Is there a flaw in the storyline?

[Atieno Magero]

I don't think that's a flaw. I think the author made the characters go to work and do these other things to show how the citizens lived and what their world is like. I also think that the AI's allowed the humans to do such things to see how they interact with each other and to detect flaws that need to be corrected.

[Atieno Magero]

I don't think that's a flaw. I think the author made the characters go to work and do these other things to show how the citizens lived and what their world is like. I also think that the AI's allowed the humans to do such things to see how they interact with each other and to detect flaws that need to be corrected.

[Atieno Magero]

I don't think that's a flaw. I think the author made the characters go to work and do these other things to show how the citizens lived and what their world is like. I also think that the AI's allowed the humans to do such things to see how they interact with each other and to detect flaws that need to be corrected.

[Michael Valentine]

I have different thoughts about this question. I think the people in society should have been working from home. The AIs seemed to have selected the areas to control. This, although, didn't make the story less enjoyable for me.

[Friederic Schröder]

I don't think it is a flawed aspect of this novel, although you have raised an Interesting point, I think the idea of working at the office and not going to event centers to see a movie or watch a game is a very important aspect of this novel the author employed. Recreation and performing tasks are two different things and in my opinion, I believe the reason for this is to monitor the work efficiency closely and to curtail mishaps and improper task performance.

[Laura Ismajli]

I think there is a very important element in the story that hasn't been mentioned yet. Throughout the book, Kim mentions several times that VR doesn't feel real, and we know that is because it isn't. She mentions when visiting friends outside of the city that there is something about seeing people in person that VR can't capture. She has also mentioned a few things that it hasn't quite accomplished yet, like smell.

I believe that one part of the human condition that the society is unable to correct for is our loneliness and desire for interpersonal interaction. There is so much going on in our subconscious that we are unable to perceive that leads to our feeling of well-being. Trying to remove these natural inclinations has disastrous effects, such as when the mothers are forced to give up their children. Going against natural instincts leads to madness, and that would threaten the control. By forcing them to leave the house to go to work, the citizens are given just enough interaction to stay sane, in a way that is monitored and controlled. It is never enough to be an actual threat to the society as a whole and keeps the balance going. Looking at the past few years, and what work from home has done to the psychological health in our everyday lives, I think that this could be one of the motivations in having them work in offices.

[Bettny Andrade]

The point you raise, in particular, does not seem to me to be debatable.

Regarding the magnitude of the area, in which Kim develops his work, it is essential to be present for the programming and coding of the machines, since they are in the company that maintains all the infrastructure and information required for this purpose.

Now, for the rest of the people, depending on the area, it may also be necessary to be present, because in any case it is not absolute control of the AI. In addition to that, in this society, a domination of thought and slavery as human beings is presented, showing it as a way of salvation, as long as they follow the terms of service.

[Claire Twy]

If people are connected to society in their homes for entertainment and virtual reality to attend a ball game with friends, why would they not be working from home too? And if they are working from home, which supports the limitation of physical interactions between people, does the story fall apart because there is nothing for an individual to see that awakens them to the sense that something is wrong?

That's quite interesting, I hadn't thought of that. I personally feel that the semblance of human reality by making people physically go to work made the rest of their impersonal, detached lives all the more impactful. Maybe if they were on special paths like Kim, they needed to be monitored at work by people to make sure they were still on the right track and behaving accordingly, so they needed to physically work. For artificial intelligence, despite its proficiency, still seems to lack understanding of human emotions and certain behavioural patterns in their world.

[Josephe-Anne]

I see your point, but if everyone worked from home, then the Transportation Company would become obsolete. Also, the Hierarchy wouldn't be able to punish wayward citizens for arriving late for work. They purposely designed the system to make an example out of anyone who doesn't follow the rules and give the illusion that citizens could climb the ladder to higher tiers in society. However, Kim realized that each person's path was chosen for them from the beginning. That is why Kim was sent to the prestigious academy and Shan always had terrible jobs. It was rigged to be that way. It wasn't a coincidence like they wanted people to believe.

[Ohanele Chinonyerem]

In my own opinion, I didn’t find much of a flaw. I noticed some situations where she was referred to as he and I understood that this may be the author’s writing style.

[aub lamar]

The narrative had some inconsistencies, and the AI's logic for selecting specific areas to control seemed arbitrary. It would have made more sense for the AI to exert control over all aspects of life, including work, not just limited to meals and emotions.