Page 11 - Middle Georgia State University - Knighted 2019

feel less alone and empty. His friends try to fill the emptiness by being loud and paying more
attention to each other than to their surroundings. Their meaningless interactions are too shallow
to fill Titus’ emptiness.

Titus hopes he will find support in Violet. She is the one character who is different
enough to challenge him. When Titus meets Violet, he is fascinated by her. Violet is
homeschooled, and has had the educational opportunity to challenge herself and her beliefs (78).
She knows how to weave ponchos and load antiaircraft guns (79). She knows about political
revolutions and how a democracy works (111). Violet’s relationship with her dad is not perfect,
but it satisfies her. Violet’s self-esteem empowers her to be self-reliant. She does not need others
to feel good about herself. Violet has a full life with friends and activities. She does not need the
feed.

Titus believes that Violet could be the girl who could end his boredom because she is a
novelty. However, Violet alone cannot fill Titus’ need for affirmation and love. He lacks a
support system with resources from different sources. He cannot take the love and affirmation
from different friends and family members and combine it all to create a deep well of love and
affirmation. He only has Violet. One girl not enough to fill his need. When her feed malfunctions
and leaves her physically handicapped, Titus realizes she is a real, broken, human being who can
never give him all of what he needs. After Violet’s seizure, Titus experiments with hard drugs
with his other friends (237). He is mourning the loss of a relationship and an ideal. Violet is no
longer the novelty who can save him from boredom. His only supporter can support him no
more.

His realization sends him spiraling into the void of emptiness. He turns to the infinite
feed to fill his relational poverty. He buys pants:

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