Ready Player One Read-Through: Chapter 32

Content warning: sexism, misogyny.



This chapter is about everyone kissing Wade's arse, and it is nauseating, it really is.

Art3mis, Aech and Shoto keep saying how awesome he is for what he did; how lucky he is for not getting caught and killed. Well, Art3mis isn't impressed, at first. She'd hoped he wasn't bullshitting them about his findings. She calls his plan a "stupid risk", then:


Art3mis scowled at me. "Of course, when you found out they had secret files on each of us, you just couldn't resist looking at them, could you?"
     "I had to look at them!" I said. "To find out how much they knew about each of us! You would have done the same thing."
     She leveled a finger at me. "No, I wouldn't have. I respect other people's privacy!"
     "Art3mis, chill out!" Aech interjected. "He probably saved your life, you know."
     She seemed to consider this. "Fine," she said. "Forget it." But I could tell she was still pissed off. (Page 305)


Art3mis is rightfully angry at Wade. He really did have no reason for looking into their private files. Instead of considering her point of view, he tries to defend his actions through an angry, bullshit response. Then to make things worse, Aech takes the side of his dude-bro and tells her to "chill out!". Yeah, woman, don't get all hysterical! Don't PMS on us!

This is further horrible in hindsight, knowing Aech's true identity (which will be revealed in the next chapter - oh yeah, that time is coming, and this is me being calm, trust me).

Art3mis is cornered and guilt-tripped into dropping the privacy subject altogether. Her views, opinions, and feelings are rendered unimportant and silly. In a room full of people who are passing off as male. This kind of thing happens all the time in the workplace, Cline, did you know that?

"But I could tell she was still pissed off." - YOU THINK!? YOU MUST BE PSYCHIC!

It has been made clear hundreds of times by now that Wade is incapable of empathy. And we are not supposed to expect him to change.

Stupid women, wanting their privacy respected! Next they'll be wanting to go into politics.

Wade shows them all the data that IOI collected, and everyone is back to kissing his arse.


"Aech is right," Art3mis said, shaking her head. "You are certifiably nuts." She hesitated for a second, then added, "Thanks for the warning, Z. I owe you one."
     I opened my mouth to say "you're welcome," but no words came out. (Page 306)


Ugh!

Fickle woman, changing her mood at the drop of a hat!

Manic Pixie Dream Girl fantasy is back!

It is also worth noting that once Shoto praises Wade, he can talk again. He still cannot talk to girls as fellow human beings.

They view a video of Sorrento trying to figure out how to pass the Third Gate at Castle Anorak. Three words are etched into the door: "CHARITY. HOPE. FAITH."

Charity. Hope. Faith. Words that Ready Player One does not live by.

The surviving members of the High Five figure out in less than a page what thousands of Sixers feeding Sorrento information couldn't: the words are a reference to Schoolhouse Rock!. Of course Wade had already figured it out and is letting the others catch up on their own, the smug prick. ("You're a smart bunch." he says. Not as smart as you, obviously. Condescending shithead.) Not like time is of the essence or anything! Sorrento could open the door to the Third Gate at any moment!

Wade is ego-stroking like mad, here. Art3mis calls Halliday a "crazy bastard", and Wade figures that Halliday wanted three avatars with a copy of the Crystal Key themselves to open the Gate, so they'd work together. Aech pitches in that Halliday must have wanted a "big, dramatic finale" for the end of his hunt, where everyone fights each other for the egg at the end of the line, like in a video game or a movie. Hundreds or thousands of avatars will likely die.

How deviously manipulative.

He loved violence, hate and war, didn't he, Halliday?

How was he any different from IOI, again? At least IOI have people with their heads in reality.


"Dilettantes," Art3mis said. "It's their own fault for not knowing all the Schoolhouse Rock! lyrics by heart. How did those fools even get this far?"
     "By cheating," I said. "Remember?"
     "Oh, that's right. I keep forgetting." She grinned at me, and I felt my knees go all rubbery. (Page 308)


Not the time or the place for ego-stroking, Cline--I mean, Wade!

