Feed Part 4: Slumberland
As M. T. Anderson’s novel Feed comes to a close, Violet’s health deteriorates due to problems with her “feed” which causes her brain to malfunction. As a result, Titus begins to distance himself from her and their intimate relationship collapses. The story comes to a climax when Violet can no longer move or speak, and Titus and her father engage in an intense argument which displays the true meaning of the novel – that people allow themselves to become slaves to technology and ultimately give up their ability to learn, to reason, and to care about one another. However, this condition can be changed.
Throughout the novel, Titus refers to himself as being stupid, but at the end of the argument with Violet’s father, he says, “I’m sick of being told I’m stupid” (Anderson 290). This gives a hint that Titus is beginning to change his attitudes and may be turning away from his dependence on the “feed.” He also shows that he is beginning to think, or to reason, when he tells Violet “I also found some thing like you like. The strange facts. About things in other places. I thought you’d like to hear” (Anderson 296). The most important part is when he shows that he is truly beginning to care for Violet, when he starts to cry and says, “There’s one story I’ll keep telling you. I’ll keep telling it. You’re the story. I don’t want you to forget” (Anderson 297). In summary, the last page of the novel insinuates that Titus finally begins to part himself from his dependence of the “feed.”
Wall-E
What would happen if all of humanity was forced to abandon the earth and move to outer space? The film, Wall-E directed by Andrew Stanton, presents this inconceivable question in the form of a futuristic earth where there is no life and only trash. Humans are not seen on earth, but are found existing in outer space in a cruise spaceship where technology controls all activity. Throughout the film, many illustrations of this advanced technology are used to demonstrate how humans have lost all sense of reality and have also lost the ability to form true relationships with one another. The main character in the film, Wall-E, is a solitary robot who is abandoned and left alone on earth to clean up the mess that the humans have left behind. He continues to diligently perform his duty, until suddenly, a new technologically more advanced robot, Eve, appears. It becomes clear that Eve has been sent to earth from outer space to explore the possibility that earth can sustain life. Wall-E and Eve begin a relationship and an adventure that will eventually lead the humans back to earth.
A main concern of the film is that the earth needs to be returned to its original, more natural state, and people need the earth to truly live and not just exist. While on the “Cruise,” humans are existing in space, being fed mentally and physically by the abundant amount of technology that surrounds them. They are surviving, but not necessarily living. There is a moment in the film which illustrates this concern: Wall-E disconnects a woman from her technological advertisements and games. After being disconnected, the woman realizes that there is life beyond the screen in front of her eyes and she exclaims, “I didn’t know we had a pool!” (Stanton). She then proceeds to get inside the pool and finally enjoy the life she has. She began to live. The film brings this idea to a climax when the captain of the spaceship finally exclaims “I don’t want to survive, I want to live!” (Stanton). This phrase truly captures the meaning of life. Wall-E is a film that is very entertaining, has extraordinary graphics, and pleasant characters; however, below the brilliant illustrations, the film portrays its true deep and wonderful meaning in a pleasurable way.
Feed Part 2: Eden
What would the world be like if people didn’t have access to the internet on computers,smartphones, tablets, etc.? Would people become extremely bored? Or will they simply regain their ability to be real? This unimaginable thought is presented in Part 2 of the novel Feed by M.T. Anderson, through the character Titus who has lived his whole life with a computer chip implanted in his brain. At the end of Part 1, Titus and his friends had suddenly gotten attacked by a hacker. In Part 2, they wake up in the hospital without their “feed”and are somewhat disoriented. They become extremely bored in the absence of the “feed” keeping them occupied with games, movies, internet, and all the other bombardment of activity. After days of not being able to access the “feed”, Titus begins to observe life in a different way and actually starts to truly interact with another character, Violet (who also is without her “feed”). They begin a personal relationship which consists of their real thoughts and feelings unaffected by the “feed”.
In the beginning of part 2 of the novel, Anderson paints a picture of Titus’ disorientation while he is in the hospital (without the “feed”). He becomes frightened and confused, “I was in bed, but I didn’t know where. I couldn’t find the Lunar GPS to tell me… I was starting to get scared, I tried to chat my parents but there was no transmission etc., I was currently etc.” (Anderson 43). Similarly, people today can become so dependent on the internet that without it they become frightened and confused. Anderson also illustrates that without the “feed” Titus and his friends become bored, “For most days since we woke up after the attack, we had stared at the walls. We’d been sitting in our beds, and we tapped our feet on the rails” (Anderson 51). It is as if the “feed” is the only thing in the characters lives that has any meaning. Without it they are nothing. Also in part 2, Titus and Violet begin to develop a personal relationship based on true feelings and communication. This seems to indicate how humans today are becoming so dependent on text-messaging or chatting, that they cannot have real conversations face to face. This also hints that people can return to authentic feelings and communication in the absence of the internet.
Feed Part 1: Moon
In Part 1 of his novel Feed, M. T. Anderson introduces the story of Titus and five friends who decide to take a trip to the moon for spring break. When they arrive, the “feed” in their brains begins to bombard them with ideas and images of hotels where they can stay, restaurants where they can eat, and activities they can participate in, all on the moon. In this futuristic novel, Anderson describes how the constant feed of games, chats, and advertisements are anticipating each character’s every thought; much in the same way Facebook, Twitter, and Google notifications make their way into present society’s computers, smartphones, and finally into people’s minds. At the end of Part 1, Anderson provides his readers with a warning letting us know that things regarding the feed will suddenly change.
Feeds come and go everyday on the internet, whether it’s a new text-message coming in, or just another tweet being posted. The question is, how much does the feed affect perceptions of reality? Anderson hints at this through the character Titus, “I just remember that everything in the banners looked godly and sparkling, but as we walked down to the luggage, all the air vents were streaked with black”(Anderson 8). The feed makes the moon seem as though it is a beautiful place, when in reality it’s grimy and full of trash. Another aspect of this constant feed is the substitution it becomes for everyday thinking, “he started laughing while the rest of us were still looking up ‘suppuration’ on the feed English-to-English wordbook”(Anderson 23). People rely on the feed so much that thinking for themselves becomes a very difficult task. Leading them to ultimate ignorance.
The Discipline of Study
In his book, Celebration of Study, Richard J. Foster illustrates what proper study is and how it is able to transform one’s life. Foster describes the “Discipline of study” [sic]. and provides different aspects of successful study as it relates to transforming life. Foster explains the proper study of the Bible, and also recommends obtaining information from different sources such as other Christian writers, from nature, and even from relationships with other people.
Knowledge seems to be lacking in today’s Christianity, and Foster correctly notes that “one of the great needs among Christians today is simply the reading of large portions of Scripture” (Foster 71). On another note, Foster explains, “In addition to studying the Bible, do not neglect the study of some of the experiential classics in Christian literature”(Foster 71). He also recommends the study of other writers, such as Thomas Kempis and Brother Lawrence, who wrote books that will help gain spiritual knowledge. The Discipline of Study chapter also refers to studying the nonverbal books, such as “the observation of things, events, and actions”(Foster 73). Foster notes, “We begin studying nature by paying attention”(Foster 73). Paying attention is the first step in the study of nature and once we know how to comprehend nature, God’s beautiful Creation becomes more clear to us. Foster also demonstrates how paying attention to other people’s lives and our relationships with them will give us “a graduate-level education”(Foster 74). Once we apply all these aspects of study, our lives can begin to truly be transformed.
Sarah VanRoy 