Feed

Research the state of technology and the internet in the early 2000s when the novel was written. What anxieties about technology do you think the author was responding to and why? Do you think those anxieties were reasonable? Why or why not?

Often in dystopian fiction, there are certain technological elements that are enviable, even if the world itself is falling apart. What is positive or desirable about the feed or any other technological or social advancements in the novel? What makes those things positive?

What is the significance of dreams in the novel? Trace the occurrences and mentions of dreams throughout the narrative. How do dreams function? How are they different from the way dreams function in contemporary reality? Why are they important in the text?

How would you explain the novel’s overarching message? How does the author suggest that society avoid ending up in a dystopian world? Be specific and use examples from the text.

In the novel, the feed has caused most users to become essentially illiterate and uneducated. Do you think this is a reasonable concern for the continued advancement and adoption of technology? Why or why not?

How has the feed affected human relationships in the novel? Consider Violet’s relationship with her father as opposed to Titus’s relationship with his family and friends. Why do you think this has happened in the world of the feed?

Describe the way Violet resists the feed, both by choosing to be specifically rebellious and by living in ways that are contrary to the feed. How does her resistance bring about her downfall? Do you think she is a good model for rebellion? Why or why not?

What is the importance of consumerism in the novel? How do Titus and his friends participate in consumer culture and why? How does Violet participate? What is the novel saying about consumerism and how it relates to class hierarchies and environmental concerns?