Spoiler Alert: I get very specific.
When I saw the title, "Which character did you identify with the most?", I thought you meant which character out of the whole book. My mind went right away to a particular character that played a tiny, but significant, part. I didn't realize that you were going to list three characters for us to choose from. Not really sure which of the three I feel I could be most like, under the same circumstances. But, I'll try.
I wasn't really 'drawn to' any one of the characters more than the others. Although, I was the most 'surprised' by Rex. I fully expected him to kill Sliver. They were face to face and Sliver asked Rex if he was going to kill him, and Rex said, "No, I'm not", even though he was receiving punishment jolts. That just blew my mind. Totally unexpected.
I would like to think that I could be like Rex. To be able to do what was right, no matter how I had been programmed. If you really think about it, we are all programmed to believe a certain way from the time we are born. We are programmed by our parents and the rest of our family, our church or lack of, our teachers at school, even by our governments thru media and laws, even our friends.
From our first breath, we are being programmed as to what is right and what is wrong. At some point we believe that our decisions are our own, or will be once we become an adult. But, are they truly, or are they a product of our conditioning, our programming? I would like to think that if I ever came face to face with the reality that something I had been taught to believe as true was actually a lie, that I would be able to make the decision to do the right thing, no matter the consequences. Like Rex did.
I don't believe I would turn out like Sliver, especially under the same circumstances. I would have probably been one of the ones who didn't make it through the indoctrination. I couldn't imagine myself surviving through the ordeal of torture that he went through.
Which brings me to Kelly. "Kelly is forced out of what she thought was reality and into circumstances beyond her control." I can relate to Kelly. There was someone in my life that I believed I could count on. Someone I believed would always be there for me, no matter what. When you have someone like that in your life, your reality looks a certain way, the world looks a certain way.
Then, the day comes when your reality is shattered. You find out that they were not who, or what, you thought they were. You really can't count on them. They aren't there for you. Suddenly, the whole world looks different. Reality tilts on its side, and everything feels out of control. And, there's not a whole lot you can do about it. Except to put one foot in front of the other, and continue to move forward, adapting to the new reality. Just like Kelly did.
So, I guess I would have to say that Kelly is the one I could see myself being the most like under the same circumstances. I've already been there. No one actually died, but it sure did feel like it, and my whole reality, and the way I saw the world, changed.
Now, back to the first character that came to my mind when I saw the question, "Which character did you identify with the most?"
The first technician we met on pg. 18. The poor guy was just trying to do his job. He was supposed to hook up to the Chrome Wind, and download the latest mission's information. Minding his own business, walking to the plane. At first, Sliver just did the intimidation stare, as he walked toward the technician. When the technician kept walking, Sliver stops and tells the poor guy that he'll kill him if he touches the plane.
The technician whimpered. Sliver stared a few seconds longer, and then walked away towards an elevator. He pressed the call button, and the technician waited. Sliver entered the elevator when it opened, and the technician continued to wait. The doors closed, and the technician wondered how much he needed this job.
I could just so totally relate. I can remember what it feels like to be in that position. Stuck between the big boss and a big client, just trying to do my job. Knowing that no matter what I did, I'd still be in trouble. But, at least the client never threatened to kill me physically, just threatened to kill my career.
When I read that part, I remember that I actually pictured myself laying my hand on his shoulder, watching the elevator doors close, and saying, "Jerk."
