The Search for Self-Identity in Andy Weir’s Project Hail Mary

Abstract

This  study  investigates  the  protagonist's  search  for  identity in Andy Weir's novel “Project Hail Mary” and how Ryland Grace's confrontation with isolation, purpose, and moral responsibility reflects existential philosophies such as those of Jean-Paul Sartre, Albert  Camus,  and  Simone  de  Beauvoir.    This  study  identifies  key  moments  in self-discovery  and  decision-making  that  serve  as  representations  of  existential freedom and authenticity. Grace's journey from despair to the creation of meaning in the   vastness   of   space   reflects   humanity's   struggle   to   define   existence   amid uncertainty.  The results show that the protagonist's identity is reconstructed through choice,  sacrifice,  and  acceptance  of  absurdity.  Ryland  Grace’s  journey mirrors the human condition described by Sartre and Camus: he awakens in a meaningless universe, constructs identity through deliberate choice, and transcends despair through compassion and moral action. This represents how humans face meaninglessness with courage and logic. This study contributes to the literary conversation about the intersection of science fiction and existential humanism by emphasizing how speculative narratives continue to explore philosophical questions about the nature of existence, purpose, and identity.