Feed
Category A - C
“You’re walking, and
everything’s empty, but the weirdest thing is that it’s not empty at all. The
weirdest thing is that you know that you’re more alone than anyone, but that
more people are thinking about you than ever before. They’re all just there,
holding their breath, following your, like your every move though the house,
listening to your footsteps and the doors opening and closing. So you’re more alone, but more watched”
(195).
In
this specific passage, Titus is explaining to Violet the game of sardines,
which is closely related to hide-and-go-seek. Although he is explaining the
logic of this game, it is also a metaphor to the society in which they live in.
This is one of the rare occasions where Titus shares this similar outlook on
society that Violet does but with a certain limit to it; he does not relate it
to the feed, but it is clear to the reader to he is not merely talking about a
childhood game. These feeling of loneliness are commonly associated with the
compromising of individuality that is seen throughout the novel.
In
the society that this book is centered around, people are always interacting
with one another or there is always something on the feed to keep your mind
occupied, so it gives people a sense that they are not alone. However, when
analyzing the character’s, many of them are alone regardless if they are
surrounded by people, similar to the game of sardines. Titus is constantly
mentioning that he is in his room just staring at a wall or looking at things
to purchase on the feed. This relates back to the game of sardines where you
are hiding in an area alone, but you know that there are people around you, so
you are technically not alone.
As
for the watching sense of this passage, the feed is watching all it’s
recipients. It is analyzing what interests you, what you need, and what you
want at all times. It is watching you. Just as the game of sardines, you are
being watched; it may not be to the same extent, but there are people around
you that are looking for you, trying to hear if you make a sound. This sense of
being watched nonetheless causes someone to act a certain way. In the case of
the game sardines, you will attempt to make less noise and choose your hiding
spot with this in mind; as for the feed, you act a certain way to conform to
this way of society.
The
comparison of the game of sardines to the impact the feed has on the society
presented in the book is a key point in the book. It is one of the few
instances where Titus is seen expressing his feelings about this society, and
it had to be done in this form to devalue the extremity of the issue in his
perspective. This feeling of being alone and watched is constant throughout the
novel and is seen in a different light in this passage when comparing it to a
simple game.
I really like how you pointed this out because I certainly didn't pick up on this while I reading the book. I think you are right in relating the feeling of loneliness and the feed. While the feed attempts to never allow people to never feel alone, to some extent that is impossible. If there isn't a connection you can still feel extremely lonely in a crowd of people.
ReplyDeleteGood. I was hoping someone would pick up on this passage. Earlier in the text, Violet tells Titus "you are the only one of them who uses metaphor," and he does not know what she is talking about. This later passage is an example of Titus using metaphor, but it also suggests that he is doing so unintentionally. He suspects he knows he is using the game to show how he feels, but he has not yet connected the dots that he is talking about the feeling of isolation caused by the Feed. Even when Violet says yes, that's it exactly, he does not know what she means by that. So, here we have an unintentional metaphor of sorts because Titus is not eloquent enough to connect the dots himself. Nevertheless, Violet and the readers can take that last step for him. It reminds me of modern studies on how we are the most lonely generation in recent history even though we are the most connected via social media.
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