysis: Kirsten reflects on society and the fleeting nature of human life. This ties to the elegiac style. The quote "hell is other people" comes from the play "no exit' and has been adapted to each perspective of the character to show that throughout history the main frustration is the people who surround you. (such as slow wakers and bad drivers) ]]> 2022-08-08 07:04:39 UTC https://padlet.com/fryersmithsophie/z49n3rj0f5l3zibj/wish/2256479787