In the futuristic world depicted in MT Anderson's Feed, no one thinks for themselves: the Feed thinks for them. They all depend on feed and are bored with everyday life. This is why the character Violet stands out. Violet's unique upbringing has led her to become an educated and enthusiastic thinker about life, setting her apart from the rest of the characters. Violet stands out from the Feed characters because she was raised differently. Violet did not install the feed early in her life like most people did, “she got the feed very late” (Anderson 170) at age seven. Because Violet has not had nourishment for several years of her life, she is not as dependent on it as other individuals in the book are, making her an unusual symbol of independence in dystopian fiction. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essayViolet Didn't Go to School™ like Titus' friends did; she and her friends "were all homeschooled" (78). While Titus and his friends learned to use the Feed to School™, Violet received a real education, learning things that were no longer important in their world. Also, Violet didn't have much money when she was little. Most of Titus' friends always got everything they wanted, but Violet didn't have "a lot of the things you see on the feed when she was younger. Many were too expensive, or his father simply said no” (107). Due to the lack of money in Violet's life, she grew up having to find different ways to entertain herself instead of relying on food for entertainment. Ultimately, Violet had a different childhood than the other characters. The fact that Violet received a different education than most of the Feed characters sets her apart from them because it makes her smarter. For example, when Violet asks Titus if he could read, it is not surprising that he can only “read a little” (Anderson, 65). Violet can read and Titus Barley can because he didn't learn in school™. Titus is shocked when he asks Violet if she writes because she replies, "I've been doing it since I was little... I write the things I see sometimes" (66). Violet knows how to do these things because her father was a university professor and taught her to write and read, even though writing and reading were no longer taught in schools. It is shocking to Titus that Violet took the time to write something because using feed was "so much faster" (66), but Violet is used to not using feed for everything because she gets it at an older age.Violet also pays attention to news; asks Titus “Did you hear the news? It's terrible” (244). Because Violet wants to know more about the world, she pays attention to what is happening in their lives. This makes Violet unique because she knows what is going on in the world while the rest of the characters are uninformed. Violet stands out because she is knowledgeable about things that are no longer important in their innovative society. While Violet was homeschooled, she was taught to think for herself, unlike the other characters who let the feed do the thinking for them. Violet reminds Titus, “When you have food all your life, you are trained not to think about certain things… because of food we are raising a nation of idiots” (Anderson 113). Considering Violet hasn't always had food, she knows how to function without it. In contrast, Violet's peers rely on using the feed for almost every activity. Furthermore, during a party Violet rants: “We are floating in the air while people starve… We are playing and our skin falls off. We are losing him” (201). Thanks to her education, Violet is well informed about what is happening in the world. So long as, 2002.
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