Feed
By: M.T Anderson
Instructions:
This writing assignment requires you to answer ONE question from the selection below. The
topics have been divided into four sections: A general overview question,
A Language Question,
An Intertextuality Question,
A Text-to-World Question.
Each of these questions has a series of considerations to help you begin thinking about each
question. The last question in each section that has been highlighted in red is a specific IB
question and MUST be addressed in the essay.
Choose one question that you feel you are going to be able to write about in an analytical and
reflective way.
The essay is a formal literature essay which should meet the following criteria
1. Formal language use: All language conventions for IB5 standards must be adhered to.
2. The essay should encompass an analytical, argumentative, persuasive and critical reflection on the
question being answered.
3. Make sure to add a title to the essay. Be creative!
4. A formal essay format is required. This entails a good introduction, thesis statement, and topic
sentences. Paragraphs should discuss ideas and concepts analytically and appropriately. The
conclusion must relate back to the opening paragraph to ensure a proper closure to the essay.
5. We will be drafting and editing this essay in the same way as we did for the Macbeth essay. Note of
caution: You will be receiving a grade for your draft which will be added to the final version. If you
write a poor draft, you will receive very low grades which will seriously impact your final grade. So
please make sure to do your utmost best. The editing process is there to help lift your cognition to a
higher level which will result in an excellent essay.
6. Your essay should be no shorter than 1.5 pages and no longer than 2.5 pages.
7. Please see the due date for this essay on the website under the ‘Events and Dates’ tab.
www.wrcp.net
The Essay Topics
1. General Overview Question
Each author has an intent or purpose when crafting a novel which allows the reader to reflect
upon a unified message, theme or topic embedded in its pages. Therefore a ‘general overview
question’ is a question that discusses the novel as a whole but also includes specific instances to
argue varying points-of-view.
The question:
How does information-literacy and the power of the internet compromise individuality
in the novel Feed?
 Refer, quote and analyze at least two instances from the novel to argue your point.
 How does the author, through the use of literary devices such as tone and mood,
challenge the opposing perspectives?
 Consider how one of the main themes in the novel Feed, is the pendulum-effect
Titus experiences with his relationship to Violet and his friends. Violet shows him the
beauty of life outside of the Feed but his friends keep on drawing him back into the
world of the Feed. How does this theme unfold in the novel?
 How does the novel FEED reflect the spirit of the time and challenge it?
2. Language Question
When an author crafts a novel, he or she is very selective in choosing specific language devises
that enable the reader to delve into the nooks and crannies of the unfolding story. Language
devices such as metaphors, personifications, allusions, symbols etc. often aid the reader to grasp
the deeper connotations of the purpose of the novel.
The Question:
How does the use of language allow the theme of Consumerism v.s. Independent thought and
intelligence emerge in the novel? There are many examples to be found in Feed to discuss this
question. A few have been written down to help you to begin exploring this question.
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Consider how Titus uses metaphor on page 62 and Violet’s response to this. What
does this signify?
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How does the metaphorical language that Titus uses (on page 62) contrast to Loga’s
use of the word ‘metizabism’ on page 164?
How do you respond to the passage on page 153 – 156 when Violet tries to
communicate with the automated voice of FeedTech Customer Assistance?
How does the general discourse (the way people speak) in the novel add to the
understanding of the Titus Generation?
How and in what way is Violet marginalized and excluded from the others in the
novel, FEED?
3. Intertextuality Question: Titus and Macbeth and the Manipulation of Manhood
Intertextuality is a concept whereby similar themes, characters or symbols can be identified,
compared and contrasted between two different texts. The theme of manhood, for instance is
explored in Feed as well as Macbeth. Although these texts were written in very different
contexts and time-periods, there is a clear unification in their exploration of the theme
“manhood’ and what it may possibly mean. This is worth exploring as a ‘literature analylist’
since the outcomes of your thinking may make for some pleasant surprises!
The Question
Read the following quotes from the novel Feed and the play Macbeth.
Feed:
On page 91 Titus “felt like [he] was protecting her from something and that felt good, like [he]
was a man already. [he] hugged her like a man and we kissed.
Shortly after this Violet says: “Keep thinking. You can hear our brains rattling inside us, like the
littler Russian dolls.”
Macbeth:
On page 33 in the Macbeth Study Guide that we used in class, Macbeth also ‘protects’ Lady
Macbeth by saying the following to her: “Be innocent of the knowledge, dearest chuck. Till thou
applaud the deed.”
On page 11 of the Macbeth Study Guide Macbeth and Lady Macbeth have the following
conversation:
Macbeth: “Prithee, peace!
I dare do all that may become a man;
Who dares do more is done.
Lady Macbeth: What beast was ‘t then
That made you break this enterprise to me?
In both cases the theme of manhood is clear. In what ways is manhood represented in Feed and
Macbeth?
 Consider how different and similar Titus and Macbeth are. (as characters)
 Consider how they both face and deal with a dilemma – even though they are vastly
different, there are similar patterns.
 Consider how Violet and Lady Macbeth enact their strong influential powers over
these men.
 What happens to the men and what happens to the women?
 How does Titus and Macbeth respond to these powers of the women they love?
 How can you explain a continued interest of a particular theme, such as the
manipulation of manhood, in different contexts and in different times?
4. Text to World Connection
A ‘Text to World Connection’ essay allows the writer of the essay to expand on his or her
understandings of the text and relate them to the world. Essays in this category usually use the
format of the traditional compare and contrast formats but they may also take the form of an
opinion essay. It is always important to use direct references from the novel and then discuss
and analyze them to examples that present themselves in the real world.
The Question
One of the reasons why Anderson wrote this novel is because he despises how consumerism
influences how we live. America is generally known as the utopia of consumerism. Referring to
the question below and consulting the two links I have provided for you from the ‘Dailymail’ (on
the website) write an essay in which you discuss and analyze consumerism.
Below are some points to consider for your essay:
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Throughout the novel, Titus is often bombarded with advertisements – shorts for
$699 + $78.95 for shipping. What are some of the physical, psychological, and
intellectual effects of such bombardment?
Examine and then discuss how Anderson reveals consumerism in Feed by referring
to at least two specific passages.
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Read the two articles that have been provided to you in the links on the website.
They also include youtube video footage of Black Friday. Do you see parallels
between Feed and Black Friday and Cyber Monday? If so, what are they? Do you
think Anderson was successful in Feed to grasp the stress people experience with
consumerism?
How and in what way is consumerism in The Netherlands similar or different to that
in Feed and the American shopping catalogue?
How and why is a social group, such as the friends of Titus, represented in a
particular way and how does this parallel to the articles you have read?
_________________________________ THE END _____________________________________