Rex ... a true hero?

Use this forum to discuss August 2018 book of the month "World, Incorporated" by Tom Gariffo.
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JHuschle519
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Rex ... a true hero?

Post by JHuschle519 »

One of the characters in World Incorporated that I enjoyed the most was Rex. Not only was his dialogue hilarious and a nice change of pace, but in my opinion he also evolved into a true hero by the end of the book. He finds himself suddenly endowed with free will, and he chooses to help his friend instead of following his programing. The story could have ended a whole different way if Rex had made a different choice. Does anyone else have any thoughts on this character?
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Post by CatlynnHighlights »

I feel like he was definitely an interesting character. I was pleasantly surprised when he didn't follow his programming, and he had the most emotion compared to the other characters in my opinion.
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Post by JHuschle519 »

CatlynnHighlights wrote: 03 Aug 2018, 18:10 I feel like he was definitely an interesting character. I was pleasantly surprised when he didn't follow his programming, and he had the most emotion compared to the other characters in my opinion.
I felt that way about him too. Agent Sliver did not show a lot of emotion throughout the story, but there were obvious reasons for that. Kelly showed a lot of emotion, but due to her situation it was usually either anger or sadness. Rex, on the other hand, seemed capable of happiness, anger, annoyance, confusion, and a whole bunch of others. On a side note, I also liked that he was a little bit of a sarcastic jerk. It gave me a good laugh. Given that he now has free will, I also wonder if Rex stayed with Agent Sliver after the story ended. I know there isn't really anyway to know, but it's fun to think about.
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Post by jay_2 »

He was quite unique. I agree fully that he was an interesting character. Definitely agree with the part that he was a little bit of a sarcastic jerk. That gave me a good laugh as well. Ha
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Post by JHuschle519 »

jay_2 wrote: 04 Aug 2018, 17:43 He was quite unique. I agree fully that he was an interesting character. Definitely agree with the part that he was a little bit of a sarcastic jerk. That gave me a good laugh as well. Ha
Yeah, it definitely helped liven up the dialogue quite a bit.
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Post by ccranston »

I think Rex was definitely a symbol for free will. The fact that he overcame his programming was quite heroic but also convenient for the main character. As you said, the story would have ended much differently if Rex had not chosen to ignore his programmed commands to kill Agent Sliver. He was my favorite character, but I kind of feel like he was added for convenience. He was able to help Sliver and Kelly try to escape only because he had clearance with Multinational. He was also the main reason Sliver was able to find and get to Ancarn. I'm not sure any of this would have taken place had Rex not been in the story.
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Post by sharkyjen998 »

Hmm.. that's a great perspective that I didn't think of! It was amazing how Rex defied his programming and even remembered Silver's discussions about freedom. It made Rex more similar to artificial intelligence due to his human-half.
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Post by Britty01 »

I thought the character of Rex was a hero when he chose to ignore his programming and instead determined to help Sliver, partly if not all because he remembered the conversation they had about freedom. I did not think he was added for convenience, there were a lot of things going on with his inclusion into the story. It put me on alert as to who was really trying to get rid of Sliver. I felt like it was part of a process that would bring Sliver back to being 'human'. I saw glimmers of hope for him from his reaction when he lost Kelly, and then when he refused to kill his target knowing what the retribution would be. He even shed a tear. I am looking forward to seeing them both, hopefully, again.
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Post by Fu Zaila »

Rex does seem like a compelling character, but I hate it when character act for the convenience of other characters and are just used as plot turners. In this case, he made it easy for Agent Silver but going against his programmed commands.
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Post by daydreaming reader »

The development of Rex's ability to choose freely was certainly interesting, and the dialogue was not only enjoyable, but appropriate given his evolution. Personally, the growth of this character was unexpected, but delightful.
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Post by Dabuddhababe »

I did find the part when he didnt kill him a little predictable. I think there should have been a little struggle when he seen Silver. Maybe grab him up by the neck, until he forces himself to stop.
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Post by Dusamae »

I loved Rex. He was funny and I loved when he argued with Franklin. I think the reason I think Sliver is the hero is that he made Rex aware of the fact he should have free will. That is what caused him to go against the new programming.
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Post by chelhack »

I do agree with you on the story being very or ending differently had Rex not made the decision that he did. So yes in a way or how the story goes that does make Rex somewhat of a hero.
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Post by lesler »

Rex used A.I. to morph from a normal character to a surprise antihero, to the guy who saves the day. I loved this, and thought this storyline made the novel uniquely excellent.
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Post by Kendra M Parker »

I loved Rex! He offered such a great foil to Sliver. I loved that he and Franklin were constantly fighting. He did turn into a true hero by the end, and that’s part of what made him a great character.
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