Chapters 16 - 20
Summary:
Chapter 16 starts off with Tom in iBoy mode, going back another apartment complex where he causes some mayhem, specifically by setting a car on fire, breaking into a Crow residence, beating up some gang members and tying them up. He also questions a Troy O'Neil on the whereabouts of the supreme gang leader, Howard Ellman. O'Neil doesn't know where he is, so Tom leaves a message for Ellman, also dubbed 'Hellman': "Tell Ellman I'm coming for him.' (161) and goes back to his own apartment and falls asleep.
Over the next approximately ten days, Tom Harvey slips into a dream-like state, and works solely as iBoy, fighting crime, planting evidence, and getting Crows caught by the police. He goads this mysterious 'Hellman' and saves a couple of teenage girls from being abducted by several gang members. He also keeps in contact with Lucy over MySpace, also under the name iBoy. They talk a lot, and have gotten on friendly terms.
After the ten days are up, Tom is Tom again, and he feels as if he has just woken up from a dream. He knows what he has done, but to him it seems odd, almost like it was not him doing it. Which it wasn't; it was all iBoy. After throwing a 'Good Morning' to his Gram, she questions him about a random sum of money, fifteen thousand pounds to be exact, being deposited into her account. She was heavily in debt before this, and when Tom found out, he took one pound from the fifteen thousand richest bank accounts and deposited it anonymously into her account. Gram of course does not realize this; she suspects that Tom is involved in the gangs, and that's where the money have from. Tom denies it and proves to her that he has been 'studying' all this time, and Google's the answer to the questions that Gram asks him. He almost tells her the truth, when the two policemen from the hospital reappear for more questioning. They are searching for the 'superhero' who is attacking the gang members, but they get nothing out of Tom and they leave.
Tom goes to bed, and when he wakes up, he thinks over what he is trying to do. He has no clue about what his ulterior motive is, and he feels sick of all the digital stuff in his head. He is changing, and he doesn't necessarily like the change. He even admits to himself ".... I [am] sick of everything because I just [want] to be normal again....[but] [I'm not] just Tom any more. [I'm] not how I used to be." (199). When he reflects on what he has been doing for the last few days, how he acts when he's iBoy vs when he is Tom, he realizes he's changed more than he's thought. His feelings towards Lucy also complicate things, because he has been talking to her as two different people; iBoy and Tom. He realizes "...I [want] to be normal with Lucy... I [want] to be Tom Harvey with her. Not iBoy, just Tom. I [want] her to be as excited by the real me as she [is] by the fake me who talk[s] to her on MySpace." (199) During this inner realization, Lucy MySpace's iBoy, sounding flirty and bubbly, just like she used to. But "iBoy didn't reply. I wouldn't let him. I [am] Tom... I [am] losing my mind." (200).
Later, spurred by his epiphany, Tom asks Lucy out on a date, assuring her that no one will see them and they won't have to leave the building. Lucy reluctantly agrees, not having been out since the incident, and Tom leads her to a romantic dinner/snack on the roof, with specialty cheese sandwiches and crisps. Lucy kisses Tom, and they are officially a thing.
Analysis:
Here we begin to see a sort of split-personality in the main character. Tom Harvey is mostly Tom, but gradually it seems that iBoy is starting to take over. Tom is still mostly in control, but the feeling of euphoria that he feels when he is iBoy is starting to create a split in the characters within him. For ten whole days we see a lot more of iBoy, and a lot less of Tom. Only with the help of his iMemories, which are videos of his life in his head (recorded through his eyes) does Tom fully remember what happened for that length of time. He also wants to be normal, for Lucy and for himself. He admits to himself "...I [want] to be normal with Lucy... I [want] to be Tom Harvey with her. Not iBoy, just Tom." (199). He also comments "I [am] Tom... I [am] losing my mind." (200).
iBoy is a lot more daring than Tom, and a lot more vengeful too. iBoy doesn't feel any emotions towards the Crows, and only experiences a high euphoria whilst being in iBoy mode. Everything else doesn't matter. iBoy also has a certain cockiness to himself, an overconfidence in his abilities. iBoy also likes Lucy. Tom is almost the exact opposite of that. He is kind and caring and a bit of a wimp, all which he admits freely to himself. He loves Lucy too, but almost seperate from iBoy. Whereas iBoy can say anything he wants, Tom is awkward, and prefers to talk to Lucy face-to-face, where iBoy hides behind a MySpace account.
Questions to Consider:
Do you think Tom/iBoy is doing the right thing by going after the Crows?
"...absolute power corrupts absolutely" ( Lord Acton ). Does this quote have merit here? Is Tom being corrupted by iBoy's powers?
Tom stole money to give to his Gram to settle her debt. Is this the right thing to do? Why or why not?
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