Would You Like a Chip With That?

What if I told you there was a way where you can know it all?

And it is as simple as inserting a chip in your brain and BOOM you know it all.

Okay you're probably like " that sounds painful" " no thank you" " I'm good I rather not know it all" and then of course those who " I honestly don't give a flying fadoodle"

Trust me, I said the same thing when I read FEED by M.T Anderson. My very first initial thought was " who the hell would even think about implanting a chip in there head " the next big thing that zoomed through my mind was a movie that just recently released called The Belko Experiment.

Okay so I knew this could go one or two ways, maybe even three

- we all read feed get a sense of this "FEED" and try it out and it ends up being twice as successful and we're all super happy about it
- We end up getting the feed and we are completely just an experiment gone wrong like the belko experiment. In the movie everyone willing gets a chip installed in their brain for a job but a series of events happen that terribly goes wrong.

CLICK.CLICK.CLICK

- OR it just never happens....

Now see the way M.T portrays the thought of this chip feed is really kind of intriguing and come on with the way technology has advanced through the years why haven't we had this sooner ?

The whole purpose of FEED is to give the reader an insight of what the world would be like if we were to live off of a chip that advanced the way our brains were set up. we would no longer need our cell phones to communicate because we can do that through what is known as " m chat" , we would no longer need our cell phones or computers to go to google and search something ing up because we can all do that with our chips. The narrator Titus gives a good insight on the world he lives in, it's like your modern day teens but with a twist..CHIPS OF COURSE !


So as others may read this book and depict the obvious details that the world has became this cyber universe and explain why it may work or not work. Or they may discuss how politics play a role or even tackle on the idea of getting FEEDS.

I on the other hand felt that I related to this book a little more than I should have, I mean I'm not sure if you'll get but or see my perspective but I hope you do...


They went to a party, they wanted to have fun and have a good time. What teen wouldn't ? Titus along with 5 of his friends went to the moon and wanted to have fun. Titus came across a girl he'd never seen before, a girl that instantly caught his eye and he never looked away since. As Titus soon became acquainted with Violet he then realized he wanted to know more about her so she instantly became a part of their group. Titus and his friends along with violet decided that wanted to go and turn up !

See as you read and get to know As Titus is, you get who she truly is and that is someone who normally sticks to herself and stays away from anything out of there normal, mostly parties at that. Right when Violet was m chatting Titus about Mars and trying to figure out why Titus thinks it's a dumb planet, everyone's feed was spiking and things were just malfunctioning left and right and it only took one man, one old man standing by them to yell " We enter a time of calamity" page 38 and one simple reach out with a metal handle and touch the back of their necks and BAM! They were all hacked and all repeating the same chat over and over


"We enter a time of calamity"We enter a time of calamity"We enter a time of calamity"....



I sympathize with violet and in more ways than one understand completely. She comes from a family that doesn't have the luxury of money but makes it through. She's your average teenager and even though she received her feed later on then the rest of the people in the novel she still stays humble and sticks to what she knew prior to the feed being installed. She still writes occasionally with a pencil and paper. She thinks more outside of herself then relying on the feed. How she feels when the feed starts acting "mal" on her. I mean when you think about it everyone got hacked, all those people were hospitalized but soon recovered while  she still had feedware damage.

It was that specific moment in the book when i took a step back and instantly felt as if something in that nature happened to me. August of 2012 I was in a car accident that resulted into me having memory loss. There was 8 of us and only I was that one that was deeply affected. No one truly suffered but me and something till this day still feels wrong.
 " something happened when the guy hacked. Most people, the hack just jammed them for a while. Somehow it affected mine more. Something's still wrong." Page 90

What if I told you I also had a best friend through this traumatic stage in my life ? Yeah just like Titus but no we weren't dating and no my best friend was not a guy. Her name was Brielle and for 5 years prior we were nothing but inseparable. when the accident happened she never left my side. She came to the hospital everyday and always tried to bring memories back alive for me but maybe that's what makes Titus and her different or does it ?...

• What if Brielle hadn't invited me out that night ? 
• What if Titus hadn't invited Violet out? 
• Why didn't Violet leave when she knew she wasn't having fun? 
• Why did I stay? 
• Why didn't Violet and I see this coming ? ...

" You go try to have fun like a normal person, a normal person with a real life -- just for one night you want to live, and suddenly you're screwed. " page 53

I felt violet more then ever in that particular scene when she was crying to Titus because she was so
upset at what happened to them the one time she goes out. I felt the regret and the sense that she should not have went out of her comfort zone. All violet and I wanted to do was be normal and have fun. All we wanted to do was be with our friends and enjoy was life was intended to be, joyful...fun...

Well at least I thought...

Thinking back on my accident I always have a sense of regret because I'm constantly reminded of it. Everyday I look at my mother and sister and realize that I put them through this pain and a sense of loss.  

As time progressed Violet got worse, her feed was taking over her limbic system controls all her basic emotions ( fear, pleasure, anger) and drives ( hunger, dominance.. etc) it was almost taking over her mobility.
When Violet made a " Definitive list of things I want to do.." 22 things to be exact and sent it to Titius, she knew her time was limited and still wanted more out of the short time she had...

" 8. I want to go up into the mountains with you for a weekend. Where people don't usually go. "
"10. I want to rent a hotel room with you. As mister and missus Smith"
"14. I want to get older. "
"15. I want to see the years pass. " page 230/231

" I couldn't help but wonder what was my list prior to my accident ? What was my goals and what were my aspirations ? Was it set ?

I mean you could be saying " well why don't you ask your mom " and I could don't get me wrong but my mom had this notion that regained all my memory, she has this belief that I'm back to the way I was and I guess you can also say I put that on myself. A lot of times when she talks about a certain time or that past, instead of having to go through the awkwardness of saying " I don't remember "  i listen and nod my head in agreement because I know if I said anything different I'd bring back all those emotions back.

Violet’s father was my mother. As I read more and more about him I just put a picture of my mother in my head. Just as Violet’s Father was against his daughter getting the feed, my mother was against me going out that night. Just as Violet’s father held resentment and anger towards Titus, my mother held anger and resentment towards Brielle.

As Violet’s father told Titus " fuck you forever and ever and ever ! Forever and ever! "
I could only think that's what my mother and sister felt and said a thousand times hoping it would just get better...

So please tell me, can a feed give you a different life than the one you're living now? Can everything you went through have been ANY different then if you had a feed ?

Do you really want one ? ...

Citation:
 FEED by M.T Anderson
The Belko Experiment

Word Count : 1580
Alyssa.S