After reading the book, I've come to the conclusion that Titus was really just some ignorant, horny teenage boy who didn't give a sh*t about anyone. Throughout the book, he didn't help Violet with anything at all and that made me so mad because she put so much effort into their relationship. When he first met Violet, Titus thought she was the most beautiful girl he's ever seen. He didn't know what it was that made her so beautiful; he thought it was maybe her spine aka the curve of her back. Later on when he stares at her from afar, he just pays attention to her mouth and the way she plays with her drink (which she's only able to do because of the gravity on the moon). This would probably be the moment where a guy today would be like, "What that mouth do?"
After reading about their first meeting, I was like, "okay... you know what? Lemme not judge him because everyone does that sometimes; I do it all the time." But even after Titus and Violet date for a while, it doesn't get any better. He takes her to a party for the first time and all is well until he goes upstairs with his friends, Marty and Link, so they can go into mal (their version of getting high). Titus decides not to go into mal because Violet doesn't like that and he goes back downstairs to see what she's up to. At this point I'm like, "oh okay that's nice of him." BUT THEN!!! When Violet asks him what's wrong he doesn't tell her about it and instead lies and talks about truffles (random, I know). He says, "I felt like I was protecting her from something and that felt good, like I was a man already. I hugged her like a man and we kissed" (91). After reading that I was like ???????? HUH? So to be a "real man" you gotta lie to your girl? Mind you, since this is way into the future (or not because we're all very similar to these characters) I would at least expect the hyper-masculinity to be toned down a bit, but clearly it's still strong. The whole damsel in distress thing threw me off because he literally wasn't helping Violet at all by lying to her, but he felt so enlightened afterwards. I'm already sick of him. 
Not too long after the party, Violet rants to Titus about how nothing would ever get done in a two party system. By now, the audience can tell that Violet is obviously different from everyone else. She keeps up with the news and is very cultured. When she goes into this rant, Titus gets kind of ticked off. "I hated it when she got like this, because she wasn't like herself, I mean, she wasn't like this playful person who drags me around the mall doing crazy shit, she was suddenly like those girls at School™ who sit underground and dress in all black with ribbing and get an iron fixture for their jaws and they're like, 'Capitalist fool - propaganda tool'" (111). What's wrong Titus, can't handle opinionated women? He says that she doesn't act like herself, but he doesn't realize that Violet actually is like that. Having opinions on things, especially the government, is a normal thing to do. Everyone who knows me knows that I can go on and on about that. But Titus' perception of Violet is only the fun, crazy, new girl he's into that makes his boring life a tad bit more exciting. Once again, he doesn't listen to her opinions and can only accept her as the sexual being that he recognized her to be from the start. Even later on in the novel when Violet asks Titus about the things going on in Central America or South America, he just dismisses her. I don't understand how Violet stayed with him for as long as she did because I would've been OUT, but that's just me. 
I actually lied, I do know why Violet stayed as long as she did. She was dying because her feed was malfunctioning and she just wanted to live the rest of her days with Titus because he made her happy. She later on made up a list of things she wanted to do and most of the things included him and that really got me in my feelings. But when Titus finds out that Violet is dying, he drifts from her. Whenever she opens up to him, he'll be like "oh that sucks." Meanwhile, WHENEVER he had a problem or felt some type of way, she would always try her best to make him feel better. He eventually stops answering her messages and even deletes them. I felt bad because she was trying so hard but it was like she was talking to a wall or something. I get how she was dying and wanted to experience some amazing love story, but if love isn't reciprocated there's no point in continuously trying. She didn't seem to get that. Violet showed up at his house one day and whisked him away to some cabin in the mountains. She was all flirty and was feeling him up, yet Titus stopped it and said that he felt like he was being felt up by a zombie because he already pictured her as being dead. It was good that he stopped it because there always has to be consent from both parties whenever something happens, but that was harsh. She was supposed to be his girlfriend, but once she lost her sexual appeal, his interest in her completely disappeared.
In the very end of the novel when Violet is literally on her deathbed, Titus says, "It didn't feel like you were in the room with anyone. You could stand there and feel completely alone, like you were just in a room with a prop" (286). I was APPALLED! Even though she was his girlfriend for months, once she became sick he felt like being in a room with her was like being in a room with a prop. It once again goes to show that Titus only had sexual feelings for Violet, not really emotional; he pursued her out of lust. He only felt bad in the very, very end when he visited her for the last time and told her what was going on in the world and snippets of memories she had. This was emotional because she couldn't remember them herself since her mind and body were failing her. Sure, that was nice and all, but it didn't make up for the way he treated her throughout the book. Violet deserved so much better.
Maia M.
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