"A Martian Odyssey" is a science fiction short story by Stanley G. Weinbaum and was originally published in 1934. The story catapulted Weinbaum's career, and the story remains one of the best examples of science fiction short story writing. Much of the major praise for this particular story concerns the character of Tweel. Tweel is an alien creature that Jarvis encounters and befriends. Much of the praise for Tweel deals with the fact that he thinks as well as a human but not similarly to a human. Your essay could explore that angle, but other themes exist as well. I would consider exploring the theme of friendship, and I would use Jarvis and Tweel as the characters that convey that theme. The two characters are quite different from each other, yet they get along and protect each other fiercely. Tweel is even willing to die protecting Jarvis near the story's conclusion. There is also a theme involving perseverance, survival, and/or the human spirit. Jarvis gets stranded very far away from his home base, and his solution is to walk back no matter the obstacle.
I would focus the thesis on the friendship theme because it gives a lot of room to explore various angles. You could even relate the theme to real-world race relations if you are so inclined. A possible thesis might go something like the following:
"Although Weinbaum's story might appear to be nothing more than an adventure story placed on another planet, the story thematically explores a profound relationship between two characters whose differences do much to strengthen their bond."
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