Utilization of acquired knowledge and remarkable support are two vital elements in order to survive in an unfamiliar circumstance, such as Mars. After wounded and separated from his crew, Mark Watney, from The Martian by Andy Weir, struggles for survival on Mars. Mark shows his great horizon while he solves his food problem by using potato seeds and bacteria from earth. Also, with great support by NASA after getting the radio from Pathfinder, Mark was able to endure the most undesirable environment. Subsequently, by these two essential factors, Mark Watney is able to withstand himself on Mars. 

Mark Watney performs a figurative character who takes advantage of his expertise to tackle in dilemma. What surprises readers the most, is that Mark, under such urgent condition, can think of using seeds and bacteria, mixing with Martian soil, to cultivate for harvest. This demonstrates that he, not only is a wise botanist who exploits his wisdom to solve knotty problems but also he is imperturbable when meeting thorny troubles. It is an important ability of a person since he or she will not feel unprepared and panicking to cope with all the handicaps. Here is an example of Mark showing his knowledge when he is about to plant. “For starters, I can give my attention to each individual plant. I can trim them and keep them healthy and not interfering with each other. Also, as their flowering bodies breach the surface, I can replant them deeper, then plant younger plants above them.” The quote delineates Marks thinking as he plants the potatoes in the soil with the knowledge he has learned. Consequently, the exploitation of wisdom can help people to survive under a hazardous situation. 

Moreover, without the communication and support from Earth, it will be hard from Mark to survive. During the trip to Pathfinder, he successfully gets the radio. It is a crucial moment because it is really painful for him without communication with anybody for months. People could get lonely, depressed, and give up to struggle for the continuation of endeavor and waiting for death. Mark is now capable to talk to people on Earth, which means that his status of life can be actually reported to NASA instead of using satellite to see in a photo. By the support from Houston, Mark is finally able to proceed his journey to MAV of Ares 4, which is about three thousand two hundred kilometers in distance, which both flat and rugged part of the land. Here is the command that is given to Mark to modify both of his rovers. “JPL: I’m sure you’re wondering how to cut a hole in the rover. Our experiments show rock sample drill can get through the hull. Wear and tear on the bit is minimal. You can cut holes in a line, then chisel out the remaining chunks between them. I hope you like drilling. The drill bit is 1 cm wide, the holes will be 0.5 apart, and the length of the total cut is 11.4m. That’s 760 holes. And each one takes 160 seconds to drill.” The quote suggests that by the help of JPL, Mark is now able to modify the rovers, which then included a bedroom, oxygenator, and water. Ultimately, having the capability of communicating with the elites on Earth is both helpful and pain-killing. 

In an unknown environment, it is important for people to take advantages of knowledge to cope with all the potential problems, and having the ability to communicate with certain people, as they can give out suggestions and also kills the nervous vibe. In the novel The Martian by Andy Weir, Mark Watney, who is wound and separated from his crew after a sandstorm, survived more than one and a half year on Mars. Throughout the text, Mark shows his ability to utilize his expertise to tackle all of the possible trouble. It is also because that he is able to receive suggestion and communicate with elites on Earth so that he can travel to MAV of Ares 4 for months. In conclusion, it is the two elements that assist Mark to survive on Mars.