Feed Themes
Course theme: “The power of Language”
(Feed is all about this)
Themes…
• Theme: definition- The matter(s) with which a literary work is
chiefly concerned.
• Motifs: definition- recurring structures, contrasts, or literary
devices that can help to develop and inform the text’s major
themes.
Theme #1: Education
• Hot topic
• “What’s going on with our schools? Why are we behind the
[Germans, Japanese, etc.]?”
• Literacy rates, standardized tests, etc. The bottom line –
something’s broken (return to rote learning?)
• Anderson is making an allegorical commentary on North American
education – It’s grossly inadequate! (or it’s headed that wayrecall the article on sponsorships in schools.)
• What are our priorities? (a rhetorical question)
Education continued…
• Motifs: (ways he helps develop the theme)
• People have lost the ability to communicate (it’s repeated over
and over)
• Style/Slang: “teenspeak” – why do your parents and teachers
despise it so? Because it displays your ignorance! Upper middle
class white kids from Halton speaking like they’re from the crime
riddled streets of urban centres is ridiculous!
• People don’t communicate with each other anymore – (like
those who speak over the feed – they don’t even use their
mouths!)
Education continued…
Today
• Letter writing vs. instant messaging
• Headphones / ipods / cellphones – off in your own
world
• Nokia (Finnish corporation) – has the lowest birthrate/
highest suicide rate, people have become too shy to
speak. Has technology facilitated this? (Return to
this when discussing the technology theme)
Education continued…
Examples:
• “I’m all like”… allusion to “valley girls” – airheads unable to express
thoughts without innumerable pauses and repetitions.
• Marty says, - “Unit, you are so…(blank)!” He can’t formulate
thoughts/express them, he can only swear (a sign of frustration)
• P. 14 – Titus can’t even describe Violet’s spine. “The feed suggested
‘supple.’” – How does he even know if this is the right word? The feed’s
contemporary example: the internet / Wikipedia (should be banned from
research)
• P. 15 – song “Bad Me, Bad You” – inane contemporary music (i.e.
Timabaland: “Like you the way I are” Justin Timberlake “You cheated girl,
my heart bleeded girl”
Education continued…
• The explanation for Link’s name: He’s a clone of Abraham Lincoln (one
of the most progressive minds in American history) and he’s a dolt!
Parents are the same way as the kids- Look at Titus’ father: he says
“Dude” in conversation with his son. Significance? Inevitable? Could
happen to anyone?
• Titus doesn’t know anything (reading, writing, elementary US history
[calls Lincoln’s wife Lucy Todd Lincoln instead of Mary] independent
critical thinking)
• Symbolism: Hospital room picture is of a a rudderless boat (p. 49) It
can’t steer itself. Titus thinks that its stupid. Ironically, he doesn’t
know what a rudder is. In fact, it’s symbolic of him! The boat can’t
steer itself and neither can he. Without the feed, he’s incapable of
independent thought.
Education continued…
Why are they all so stupid?
• In dystopian societies, it’s easier to control the stupid!
• School ™ - the whole reason for it is to help you learn to use the feed more
effectively
I don’t want to teach you what to think, I want to teach you how to think for
yourselves!
Consider the condemnation of Titus by Violet’s father:
“Go back, little child. Go back and hang with the eloi” (Anderson 291). - *Read
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=irSwMr9Zxs0&list=PLumr_t2JYFHH3CHCB2XBu
NxPOe8mrfbJh&index=9
Against my better judgement I’ll tell you
what this means
(irony is a bitch when it works against you)
The eloi are an allusion to The Time Machine by H.G. Wells. In the
future the Eloi are a privilaged race of people who speak broken
English and are “food” for another race; the Morlocks.
Irony of the title?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KHPPeGoWDEU