Human Life In Station 11

In Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel, she frames human life under two different eras in which they undergo a pandemic. The characters are in their present life living with concerns of their past life, in which ended twenty years ago after a worldwide collapse. Mandel seems to frame human life on both sides to let the reader know how civilization becomes affected through a great catastrophe. The story shows how human life was before the pandemic and its new meaning after the event. Throughout the novel, characters find material things that connect them back to the past. Mandel places importance on these material items as they provide happiness to the characters they never found in the past world. The material items they once took for granted are now items that become valuable as they help reach the inner fulfillment they never seemed to attain before the pandemic. We are able to find similar traits before and after the human collapse through the characters. In both worlds they seem to be finding that missing connection and meaning in their lives. Mandel frames human life similarly in both worlds by putting characters through moments which carry memories leading them to question their position in life. One example is

Characters such as Kristen and Clark seem to be lost when trying to reach a state of happiness before the pandemic. Mandel leaves characters to find their inner fulfillment after the collapse, despite their surroundings being far worse than previous. How can one find happiness despite living in much worse conditions then before? The material items they once took for granted before the apocalypse have now made them realize that it was the meanings behind the items that led them to find happiness, not the value of the item. Mandel frames human life in both worlds for them to realize that happiness is reached from true meaning behind items, rather than the items