Station Eleven: Not The Average Post-Apocalyptic Story

Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel shares the science fiction tale of a post apocalyptic world, and how everyone in it is connected in a twisted and mysterious way. When the entire world is struck by the mysterious Georgia flu, there is an outbreak of pandemonium and tragedy as death strikes with tremendous force. Following the plague, the world is in ruins as the few survivors fight to live in a new world of ransacked chaos. St. John Mandel switches between the perspective of many characters attempting to find normalcy in this new world, specifically Jeevan Chaudhary, Kirsten Raymonde, and Clark Thompson. Each of these characters have gone off on their own to continue their paths in life, Jeevan living on a ranch with his new family, Kirsten going along with the Traveling Symphony, and Clark creating a civilization in an airport. All of these storylines are vital to the plot in different ways, as St. John Mandel spends the majority of the story discussing the differences in living situations before and after the flu, and how each of these characters have reacted to their major life changes. With the usage of complex clues and ever-changing perspective, Emily St. John Mandel creates a suspenseful piece of literature that strays away from the cliché post-apocalyptic storyline that seems to be taking over the world of literature.

The underlying plot of this story reveals that these people are all connected by one person, Arthur Leander, who passed shortly before the outbreak of the flu at the beginning of the story. Throughout the text, Emily St. John Mandel brings up past events that have brought each of these characters into contact with each other without even realizing it. For example, in the scene of Arthur’s death, Kirsten watched Arthur receive aid from a mysterious audience member, who was later revealed to be Jeevan (St. John Mandel 16). Emily St. John Mandel uses this as one of her initial opportunities to create a puzzle for her readers, allowing them to piece together the deep connections between the characters. Sending out subtle clues is one of St. John Mandel’s unique writing techniques she uses to mesh together the lives of her characters in a specific way.

Another prominent aspect of St. John Mandel’s writing in Station Eleven is her usage of the third person omniscient point of view. By using this tone, St. John Mandel is able to share the thoughts of multiple characters in her book without showing bias or placing too much importance on one character. For example, when the text reflects on a dinner party hosted by Arthur Leander, St. John Mandel shares many of the thoughts of Miranda, Arthur’s (ex) wife (St. John Mandel 256), helping the reader to understand the situation. At another time in the text, St. John Mandel reverses the role to share the thoughts of Clark as he settles into new life at the airport (St. John Mandel 440). This role reversal is a perfect example of how Emily St. John Mandel uses her point of view to give different outlooks of life in this new world.

The climax of St. John Mandel’s writing is not reached until the end, and still leaves room for interpretation, when Kirsten confronts the prophet once and for all. The prophet is constantly involved in the text, connecting the other characters in a way similar to Arthur. He is a symbolic character, and St. John Mandel makes use of her mysterious style once again, dropping subtle clues to the prophet’s true identity throughout the book. One of her many clues includes sharing Clark’s thoughts of where his good friend Elizabeth and her son went after leaving the airport, as she may have connected with followers who share the same beliefs as the prophet, saying, “What became of you, Elizabeth, out there on the road with your son?” (St. John Mandel 550). While some readers may have just passed by this hint, Emily St. John Mandel makes somewhat of a scavenger hunt through her reading, leaving it up to the imagination.

Emily St. John Mandel uses a variety of writing strategies and techniques to create a style in her writing that differs from the typical novel. Throughout the text, she drops small clues leading to the climax. When the climax is reached, the reader can either be impressed by their interpretation skills or reflect on the text and realized that they have may have missed the small and obvious points. This makes for a piece of writing that is both entertaining and thought provoking. Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel strays away from the typical post apocalyptic story, and instead puts a new twist on a popular topic with mystery and suspense.