Station Eleven: Chapters 1 & 2

The novel opens with this epigraph from Czesław Miłosz. In what ways do you think this might connect with dystopian themes?
The epigraph that opens the novel seems to be a nihilistic view of the world and its corruption, ending with "it is too much./There is too much world". In dystopian worlds, leaders believe that the only solution to world issues is through violent or tyrannical means. Perhaps in this novel, leaders in this world believe this as well, foreshadowing the events that will unfold. 

Read the first two chapters of Station Eleven and respond. The novel opens not with the pandemic (in this case it will be called The Georgian Flu), but with a theatrical production as the lead actor keels over on stage. Why do you think this scene opens the novel and what is your impression so far of the central characters? In the second chapter, members of the crew meet at a bar. An ominous line ends the chapter. What do you want to know more about so far?
While this is a very dark and saddening start to the novel, I believe Mandel decided to introduce the novel with this scene to display this world before the Georgian Flu. Individuals like Laura, the paparazzi, journalists, and stage crew members of the play are gossipy and self-absorbed even after a tragic event had just occurred. The main character in the first chapter, Jeevan is in contrast more compassionate and caring, being the first person to run to aide Arthur, looking after Kirsten who was left alone during the ordeal and choosing to become a paramedic instead of a celebrity journalist. These differences in personalities are best displayed in the relaxed setting before the impending pandemic. In the coming chapters, I hope to learn more about how this deadly flu broke out, how quickly it impacts the world, and who survives. 

Pull one quote from the novel to discuss and dialogue within your reader’s journal.

        [Jeevan] was thinking about the way the dropped curtain closed off the cavernous space instead of a

        ceiling, fathoms of catwalks, and lights between which a soul might slip undetected... Not quite like a

        room, Jeevan thought now, looking around the stage. It was too transitionary, all those doorways and

        dark spaces between wings, the missing ceiling. It was more like a terminal, he thought. (Mandel 5)

During the commotion of Arthur's unexpected fall, Jeevan hadn't gotten the chance to process what was occurring since the moment he stood up to help. Now that he allowed the cardiologist, Dr. Walter Jacobi, to step in and help with CPR, he was able to process his surroundings and disassociate, in a way, from the craziness all around him. Mandel's incredible use of sensory description and displaying a stream of consciousness in Jeevan's head made this scene very immersive and relatable to those that have been through a traumatic event like this.