Genre
Science Fiction
Setting and Context
Mars and Earth, 2035
Narrator and Point of View
Mark Watney, in the first person, with some sections in third person (with an unnamed narrator)
Tone and Mood
The tone is humorous and occasionally playfully sarcastic, when Watney is speaking; the mood is suspenseful, due to the danger Watney faces
Protagonist and Antagonist
Watney is the protagonist; there is no human antagonist, although the Martian landscape is a "planetary" atangonist
Major Conflict
Watney must survive being left behind on Mars, then create a liveable environment within the Hab, then journey across Mars to Schiaparelli crater, to rendezvous with the crew of the Hermes
Climax
Watney's crew return to Mars and have a limited time period to pick Watney up in space and bring him back to their vessel.
Foreshadowing
The book occasionally flashes forward to indicate key equipment failures, as when part of the Hab's canvas tears, causing an airlock to rip out
Understatement
Watney's attempts to make light of his situation through humor understate the harshness of the Martian terrain and the dangers Watney faces.
Allusions
Watney alludes to pop culture repeatedly, especially 1970s pop culture: for example, "How come Aquaman can control whales? They’re mammals! Makes no sense.”
Imagery
Watney's imagery tends to be strictly scientific, as does the unnamed narrator's; other images, such as those employed by NASA, are derived from Greco-Roman mythology
Paradox
NA
Parallelism
The story follows two parallel situations: Watney as he attempts to solve problems and NASA administrators on Earth as they do the same.
Metonymy and Synecdoche
NA
Personification
Watney is alone on Mars and often personifies the potential reader of his logs, both to give himself someone to explain his actions to and to make sure his experiences would not be forgotten.