Legacy In Emily St. John Mandel's Station Eleven

What is legacy? According to Merriam-Webster, the definition of legacy is, “something transmitted by or received from an ancestor or predecessor or from the past.” What makes the thought of leaving a legacy so important? For most of us, something drives our lives. Our jobs, our families, or our travels. It isn’t until the end of our lives when we are able to see the impact we are leaving, or have left on the world. Legacy, in a general sense, is completely different to each and every one of us. In Emily St. John Mandel’s Station Eleven, legacy is easily defined in a few key characters she created. Specifically Jeevan, Arthur, and Miranda. Throughout the text, each character battles with themselves as they are not only trying to find themselves, but also trying to make sure that what the public sees is a reflection of who they believe they are.
Jeevan is a prominent character throughout the first handful of chapters. In the opening chapters he is a hero of sorts, for attempting to save Arthur’s life. We find out later that this portion of his life follows a long battle of trying to be financially stable while fighting with his inner self, knowing that the things he was doing to make money weren’t the most respectable. He began as a photographer, paparazzi, and an entertainment journalist. None of these, however, satisfied his need to be

After this, he will never turn back. He will go on to be a ‘doctor’ after the apocalyptic world begins. He doesn’t spend time reflecting on his life as a photographer or journalist, but he knows that he wants to be known as a helper, and he is proud of himself for making a positive impact on the lives of others. He knows that now that he is a healer, he will be remembered as something good rather than someone who stalked others for the money he was able to make on selling a photograph or a story. He knows that his legacy will live on, and be something worth being remembered