Watch Me

Content Warning: This section of the guide includes discussion of disordered eating, graphic violence, illness, and death.

The dichotomy between surveillance and freedom is at the heart of Watch Me, illustrated by the stark contrast between Rosa’s life under the totalitarian rule of the Reestablishment and James’s life in rebellion against it in the New Republic. Rosa lives in a world governed by omnipresent artificial intelligence, where privacy is nonexistent and even thoughts are monitored. Her upbringing has conditioned her to accept this reality, with her father espousing the belief that “[s]urveillance is security […] Only criminals need privacy” (10). This belief encapsulates the governing philosophy of Ark Island, where nearly everyone is connected to a neural network that removes personal boundaries and autonomy. Through Rosa’s experiences with both the Reestablishment and the New Republic, Mafi explores the tension between security and freedom.

Rosa is an anomaly in the Reestablishment because her mind is not connected to the neural network. This makes her an asset and a liability in a society that depends on its access to the minds, bodies, and properties of its citizens. Because of her unique status, Rosa undergoes monthly interrogations by Klaus, the