This book showed the competitiveness in the world. Stephenson made me feel nervous and intensified. It showed the competitive nature of business through a pizza shop.

On page 178 it talks about Y.T. going through a poor part of the neighborhood to pick up a package. Y.T. is fearless. She is going through a place described as an “open-air insane asylum” or a “Moonie festival” on a skateboard. The people living in this area are dirt poor. Stephenson describes them as a group of people that cannot take care of themselves in ratty clothing. Stephenson uses phrases like “dead car” and “dark monitor screen” to help set up the eerie and dumpy neighborhood. I felt like Y.T. was in a horror scene. I really started getting nervous when she picking up the suitcase from the guy. The small group of people seemed different from everyone else and lonely. The small group was spoke their own babblish language that Y.T. did not understand. The group felt lonely when the guy giving Y.T. the package kept trying to get Y.T. to stick around and visit with them. He first offers her a drink and then asks her to hang with his “community” and learn things that could potentially change her life. This part confused me cause it was a short segment of chapter 23 but it made me pause and think what this so called community could offer her that would change her life. I felt confused as to why they would offer her information to help her. Is this foreshadowing for the future chapters somehow?

Later in the chapter on page 180 when Y.T. was pooning, Jason pulls up next to her and offers her his rear-quarter panel. Although Jason helped her previously I still felt nervous if she should poon with him again. Then when he immediately stopped in an empty parking lot with a semi I really felt on edge. Stephenson described the guy in the semi, his office, with a slick hair and black suit. I felt like this man was all business and could potentially be danger. When she got in and the truck started moving I started empathizing for Y.T. and the possible danger she could have gotten herself into, especially when Stephenson writes on page 182, “She’s trying to sound tough and brave, but it’s a hollow act in these circumstances.” The scene got more intensified when he started using vulgar language. I felt for Y.T. in this situation and felt she was absolutely petrified and did not know what to do or think in this forceful situation.