How we cite our quotes: (Chapter, Paragraph)
Quote #7
I try and read his Noise to see if he's telling the truth but it's almost all shiny and clean, a bright, warm place where anything you can could be true. (15.63)
A huge part of communication in this book is being able to read Noise, kind of like the way we'd read a person's body language, or facial expression. Todd is trying to read Tam's Noise and he's confused because it's happier than the Noise he's used to.
Quote #8
It's a two-way thing, this is. However clear she can hear my Noise, well, out here alone, away from the chatter of others or the Noise of a settlement, there's her silence, loud as a roar, pulling at me like the greatest sadness ever, like I want to take it and press myself to into it and just disappear forever down into nothing. (21.13)
Todd and Viola have communication issues because they basically use different languages. Todd can't hear Viola's thoughts, which is weird for him, and it's also weird for him that she can hear his. Kind of an unfair advantage. He is both disturbed by and drawn toward her silence.
Quote #9
"Everything on this planet talks to each other," he says. "Everything. That's what New World is. Informayshun, all the time, never stopping, whether you want it or not. The Spackle knew it, evolved to live with it, but we weren't equipped for it." (36.52)
Ben explains that people aren't made to communicate with Noise. They didn't even realize it existed on the planet until they had already landed, at which point unfortunately, it drove a lot of people crazy. Everyone else has had to learn to communicate around Noise.