Conflict in the novel “Korm” M.T. Anderson

In the novel, “Feed” by MT Anderson conflicts have presented themselves through relationships between Violet and her inner self and her Feed. MT Anderson has also presented conflict through the use of satire. These conflicts were important because they gave me an in-depth understanding of a society, where everyone is clones of one and another. It also helped me understand how modern technology is doing more harm than good.

Violet, the main character in the book experiences inner conflict. She is torn between her own individuality and the acceptance by her peers. Acceptance is something that all teenagers strive for and Violet is no different from the teenagers today. To be accepted in the world of Feed it means to keep up with fashion trends at all times. Anderson takes this to an extreme level through the use of satire. He makes consumerism so ridiculous that it makes a mockery of today’s society as well. “Quendy and Loga went off to the bathroom because hairstyles had changed” this quote shows that fashion changes so quickly that it’s within minutes that a new style comes in. Despite being wanting to fit in Violet did not follow fashion trends and was not sucked into the vicious cycle of consumerism. Violet has already developed the ability to read and write due to her different upbringing and receiving the Feed at a late age. Violet is secretly proud of her intelligence and her ability to think on her own. Therefore she resisted the Feed at times, even if it meant to be rejected by her own peers.

This shows me that Violet is dealing with an extreme conflict within herself. The use of satire is effective in helping me understand the ridiculous things you have to go through just to be accepted, for example, changing hairstyles every five minutes. We have to cover up who we really are by following how others are dressed. People no longer have their individuality for they have to fit into a particular mold just to fit in with others.

Another conflict is presented through the relationship of Violet and the Feed. Violet is aware that the Feed is streamlining people’s personalities for easy marketing. In the chapter “Lost the Chemise” Violet states “I am not going to let them catalog me”. She created a fake profile for herself and misleads the Feed. Violets battle against the Feed lead her to her eventual death. As Violet’s own Feed began to malfunction, the big companies refused to help her because she was not a big asset to consumerism. Here Violet wins the battle but not the war.

This particular conflict helped me understand the power of the Feed and it may already be too late to fight against it. The Feed controls too much including the lives of people. This conflict also made me realize our society is already heading down towards the path of the Feed. Even though it is not to the extreme of Feed we are still targeted for marketing and very much dependant on technology. We use our brains so much less with all the modern technology that surrounds us such as computers, cell phones, calculators, and television. Soon we will be the people in Feed, losing our personalities and becoming clones of each other. In the end, we will become merely “food” for the Feed. With Violet’s conflicts and actions, she wanted to warn others in the book and the readers the dangers of modern technology and how much damage it can cause without anyone realizing.