Science and Human Ingenuity- The book deals with many technological advancements but some of them fail and must be fixed in order to provide Mark Watney a chance to survive. He must use his own skills as a botanist and engineer to not only fix broken tech, but also to grow food and contact Earth.
The Fight to Survive- The chance of surviving more than a few days on a different planet are very low. That is what Mark Watney attempts to do though. Never giving up even when all seems lost is a quality of the human race and serves its purpose in unkown situations. He finds methods to live longer and faces problems as they come (with a sufficient amount of profanities).
First three sentences of the book, "I'm pretty much fucked. That's my considered opinion. Fucked"(1).
First three sentences of the book, "I'm pretty much fucked. That's my considered opinion. Fucked"(1).
Loneliness and the Need for Human Connection- It is rare to go more than a few days or even hours without seeing another person. Even for the most antisocial person, it is a basic need to be recognized. To be alone on Mars is loneliness on another level as there is not even evidence of other people and for a long time NASA did not know Mark was alive. That is why one of his goals is to establish a connection to Earth so he will not feel so alone. His first connection makes him so happy that he "sat down in the dirt and cried. Bawled like a little kid for several minutes"(116).