Station Eleven: Dystopic and Clever

Station Eleven: Dystopic and Clever
Nick Microulis

With the reading of Emily St John Mandel’s novel, Station Eleven complete, it is time to recognize both the good and the mediocre. Throughout the book, Mandel uses fantastic diction to create thought provoking one liners and intense, yet concise descriptions. One such description occurs in chapter 13 where there is short passage that describes “Miranda at seventeen...” (Mandel 77). In this description the author’s word choice is important as it creates a dramatic image. Mandel writes, “she is preternaturally composed, and very pretty, pale with grey eyes and dark curls” (Mandel 77). The word preternaturally is an excellent choice for the description of Miranda. Literally the word means that which appears outside the natural. By writing this the author has put into the mind of the reader that Miranda is special, that she lies outside the norm. The rest of the physical description is also key, “pale with grey eyes and dark curls” (Mandel 77). Mandel’s word choice for Miranda’s physical description is well done, allowing the reader to truly picture her for the first time in the novel. The next part of her description is by far the most interesting in terms of the author’s diction. The author writes, “She comes into the restaurant in a rush of cold air, January clinging to her hair and her coat, and Arthur is immediately struck by her poise” (Mandel 77). The idea of her entering with “a rush of cold air” makes her entrance feel refreshing for Arthur as if putting him into a new state of mind or waking him up. The idea of January clinging to her hair and her coat helps to set the scene, specifically just how cold it is where they are. Lastly, that Arthur is “struck” by Miranda’s poise affirms that Miranda's presence and entrance into his life hit him hard, and unexpectedly. Mandel’s diction and voice within this descriptive passage and throughout the entire novel helps to create important scenes such as this one.

Mandel’s one liners contributed heavily to the positive side of the novel. The best one liner being “Hell is the absence of the people you long for” (Mandel). This quote is important and an example of Mandel’s strength as a writer. She connects her characters with the audience through a single line, a line with which everyone can identify with. People all over the world feel pain for those they cannot be with. Knowing this Mandel takes this emotion to the nth degree through the loneliness of her characters in the world of Station Eleven. By doing so Mandel creates a line that both moves the reader emotionally and connects the reader to the book. Another powerful one liner has a more sinister affectation, Mandel writes, “No one ever thinks they’re awful, even people who really actually are. It’s some sort of survival mechanism” (Mandel). Thought provoking and struck with cynicism this line makes the reader wonder, about the characters in the book and even about themselves and people they know. Mandel is able to connect characters such as the prophet through his ignorance of his own evil to experiences that the reader may share.

As with all books there are positives and negatives, the good and the bad. Although Station Eleven has many positives its underlying issues lie within the structure of the novel and some other choices made by Mandel within the story itself. Where one would expect to find survivalist stories of hunting, gathering, starvation and dehydration you are instead met with a group of survivalists who these problems rarely affect. It would have been interesting for the author to include parts where would was being gathered, the musicians were hunting or searching in need of water.

Lastly, the change in time and character what seemed to be every chapter was very irritating to read. As soon as the reader became invested in a character's story line, the chapter would end and the story line would change, creating an unnecessary irritation. Despite these problems, however, Mandel has been able to craft a thought provoking novel, rich with description and an engaging storyline.