Exploring the themes of Feed,

by M. T. Anderson, through

multiple texts

Kevin Kerr

JCHS

Pre-AP English Lit.

March 2013

Feed

a dark dystopian futuristic novel

earth’s natural environment is inhospitable

People live in domed cities and cars fly

Human continue to expand technologically

Americans are connected via the Feednet

About the book

Feednet ?

a chip implanted into the brain

enables instant internet communication

offers unlimited commercials to pay for

the service.

Titus

The narrator

A teenaged boy

On a spring break trip to the moon he meets

Violet

Violet

Violet is unusual and intriguing

has only had the feed since she was

seven.

has a less shallow perspective

The Situation

On the moon, they become victims of feed-

hackers

Back home Violet finds that her feed --and

health -- continues to deteriorate

Violet’s radical refusal to buy into the

consumerism of the feed, means no

technicians will help her.

Relevant Themes

This satiric novel, set in the distant future,

examines themes relevant today

Individuality v. herd mentality

Technology’s roles in society

Consumerism as a negative force

Communication in the Digital Age

Consumerism as a Negative Force

“We Americans are interested only in the

consumption of our products. We have no interest

in how they are produced, or what happens to

them once we discard them, once we throw them

away.”

M.T. Anderson, Feed

Consumerism as a Negative

Force

Activity-

1. View the video clip poem, found on the

next slide

2. Conduct a five minute quick-write, relating

the clip to the novel.

3. Share your writing with the class, via

edmodo.com.

Consumerism: A Cautionary

Rhymeclick below

Individuality, the Herd Mentality,

and the Loss of Solitude

“You need the noise of your friends in space.”

–MT Anderson, Feed

Individuality, the Herd Mentality,

and the Loss of Solitude

Activity-

Explore this theme through reading the

following essay, “The End of Solitude”

http://chronicle.com/article/The-End-of-

Solitude/3708/

Technology as a Pervasive

Force

in Society“We are the nation of dreams. We are seers. We are

wizards. We speak in visions. Our letters are like

flocks of doves, released from under our hats. We

have only to stretch out our hand and desire, and

what we wish for settles like a kerchief in our palm.

We are a race of sorcerers, enchanters. We are

Atlantis. We are the wizard-isle of Mu.”

M.T. Anderson, Feed

Individuality, the Herd Mentality,

and the Loss of Solitude

Activity-

View the first segment of the documentary

found at the following location

Write a one page response to it

Share on Edmodo

Growing Up Online: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/kidsonline/view/

Communication in the Digital

Age

“…It’s like a spiral: They keep making everything

more basic so it will appeal to everyone. And

gradually, everyone gets used to everything being

basic, so we get less and less varied as people,

more simple. So the corps make everything even

simpler. And it goes on and on.”

M.T. Anderson, Feed

Communication in the Digital

AgeActivity-

1. Read the following article:

“Ralph Fiennes: Twitter Eroding English

Language for Students”

http://www.educationnews.org/international

-uk/ralph-fiennes-twitter-eroding-english

Communication in the Digital

Age

Activity (Continued)-

2. Write a one-three page response drawing

from your own experiences and from the

novel.

Provide at least two examples from the book.

Are We Headed for the

Feed?“Then it was this big thing. She was like, 'I

never want to see you again', and I was like,

'Fine. Okay? Fine. Then get some special

goggles.” M.T. Anderson, Feed

Activity-

View the following videos

Google Goggles(Please click below)

And Next, “One Day…”The Official Google Version

(Please click below)

Soon ?

Activity-

1. Read the following two news articles

2. Describe a typical morning that you

would experience wearing a pair of

Google’s perfected Project Glass

glasses.

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/23/techn

ology/google-glasses-will-be-powered-by-

android.html?_r=1

*Be sure to watch the unofficial, “Re-Mix” of the last

video, at this youtube website, before you read the

article.*

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_mRF

0rBXIeg&feature=player_detailpage

http://www.forbes.com/sites/roberthof/20

12/06/29/dont-kid-yourself-project-glass-

will-produce-an-advertising-bonanza-for-

google/

Finally,

Activity –

1. Read one of the following books

2. select four outside texts/resources to

supplement the study of the novel.

3. Complete a multiple text assignment

based heavily upon this one.

A. 1984 by George Orwell

B. Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury

Activity (continued) –

4. Create a PowerPoint, using this one as

a model, for a multiple text assignment

incorporating two of the themes

explored here and two of your own

choosing.

Activity (continued) –

Possible texts that may be included are:

A piece of recorded music

A video game

A magazine or newspaper article

A piece of art

A film or video clip

A poem or selection of poetry

Other (with approval)

References Amos, Tori. "I Don't like Mondays." By Sir Bob Geldoff. Rec. 2001. Strange Little Girls. Tori

Amos. Tori Amos, 2001. MP3.

Birch, B. A. "Ralph Fiennes: Twitter Eroding English Language for Students." Ralph Fiennes:

Twitter Eroding English Language for Students. Education News, 31 Oct. 2011. Web. 02

March 2032. <http://www.educationnews.org/international-uk/ralph-fiennes-twitter-eroding-

english-language-for-students/>.

Deresiewicz, William. "The Chronicle Review." The End of Solitude. The Chronicle of Higher

Education, 30 Jan. 2009. Web. 03 July 2012. <http://chronicle.com/article/The-End-of-

Solitude/3708/>.

Draper, Christine A. Multiple Texts Assignment. Georgia Southern University, n.d. Web. 2

June 2012. <https://goml.view.usg.edu/webct/urw/tp0.lc18395011/

cobaltMainFrame.dowebct>.

Emzygunning. "Consumerism: A Cautionary Rhyme." YouTube. YouTube, 15 Feb. 2011.

Web. 03 March 2013. <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PSznbYe2H0k>.

"Engadget." Project Glass In-Depth Preview. N.p., 2012. Web. 01 July 2012. <http://

www.engadget.com/photos/google-glass-in-depth-preview/>.

"Google Goggles Experiment Video." YouTube. YouTube, 15 Nov. 2010. Web. 03 March

2013. <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bq-hXD33vXs>.

Hof, Robert. "Don't Kid Yourself--Project Glass Will Produce An Advertising Bonanza For

Google." Forbes. Forbes Magazine, 29 June 2012. Web. 02 March 2013. <http://

www.forbes.com/sites/roberthof/2012/06/29/dont-kid-yourself-project-glass-will-produce-

an-advertising-bonanza-for-google/>.

"Project Glass: One Day..." YouTube. YouTube, 04 Apr. 2012. Web. 03 March 2013. <http://

www.youtube.com/watch?v=9c6W4CCU9M4>.