Development of the relationship
Titus and Violet meet on the moon in the Ricochet loung. Titus is attracted by V’s wool dress, and the juice creating a bubble on her tongue. After being hacked T and V spend time in hospital together. Violet shows Titus the terrarium with the plant growing towards the air. She is revealing something of the ‘natural’ world to him. Titus sees beauty. Violet tells Titus ‘You’re the only one of them that uses metaphor.’ She may recognise that Titus is ‘different’ and that she will be able to share her understanding of the world with him.
In America (Utopia) Violet and Titus’s relationship develops:
- Violet and Titus learn more about each other and their backgrounds. (late feed, education, writing with a pen, reading) Titus finds all of this different and therefore attractive.
- Violet shows Titus how to resist the feed by confusing it. (becoming ‘invisible) Titus finds this attractive, thinking it is funny. At the end of the shopping spree they ‘make out’ and Titus watches Violet leave.
Tension builds
Titus begins to realise that Violet is smart and he is not. They disagree about whether America is a democracy. Titus admits that he hates it when Violet gets anti – the system – no fun anymore. Titus visits Violet’s house and meets her ‘strange’ father. Violet talks about ‘delayed gratification.’ (Titus does not agree).Titus and Violet fight and he says, ‘Sometimes it feels like you’re watching us, not being us.’ (she doesn’t fit with his friends.- she talks ‘weird’- big words)
Crisis
- Violet has a ‘breakdown’ at a party. She criticises Quendy’s lesions and calls Titus and his friends ‘monsters’ and says that they ‘are feed.’ (They are feed for the corporations).
- ‘The party is over’. (the relationship is over, at least in Tutus’ mind)
Breakup (during Slumberland)
Violet physically deteriorates – limbs stop working. Titus wants Violet to be ‘un-insane again, just a person who would touch my face. Titus becomes disinterested in Violets illness begins to ignore Violet’s messages (things to do before I die) , saves them for later, then deletes them. He puts on his busy signal, and gives excuses for not going to the mountains with her. Titus gives in and goes to the mountain, but dreads it. When she tries to make love to him he says, ‘It feels like being felt up by a zombie.’ On the way home when Violet was crying he thought, ‘how ugly she was…’ He tells her that her, ‘I didn’t sign up to go without you forever when you’re dead.’ (272)
Final Days
Titus goes out with Quendy, despite hair falling out and skin falling off. Titus receives a message from Violet’s father saying that ‘you don’t need to see her if you don’t wish to.’ (290 onwards). Titus visits Violet and talks to her, telling her about the warnings of war and the rioting across America. He begins to tell Violet’s story and cries.
