How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #7
Now that NASA can talk to me, they won't shut the hell up. (13.4)
How quickly things change! We're sure that Mark wouldn't go back to radio silence if you paid him, but we can understand why he reacts like this—he simply misses his independence.
Quote #8
Pathfinder's dead. I've lost my ability to contact Earth. I'm on my own. (17.136-137)
Here's a trick for reading The Martian—if things are looking up, then you're only pages away from it all tumbling back down. You wanted independence, Mark? Well, your wish has been granted.
Quote #9
I never realized how utterly silent Mars is. It's a desert world with practically no atmosphere to convey sound. I could hear my own heartbeat. (21.167)
With the Hab disassembled, Mark feels the full weight of his isolation. Although he knows that he's beginning the final leg of his journey (whether he survives or not), he still can't help but feel unsettled. To be honest, we'd suggest throwing some disco on the stereo and blaring it to high heavens. Rovers have good sound systems, right?