Power Of Words In Feed By M. T. Anderson

Words are the most powerful weapon, or so the saying goes. They can create hope for the most dismal of people, or they could be the reason someone swears never to smile again. In M.T. Anderson’s book, Feed, the main character Titus and his callow friends rely heavily on the Feed for every word, perhaps even every thought. Their words are no longer their own, but instead ideas strategically placed into their heads. If they ever find themselves comforting a friend, or paying someone a compliment, or caught in the middle of a lie, they need only call upon the Feed for help designing the perfect phrase to say. Titus, although growing seemingly more likable throughout the book, has never had a way with words. His lazy speech and limited vocabulary …show more content…
When Titus first saw Violet, he was at a loss for words - in the worst way possible. He describes her in this way: “Her spine was, I didn’t know the word. Her spine was like…? The feed suggested ‘supple’” (14). Simultaneously, the Feed was playing an advertisement for some type of vehicle, which read, “...the supple upholstery and ergonomically designed dash will leave you something like hysterical” (15). Similarly to when Titus is saying his goodbyes to Violet, his first time meeting her should have been heartwarming and (because it’s a love story) almost poetic. Instead, the best word he can muster up is one used to describe a new vehicle. It’s not the fact that Titus is bad with words, it’s the fact that the moments when significant words are needed the most are the moments when Titus refers back to the Feed and uses basic, repeated words that don’t fit his …show more content…
Sometimes we want to let go of someone or something because we know we won’t have them for much longer, and we’re simply softening the blow for ourselves. At the time, it seems unnatural, but it’s a very human feeling. It’s strange to think that the Feed can turn a population into less human - spitting out used, worn out phrases during sentimental moments. No, not even phrases, more like formulas. When worded in that way, it seems so surreal and futuristic, but it’s scary to think that our society is not far off from Titus’s. We use the same basic phrases for reassuring others, even though the situation may be drastically different. The same outline is visible in nearly every conversation. Even this essay sounds as if it was straight out of a poor movie script - a girl’s voice playing over an image of her staring blankly out the window, watching the pouring