Book Discussion Prep: Week #2

The word "school" is followed by a TM and capitalized throughout the novel. What is the significance and what is the state of education?


       In a world that has become completely materialized it is no surprise that the school system has become privately owned by someone. We don't quite know who owns School TM but I guess that doesn't matter because the real problem is that someone owns and profits from school. Sure some people do that now but this is for all school or even when the word school is mentioned. And the other problem with this is that now whoever owns school can treat it like any other product out there. They could cut it's funding if it is not profitable enough and they can control it like their own puppet. They could also teach things the way they want it taught or even not teach certain things at all. For example if it where owned by someone who was very religious they could not teach the theory of evolution or any lesson that does against their beliefs. The state of education is very bad if it is owned by someone who would abuse their power over the education system.


Questions:

1:  Open-Ended  :
When Titus is looking at the painting of the boat, on page 49, he makes an observation about the painting saying he feels like the boat with no one on board to look at the horizon. What do you think Titus means by this?
     
      I think what he means is that he is the boat out on the water free from the shore (feed) and he finally begins to see the world with his own eyes (horizon) but there is no one on board, with him, to see the world because they still need the feed.

2:  World Connection  :
On page 72 Titus and the gang get back their feeds and when they get it back they dance, "Hand in hand, we danced," (72). What does this say about the feed and what does this say about mankind?
     
       I think it means that the feed has become like a drug; they form a habit and eventually get addicted to it and they think they can't live without it. But what I think it says about us is that we as humans don't like change and we don't like to change the way we live. This lifestyle is what gets us addicted to these kinds of things.

3:  Closed Ended  :
When Violet suggests that her and Titus should shop for random stuff to confuse the feed they run into a store clerk who tells them a story about how he thinks he saw cockroaches all over the tops of the house domes. This along with the people telling stories about the last forests falling what can you conclude about the state the world is in?
     
       I think this means that nature is practically extinct and the world is covered in man made cities and homes and the environment is probably becoming less and less healthy as time goes on. Perhaps that is why everyone has lesions?