Art3mis is happy to play second fiddle to the great and powerful Wade, now. Happy to lick his boots. She is officially Wade's cheerleader. She went from a real person in this chapter to an MPDG as quick as a whiplash.

Wade tells his friends that he knows what he is doing in terms of dropping the Sixers' magical shield. "You guys are gonna have to trust me." he says. They go along with it. He also lets them know about the email he sent to every gunter and other user in the OASIS, hoping that they would all work together to stop the Sixers.

At this point Art3mis is back to being the skeptic:


"And you really think everyone will just show up and help us fight the Sixers?" she said. "Just for the hell of it?"
    "Yes," I said. "I do."
     Aech nodded. "He's right. No one wants the Sixers to win the contest. And they definitely don't want IOI to take control of the OASIS. People will jump at a chance to help bring the Sixers down. And what gunter is gonna pass up a chance to fight in such an epic, history-making battle?" (Page 310)


Everyone stop saying that Wade is right! We get it, he's in God Mode!

Art3mis's views and concerns are shut down by Aech once again. She gives infallible, justifiable, realistic arguments, but is continuously undermined by the male avatars around her. She is pushed to the side like a lamp ornament. She eventually says that Wade is "right" (fuck!!!) and the email might just work.

Cline, what were you thinking when you wrote this?


"Three of us have to reach the gate," Aech said. "If only one or two of us make it inside, we're screwed."
    "Correct," I said. "So we should all try extremely hard not to get killed."
    Art3mis and Aech both laughed nervously. Shoto just shook his head. (Page 311)


Poor Shoto.

Yeah, remember what happened to Daito, Wade? Too soon!

You insensitive ass!

But no time for consolidation now, there's a video game to win! Aech contradicts and undermines Art3mis some more (Stop it Aech, seriously; you are starting to scare me, when I know who you really are.). Then the plan is settled. Everyone will send Wade's email to as many people as possible.

They are rightfully still concerned for their safety, however. The Sixers will catch wind of the email soon.

Suddenly:


"I think I might be able to help you guys out," a deep voice said.
    We all jumped and turned around just in time to see a tall, male, gray-haired avatar appear directly behind us. It was the Great and Powerful Og. Ogden Morrow's avatar. And he didn't materialize slowly, the way an avatar normally did when logging into a chat room. He simply popped into existence,as if he had been there all along and had only now decided to make himself visible.
    "Have any of you ever been to Oregon?" he said. "It's lovely this time of year." (Page 312)


End of chapter 32.

So Og shows up at last. Why has he decided to show himself now? Why was he spying on a bunch of gunter kids, instead of helping them when they seriously needed it the whole time? Why is he only now deciding to do something about the Sixers and the threat to OASIS, which is part of his creation? Why wasn't he doing something about IOI killing people before? Where has he been for over a year?!

All of these questions and more will be answered unsatisfactory in the next chapter!

An adult - a rich adult at that - is here. Easy situation now!

Nobody saw the "man behind the curtain" connection to his avatar? Never? The foreshadowing was so obvious! I guess these top gunters are not that great at puzzle-solving after all. Not when the plot doesn't need them to.

Chapter 33 will be the longest one, and my longest post/rant.

I warn you now: I might get very angry, more so than before. Because 33 is perhaps the worst chapter in Ready Player One, because of the amount of things wrong with it. It is among the most offensive things I've ever read. I hate it with every fiber of my being and I dread having to talk about it.

But I have to - well, okay I don't have to, but I feel I have to, for anyone who has already read the book and for anyone considering reading it. For their sake.

I have truly reached the shitstorm. Wish me luck. No, not luck; Wade already used up all of the world's luck. Just... I'll try my best, that's what I can say. From this moment forth.