Atmosphere: On What it Means to be Human
In Atmosphere, what stands out most is not just the beautifully devastating love story, but the way it taps into something bigger about life and what it means to be human.
The novel suggests that, much like the earth itself, we are constantly evolving versions of who we once were. We are shaped by time, by experience, and by the people who enter and leave our lives. As Joan reflects, “In the changing seasons these past 4 years; Joan had found it all. Something she loved, someone she loved, the parts of her she had hidden within herself.” Our lives are not made up of isolated moments, but are instead a culmination of everything we have lost, loved, and discovered along the way.
At the same time, Atmosphere reminds us that each of us carries an entire world within ourselves. What gives those worlds meaning, what keeps them moving, is connection. Love becomes the force that grounds us and expands us at the same time. As Donna says, “Because it feels so good to love someone. It feels better than anything on this earth. And I bet better than anything up there.” There is something almost impossible about love, something improbable, like landing on the moon. It shifts our perspective and pulls us out of ourselves, reminding us of who we are in relation to others.
That perspective expands even further through the novel’s references to space exploration. Joan reflects, “Whatever the stated or unstated goals of the Apollo program, the achievements of everyone in space were shared… HUMANS had figured out how to put a satellite up there. HUMANS had gone to the moon.” This moment reframes success as something collective rather than individual. It challenges the idea that life is about competition or separation.
Instead, Atmosphere suggests that our lives are deeply interconnected. It is not us versus them, but all of us moving, evolving, and existing together. Whether you see it as fate, the universe, or something more spiritual, there is an invisible thread connecting everything. Individual lives may feel separate, but they are constantly influencing and shaping one another.
In the end, the novel leaves you with the sense that to live fully is not just to exist within your own world, but to recognize how deeply it is tied to everyone else’s.
