slumberland

slumberland

Even the title of the fourth part hints at something happening. Slumber. Land. Someone is going to die. Or fall into endless sleep. And that someone is going to be Violet. This analysis will be short, but still quite descriptive, because I did not have much time to do this. I just shifted house (again) and had to help in the unloading and fixing process.

It starts off in the hospital where Violet has been fixed and Titus, I believe, has finally realized that he was in love with only one part of Violet, and he only wanted a perfect her. He didn’t want a broken and scarred Violet. He wasn’t in love at all. We also begin to see another form of degradation; the environment. They can turn on and off the climate, and sun.

Later, Violet expresses her life wishes to Titus, but we see Titus is reluctant. It feels as if he’s a jerk, who was only using Violet. Titus is beginning to distance himself from Violet. I find this quite sad, because we could see in the beginning to middle of the book that Violet was helping Titus, and Titus was quite dependent on her. She supported him, and showed him a new way around things. And when she needs him, he’s shying away and slowly becoming a jerk.

Then, I found something quite interesting. On pages 222-223, Quendy is acting quite mature and smart. She tries to understand what’s happening to Violet, and even searches things up on her feed. She also indirectly calls Titus an unemphatic person for not even caring to know what his happening ‘re: Violet’.  Also, it is pointed out that Quendy’s blood is blue. This is a possible reference to two things; one, that there is not enough oxygen in the atmosphere, and two, a possible hint that Quendy is quite “royal” in terms that she cares.

 Also, we see that Titus is scared and tries to shirk his responsibilities. He goes into mal, and winds up at Violet’s house. She takes care of him anyways, which is quite ironic, and goes on to stay with him outside, while the father silently judges from inside the house. Moreover, Violet, after that incident, sends all her important memories over to Titus. And makes a weekend plan with him. But he deletes everything. He can’t handle all his emotions.

When they do end up going to the mountain under the pseudonyms Mister and Missus Smith, Titus freaks out when Violet starts to get intimate. Her last words to him were, “Oh, shit.”

After that incident, Titus moves on; they have broken up. He doesn’t even look back at her. He starts dating Quendy, and goes on holidays with his mates. When his dad comes back from a whale expedition, he projects memories. And that’s when Violet’s dad’s message comes in, saying that Violet was gone.

Titus rushes over, only to meet a body, with barely any life signals, covered in discs. He doesn’t feel any grief. Violet’s dad attacks Titus and tells him to go play with the Eloi. This is a reference to the book, “The Time Machine” by H. G. Wells, where the Eloi are the superior race that live on the surface of the earth and don’t perform menial task; only play. What a wonderful reference.

When Titus gets home, I think he finally understands what Violet meant by resisting. He orders the same pants all the same colour until his credit is depleted. Completely. This is a different way of resistance. It makes the corps believe that Titus really likes those pants, and completely conforms him to a category that he is not. So, kudos to him to find a non-damaging way to fight the feed.

Two days later, he goes back to Violet. And he tells her short stories. You can see he is very aware now, and no longer obsessed over small irrelevant things. He knows what’s happening in the world now. And he starts to cry. Which is very unusual for that future. He understands finally what his love for Violet was, he starts to feel bad.

Everything must go. 

Everything must go.

Everything must go.

My favorite quote though was: “There’s an ancient saying in Japan, that life is like walking from one side of infinite darkness to another, on a bridge of dreams. They way that we’re all crossing the bridge of dreams together. That there’s nothing more than that. Just us, on the bridge of dreams.”

I liked the ending. It was quite intense. I would, though, give this book a 7/10. It’s not really my favorite book, but the ending was just my style. So it got bumped up. Anyways. Thank you. Bye.