Feed

This novel touches on some issues we are confronting in society today. The issues brought up were the environment, pollution and technology. The book illustrates a precise reflection of Americans with a message. The message being sent was about people and technology. Technology has changed the world around us. Half a century ago computers, cell-phones and gadgets did not exist, now technology has taken the world by storm. Because everyone has some piece of technology it is becoming impossible to function daily without one. Another issue seen through out the book is the idea of balance.
Euripides once said “The best and safest thing is to keep a balance in your life, acknowledge the great powers around us and in us. If you can do that, and live that way, you are really a wise man.” Balance is needed to retain a healthy life and this is what the people in Feed lacked. In the book the first example we read about were the lesions. The lesions were a result of living an imbalanced life. They were a result of an imbalanced life because the people decided to destroy the environment (instead of live with it). Violet’s family was another example of an imbalanced life. They resisted and lived without the technology of their time. This would be like not having a computer in our society or a vegetarian eating lunch with non-vegetarians. Because no one in the book had a balanced lifestyle there were consequences. Americans in Feed were slowly destroying their selves (by killing off the environment) and Violet was slowly dying due to her father’s decisions.
In Addition, Feed relates to the themes and ideas of Ortega y Gasset’s argument, school is unnecessary. Ortega argued that school is unnecessary because teachers were just regurgitating information. This method (according to Ortega) was not useful because for a student to truly understand they must learn it for themselves. The feed is similar to this idea. Feeds give the people access to vast amount of knowledge within their brains. This means they have no reason to memorize or understand the world around them. This is why many of Titus friends are brainless or don’t have a clue. I remember you asking a question about what would Ortega’s ideal classroom would be. A classroom where feeds existed would be the total opposite.
To conclude, this book had issues that related heavily to our society. These three issues (the environment, technology and pollution) were brought up constantly in the book. They were brought to surface because maybe the author feels an imbalance in society. For example, the last sentence in the book everything must go. Feed also related to Ortega’s argument. It related to Ortega’s argument because the feeds were similar to the teachers. They were keeping the society from truly understanding. In the end there were consequences for everyone’s actions in the book.