Have you ever noticed when you're out, maybe at the mall or the gym, that a majority of the population is on there phones? It’s sad to say, but it’s true. Everyone’s faced down staring into a screen instead of interacting with the world around them. I know when I go to the gym, my goal is to work out, not beat the next level of Candy Crush ( I’ve been stuck on it for months). So many are wasting their lives away in a virtual reality. There lives are being wasted by lack of communication skills, emotions, critical thinking, etc. It's crazy the capacity of what technology is capable of doing.What is Violet's worth in Feed? She is treated just like a consumer and they want you to buy and make money off you as well. Is this really how the world is now? Just like how when you shop for something, and head to Facebook and BAM there it is? And with YouTube now, there are ads you just can't skip. You're being forced to watch whatever it is that is trying to sell to you. In this day in age, our worth is valued by how much we buy and spend. So basically, with all this technology consuming our lives, we are going to become brain dead and broke. We can't even answer simple questions like what's the capital of Texas without asking Siri first...."It's a reference, he said, snotty. "It's from The Time Machine by H.G Wells."
I stepped closer to him. "What does it mean?"
"Read it."
"I'm sick of being told I'm stupid."
"Tell me."
"Read it."
"Tell me."
"You can look it up."
This novel was published in 2002 with the author setting the time for the far future, which in reality, all of this is happening now.Violet’s goal was to resist the feed and this way of life, and I’m right behind her. Through the span of reading this novel, I kept finding many similarities between Violet and I. I was surprised but felt like I could really relate to her character.
Here's a few examples …..
Growing up
I live in Verona, New Jersey, (AKA clique-est, snobbiest town in Northern Nj). That might be up for discussion, but from my experience that's how I feel. Every family that lives here is basically high middle class, with a white picket fence, and a family dog. I'm not saying there's anything wrong with type of lifestyle, but there has always been a major difference between myself, and the peers I've grown up with. My mom is a single mother and has raised me by herself. We live happily in cute apartment, with our cat, Oreo. Not to toot my own horn, but I think my mom did an amazing job raising me on her own. Even though while growing up, her and I went through obstacles, mostly financially, I believe we've came out better humans because of it. I came out with a respect for life, my belongings, and working hard for my success. I find myself similar to Violet in this way. She also grew up with one parent, and wasn't always financially stable. She had struggles like everyone else, but I felt like I could really relate. Some people may feel like they can't connect with her character in this way, but I feel like since we share this similarity, it's a different way to see her character. Another struggle her and I share was how to fit in a world (or town) where you grew up so differently then others.
Fitting in
One of Violet's major obstacles was the fact that she was different from everyone else. Titus was so attracted to her because she was so unlike everyone else on the moon, and that he's known.(See gif for Titus's infatuation). Violet was different not only because the way she was raised, but her outlook on life. While Titus thought going to the moon was "boring", Violet thought it was an amazing experience, and she wanted to capture every moment of it. They both had very different outlooks on life, and that in long run, is one of the reasons they didn't work out, I think. Towards the end of Violet's life, Titus and Violet argued about their relationship, and why they were even together. Violet liked him because he lived such a normal life. To be honest, there is no such thing as "normal" its just a construct made up. She believes Titus lives a normal life, but it is actually an "ignorant" life, where he actually doesn't have a clue what is going on. Violet actually sees reality and the real world, but because she wants to be so "normal" and like everyone else, she wish she didn't. To be honest, I think that is one of the reasons I'm so close to my best friend. She is one of the girls that lives a normal life, with the big, wealthy family, and even the pet dog. As a kid I liked spending so much time with her because it made me feel like I had a full family as well. I felt normal, just like everyone else. It wasn't until I was older that I realized it doesn't matter the quantity of a family, but the quality. (Cheesy, I know.) I felt like a normal kid when I spent time with her, so I can sorta relate to Violet. She thought that because she wasn't as financially wealthy, and didn't get her feed until later on, she was completely unlike the others. It is true that nowadays, if you don't keep up with the cultural change in fashion, and majorly in technology, you will be treated differently.
Technology
My mom hates almost all forms of technology. She hates laptops, cellphones, tablets, Ipods, Ipads, you name it, the list goes on. Of course because of her hard pressing hatred of all this technology, it eventually past down to be believing I don't need it as well. When everyone started to get cell phones in middle school, I didn't, which wasn't that uncommon, but still made me different then the rest. I didn't get my first phone until freshman year of high school and if I may say, I felt like the coolest kid ever. I was finally like everyone else, texting away stupid :) and :P. That goes to say, I didn't get an Iphone until like November of last year. LOL I'm kinda grateful that my mother did not make my life so surrounded with technology. Violet grew up without the feed, unlike the rest of her peers, and I believe that she is the one that came out with more positive attributes such as being able to communicate with others proficiently, and think for herself, without using her feed. Just like my mother, her father was a huge factor in her education. He taught her everything she knows, without using the feed. He says in the novel that he decided to get Violet the feed because he didn't want her to have any disadvantages in the world. He once was in a job interview with other men who all had a feed of their own, unlike him. Even though he was probably a better candidate for his job, he was looked down upon and treated disrespectfully, because his tech savvy wasn't up to their par. He didn't want that to ever happen to Violet so he let her have the feed. My mother says the only reason she ever let me get a phone was so that if I was out I was able to call her and let her know where I was. Deep down I believe she shares the same reasoning as Violet's dad also.
With all these similarities between Violet and I, there are definitely some differences such as....
1. I would never get so obsessed with a boy and expect him to be in love with in a short couple months, and then tell him I was dying and expect him not to freak out..... That whole bucket list grow old together thing kinda freaked me out tbh
2. Honestly, she was really extreme and kind of a weirdo
3.You'll never catch me in a wool dress
Andie B.
Anderson, M. T. Feed. Cambridge, MA: Candlewick, 2002. Print.
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