Dystopian Worlds in Feed and Wall-E: Consumerism, Environmentalism, and Loss of Individuality
Physical, emotional, and spiritual communication between two people, the environment, or developing relationships impacts the nature of interaction, thus influencing individual thought and opinion. Consumerism, environmentalism, along with the loss of individuality, are key themes that significantly affect aspects of society and the singular personality. Expressed are two complete dystopian worlds. Feed by M.T. Anderson, a science-fiction novel, incorporates a satirical approach to modern teenagers and societal norms. Andrew Stanton’s animated film Wall-E addresses the futuristic consequences of modern society and the overhauling technological interference, demoting the once ‘beautiful’ world.
Consumerism in Feed and Wall-E
Consumerism is identified in Feed through teenagers and their behaviors, targeting their education, social status, and interests. Anderson embodies the attitudes of the characters who are oblivious to their actions and subsequent consequences to establish that ‘humans’ are driven by consumerism. Characters preoccupied by TV and clothes care little for the world outside, which is clearly portrayed when Quendy and Loga head to the restroom because “hairstyles have changed”. This implies that society’s acceptable appearance changes regularly, adopting the perception that modern society ‘uses and abuses’. The immediate pop-up of banners, delivered by the precise structure of the poem, notifies the audience of the persuasive Feed corporation; “Her spine was, I didn’t know the word…The feed suggested supple”, that implies the lack of individual thought through personification of the technologically improved Feed. Reflection occurs as the characters’ own education no longer matters as they consume everything that appears on the Feed, essentially inducing “brain-death” as the justification that “the earlier the feed is implanted the more controlled you become”. Significantly, this highlights that through technologically advanced corporations, individual thought processes, human communicating, behaving, and interacting are becoming limited, consequently influencing the dystopian world’s robotic lifestyle.
In comparison, Wall-E expresses consumerism as the factor that has destroyed Earth. The world has been abandoned by all of humanity because of the over-polluted atmosphere as an outcome of a society influenced by technology. Scenes of dark, gloomy, and “garbage-filled” streets imply the magnitude of the growth of consumerism, which has led to a complete dystopian Earth. Stanton includes a long shot of large signage “Buy n Large Gas” to exaggerate the fact that “one company took over the whole city”. Through Stanton’s deliberate contrast between the dystopian outside to the welcoming ‘inside’ of the spaceship, a futuristic element, in which the characters only consume the technologically reigned ‘world’,” try blue, it’s the new red”, implies through juxtaposition the sense that the ‘people’ only see what the large corporation wants them to see. This highlights modern society through the deceitful promotion “You need to see this and ONLY this” act of corporations. This is essential as it illustrates that consumerism is controlling ‘everyone’ and their opinions. The addressing of the consequences of technological consumerism is conveyed in both Feed and Wall-E, deliberate by both director and author to define the now dystopian worlds.
Environmentalism and the Dystopian Setting
Through a dystopian setting, Feed portrays environmentalism by illustrating modern youth as “always fleeting,” referring to the tendency to “use and abuse” in the act of never being satisfied. Environmentalism is shown through the destruction the Feed corporation has on destroying the “once beautiful” world, visualized when Titus speaks metaphorically, expressing the moon garden and “a squid in love with the sky”, depicting a visual representation of the relationship between the futuristic world and nature. This is significant as it employs the concept that the demise of understanding nature, love, and inhumanity of their ‘new world’ is a consequence of the Feed. Anderson’s plot depicts the idea that what is occurring on the moon is a “microcosm” of what is arising in society. The non-existent relationship with nature, “a long time ago the glass ceiling cracked”, a flashback of former times, signifies the lack of care given, suggesting through past tense “there had been” once a beautiful “courtyard and terrarium”. Now, advertisement has drained the world and piloted a destroyed society. The fact that stars are visible in the novel contradicts the science-fiction storyline by stating in the end nature will prevail. The visual representation of the broken ceiling suggests that although the true nature “garden” has been lost, no amount of technological advancements or advertising can destroy the beauty of the “stars” above.
Wall-E addresses the consumerism that has drastically affected the established environment. The interaction that arises between ‘Extra-terrestrial Vegetation Evaluator’ (robot) Eve and Wall-E is an oxymoron, as rare and precious as a seedling that emerges from the waste. The overhauling corporations have left the environment visually obscured by “brown and grey floating masses of space garbage” that become clearer as the shot moves toward a cityscape piled with skyscrapers built from trash. The futuristic world on an “upgraded living” spaceship has abandoned all-natural aspects of ‘Earth,’ and the environment now comprises overweight, lazy characters oblivious to the consequence of Earth’s emptiness. Visual representations by director Stanton include an Earth-like constructed planet, to introduce a collective nostalgia, a memory of a pristine natural world that no longer exists, to persuade the personalities to venture upon. When Wall-E disconnects the technology between the persons and their chairs, a new world is seen. The Feed and technology have destroyed the natural ‘Beauty’ of Earth… now a dystopian world.
Loss of Individuality and the Future of Society
Anderson provides the audience with the interaction of a dystopian world and the way individuality, humanity, and societal norms are portrayed. Stanton delivers a technologically advanced world that has destroyed the Earth’s livable and environmental existence. Through exploring interactions in both Feed and Wall-E, the process of individual thought and communication has been lost. The science fiction novel and film are expressed through complete dystopia resulting from technological advancements. Both Feed and Wall-E’s textual integrity encompasses the ability to warn modern society about the possible future societal uselessness and a forceful comment on communal habits through the utilization of consumerism and environmentalism.
Key Takeaways:
- Both Feed and Wall-E depict dystopian futures where consumerism and technology have ravaged society and the environment.
- The loss of individuality and independent thought is a central theme in both works.
- Both stories serve as cautionary tales about the potential consequences of unchecked technological advancement and consumerism.