Changes

Usually in fiction we talk about the journey of the protagonist, whether he grows, changes, or learns some profound life lesson. How does Titus, our narrator, change from the beginning of the novel?

In the novel Feed by M.T. Anderson, the narrator, Titus, undergoes changes throughout the course of the novel, however he continuously regresses back into his old ways and beliefs.

Titus is just like every other teenager of the time; he has a feed that enables his ability to think for himself. In the beginning of the novel, he enjoys having a feed. It tells him where to party, where he can find the best deals on clothes, and is his gateway to unlimited knowledge. He encounters and becomes fascinated by Violet because she is very different from himself and his friends. She is concerned with matters of the world and other people rather than just herself. She does not like the idea of people having feeds so she devises a plan to fight against the feed. Due to this, Titus wants to know more about what is going on in the world around him and begins to question the use of the feed. He initially goes along with Violet’s plan to confuse the feed and learn more about the world but when he is around his friends, he reverts back to his old ways.

Titus is not able to be as resistant to the feed as Violet is. His selfish desires take over him and he wants to have a sexual relationship with Violet. Violet at first is apprehensive but once she discovers she is dying she gives into Titus. Once Titus learns of Violet’s condition, he wants nothing to do with her. He completely detaches himself from her and goes back to his old ways, however he becomes much worse. Violet’s dad alerts Titus when Violet is near death. Her dad yells at him for deserting his daughter in her time of need. Titus, realizing that he has done wrong, sits at her bedside and tells her everything that is happening in the world. It takes the loss of a friend for Titus to realize he was wrong and that society is wrong.

The progression of Titus’ growth in this novel is similar to the growth process in teenagers today. It is hard to challenge the views of society and more difficult to go against friends. Most of the time, it takes a tragic event for one to see the wrongfulness of their actions. Anderson develops Titus in such a way that readers can easy relate to and learn from him.