Annie Bot

In this final chapter, Doug’s relationship with Annie appears to be evolving, although Annie realizes that Doug has not truly changed. Their therapist is sure that Doug still has unresolved anger toward Annie, and his behavior still reflects The Dangers of Toxic Masculinity. Because of this, Annie remains uneasy as the two begin having sex again and Doug introduces her to his friends. When she begins to explore the city on her own and sees how people in equitable relationships treat each other, she realizes that Doug’s feelings for her will always be rooted in toxicity. This leads to the final stage in her coming-of-age arc when she resolves to give up her identity as Doug’s possession and make her own way in the world.

Although Doug brings their therapy sessions to an abrupt halt, he and Annie talk through his residual anger with each other during their last session. Doug’s happiness after cheating on Annie shows that he is only interested in gaining back the power that he feels he lost. Their therapist sees the incident as evidence of Doug’s continued resentment, and it is telling that after he brushes her off and asks to end their sessions, her final piece of advice is that it is important to be honest with one’s self. Doug is never truly honest with himself, and even at this point in the narrative, he seems incapable of meaningful self-reflection. Annie, who has spent the bulk of their therapy sessions deep in thought, contrasts markedly with Doug: She seems to be figuring out exactly that kind of honesty, and this is another moment in which the line between artificial and human intelligence seems to blur, highlighting the theme of The Nature of Artificial Versus Human Intelligence.

Their uneasy return to normal after ending therapy foreshadows Annie’s escape at the end of the novel. Doug’s lack of self-reflection in combination with his abusive behavior continues to impact Annie because she has become more self-aware. For Doug, life seems to be getting back on track. For Annie, the two now have too much emotional distance between them to make things work. Because Doug is unaware of Annie’s feelings, he does not realize that she is unhappy.

The paradoxical gesture of letting Annie wander around the city without a tracking device is meant to further subjugate her rather than set her free. Although Annie is initially happy to have been given more freedom, she comes to realize that Doug is letting her wander only because he knows the extent of the emotional damage he has inflicted on her, and he is sure that even with more freedom, she has internalized his control over her and will not leave. This is also evident when Doug brings up the idea of adopting a child and visiting his family. Doug has not once asked Annie what she hopes for their future; he is imposing a future on her because he is sure that she is fully under his control. She is not initially interested in the idea of a baby, nor is she sure that she would feel comfortable around Doug’s family. Doug continues to see Annie as an object, keeping with the theme of Humanity’s Abuse of Technology.

Annie fully comes to realize all this about Doug only after he introduces her to his friends and she has the ability to observe complex group dynamics. She watches the way that various people speak and respond to one another and realizes that Doug values her primarily because she always gives him her undivided attention. Additionally, she does not require much of Doug’s attention. Annie is emotionally intelligent enough to understand human behavior in a way that Doug does not, and it is during this moment that it is fully apparent that Annie will leave Doug. Ultimately, Annie’s character speaks to the innately human desire to not only love and be loved authentically but also determine the course of one’s own life.