“The Cold Equations” Plot Analysis
Conflict: The year is 2178. Barton is an EDS pilot of a ship coming from the Stardust. He was sent to the planet of Owen in order to give his crewmates a serum for a fever they had. He notices something… A stowaway is on his ship!
Rising Action 1: The stowaway was an 18-year-old girl named Marilyn Lee Cross. She sneaked in to the ship in order to go to the planet of Mimir to go see his brother Gerry.
Rising Action 2: She tells him her story and Barton decides to speak with the Commander of his ship about this…
Climax: If they want to reach the planet safely, one person has to go…
Falling Action 1: Marilyn is afraid. She doesn’t want to die. She just wants to see his brother, but Barton tells her that there was nothing else to do. He needs to arrive at Owen if he wants to save his crewmates.
Falling Action 2: Marilyn has no other choice. It’s either his crewmates, or her. And she decides to go…
Resolution: Marilyn dies floating in space…
MvSelf: Marilyn and her discovery of the fact that she is going to die
MvM: Marilyn and Barton
MvSociety: Marylin and the EDS because she broke the law she wasn’t aware of.
Alternate ending:
Marilyn is scared. She doesn’t want to go, but while thinking about it, Barton comes in and tells her: “you know what? I’ll go. I understand how you feel. You’re too young to die, so let me take your place…” Marilyn responds with: “What? But you’re supposed to give the serum to Group 1. What happened?”
“The Commander just told me that someone else is giving them the serum. So now I don’t think I have anything else to do… So, I think it’s my time to go. See you on the other side, Marilyn” And then he leaves the ship. Now Marilyn has to go to Mimir all by herself.
The main setting of this story is in a distant future. Now, humans travel all across the galaxy and explore newfound territory. The mood in this story is actually a bit depressing. You feel the emptiness of outer space and it makes you feel lonely. Having to go to another planet for yourself feels a bit sad. The tone of this story is really just the author giving his depiction of a futuristic life, where humans now travel through space.
By Angelo Martínez, Step 11
