Epiphany

Through M.T. Anderson’s Feed we are given many phrases that force us to think outside the box. In this post, we are going to explore the meaning of the novel’s final line, “Everything must go.”

The first idea that comes to mind when reading this phrase is Titus maturing through the last pages of the story. With the tragedy in his life Violet, he realizes that his previous ways of thinking are not as correct as he once thought. “Everything must go” is quite clearly Titus realizing that he must not only allow this new mindset, but also develop and embrace it. He is starting to accept this new understanding of the world around him.

Another major thought that stems from the final phrase brings us back to the dialog with Violet on page 297. While talking to her in her bedroom, Titus says “There’s one story I’ll keep telling you. I’ll keep telling it. You’re the story. I don’t want you to forget. When you wake up, I want you to remember yourself. I’m going to remember. You’re still there, as long as I can remember you. As long as someone knows you. I know you so well, I could drive a simulator. This is the story.” Anderson leads us to believe that while discarding his old mindset and lifestyle, he’s not only adapting to his new mindset, but also making room to remember and protect Violet’s story and the ideas that drove her through life.

In both of these ideas the overall picture that Anderson paints is one where Titus has reach an epiphany in life. The way he previously viewed the feed has been challenged and trampled by the impact that Violet made on him in the short time that he knew her. He is left knowing only that the future isn’t quite as certain as he once believed. This is made clear with his argument with Violet’s father as we see that he does care about her story and the things she taught him.

However, the last two pages of the book finish with him repeating the phrase “Everything must go”, much like a clichéd car commercial trying to clear out the old and to bring in a new style. This emphasizes that in spite of all that he’s been through, he still wants to be relieved of caring; an inescapable tendency inherited from the feed. Even with the growth we appear to see in Titus, caring seems to be too much of a burden for him to carry.