Sunday, November 27, 2011

Feed Parts 3&4


             These two sections make up the majority of the novel. After their feeds are turned back on Titus, Violet, and the rest of the teenagers return home to Earth. They go back to school and resume their lives as usual, for the most part. Titus and Violet continue to see one another. Violet reveals a plan to Titus about how she wants to fight the feed. Eventually we learn that the hacker damaged Violet’s feed and there is not much hope of it being repaired. During the time she has left Violet tries to live normally like Titus and the rest of his friends. Unfortunately, Violet’s wisdom about world events and her perspective on the feed make it nearly impossible for her to do so. As Violet’s condition continues to worsen Titus is torn between growing up like Violet and being a normal teenager like his friends. He eventually starts to resent Violet’s condescending attitude, and becomes angry with her. Titus breaks up with Violet and does not see her again until it is too late. Meanwhile people in America are developing lesions so bad that their skin is literally falling off. America is the cause of a global crisis in which the world has turned their weapons on the country for its actions.
            In many ways I see these two sections as a coming of age story for Titus. He starts out as a typical self-entitled teenager, but as life is thrust upon him he must learn to grow up. He resents Violet for wanting him to love her and be with her until the end. As Violet’s condition worsens Titus becomes very selfish. He ignores her messages, deletes her memories, and allows her to think the problems with her feed are worse than they actually are. He enjoys being with Violet while times are easy. After her seizure at the party things get more difficult and Titus struggles with the situation. In the very end he comes back to Violet somewhat. He sits with her and tells her their story, but by that point it is too late. Violet’s condition has completely deteriorated. Violets father lashes out at Titus, and confronts him with the horrific memories of Violet’s final days. These things push Titus close and closer towards adulthood, and accepting that the world is not all about him.
            It is so sad when Violet learns that her feed will not be fixed. She tried so hard to fight for what was right and against the overwhelming consumerism that has engulfed America. In the end her fighting becomes the reason why she does not get her feed fixed. She is not a reliable consumer; therefore the large companies see no use in keeping her alive. After all, why save someone who never buys anything? I see Violet as the true hero of this story. Titus may be the main character, but he is not what makes this novel important. Violet achieved something that people are unable to do even today. She thinks for herself. Rather than let the feed or large corporations do the thinking for her, Violet makes her own decisions.
            It truly amazes me how little M.T. Anderson had to exaggerate current issues to create the dystopian society of Feed. As I read I found that the problems America faced in Feed are all problems people worry about today. Pollution, climate change, international relations, corporate take over, the energy crises these are just a few of the areas Anderson touches on in the novel. Sadly, he does not exaggerate them much further to make them catastrophic to our nations future. It really makes me wonder if what the Coalition of Pity is right. Are we truly entering a time of calamity? 

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