by Lucas David
The book, The Martian, by Andy Weir, is packed with many kinds of science, but psychology is one of the less explored sciences of the book. However, though the author does not emphasize psychological processing as a theme, it is clear that he did put time into thinking of the psychological aspects of the book. One example of this is how the protagonist, Mark Watney, behaves as he traverses Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs.
For those unfamiliar with Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, it is an idea proposed by Maslow of the five levels of human needs that humans usually pursue in order. Near the bottom of the hierarchy, so the first in the order, are physiological needs, such as food, water, shelter, and sleep, followed by safety needs, like employment, health, and property. Next are emotional needs, such as friendship, family, intimacy, and a sense of belonging. The last two levels are esteem, meaning respect, freedom, and accomplishment; and self actualization, which is the desire to reach one’s full potential in life.
Before the storm comes and Watney is struck by the satellite dish, he is attempting to achieve historical and scientific accomplishment. The moment that he wakes up after he was struck by the satellite dish, the first things he thinks about are his physiological and security needs. Once he is back inside the shelter with access to oxygen and has treated his wound, he then begins thinking about food and water.
Watney spends a great deal of his time focused on attaining food and water. Once he has figured that out, we see him psychologically begin to move back up the pyramid of needs in his desire to reach out to humanity. While technically he needs people to maintain his physiological needs, we also see that he has moved up a rung on the hierarchy of needs in that he is motivated to be in contact with other humans and to be reunited with his family.
Near the end of the book, I believe that Mark Watney begins demonstrating signs of desiring accomplishment and fulfillment, even though his focus is on returning to his family and staying alive. We are seeing hints of him wanting to accomplish something significant and memorable, even though he hasn’t yet completely returned to safety. Despite the possibility of him not surviving the journey home, he is still wanting to connect with and reassure his loved ones. We see this with the note that he leaves for his family via a colleague.
Immediately after his space launch home, he ends up floating through space, trying to stay alive again. It seems that just as he was finally returning to his peak psychological status, he has dropped all the way back to the bottom of the hierarchy again, as he desperately fights to stay alive.
Overall, Mark Watney experiences a psychological roller coaster ride throughout his extended stay on Mars that reflects Maslow’s established Hierarchy of Needs.
The Lighthouse 