Ready Player One Chapter 9 Quotes
How we cite the quotes:
(Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote 1
[Art3mis] was even cooler in person than I'd imagined. (9.43)
This is how closely a person's OASIS identity is tied into their actual, human identity. Just getting an eyeful of Art3mis's polygons counts to Wade as "in person."
"You could become famous in the real world too [...] if you reveal your true identity to the media." (9.123)
Being famous in the real world requires tearing down the wall between real-life and online identities, something Wade isn't ready to do at this point in the book, either out of fear or a simple preference for the two to remain separate.
Quote 3
She seemed to be going for a sort of mid-'80s postapocalyptic cyberpunk girl-next-door look. And it was working for me, in a big way. In a word: hot. (9.4)
The OASIS is Wade's reality, so it makes sense that Art3mis's digital body would turn him on. Plus, he can always fantasize that she looks exactly like her avatar. But can it be love if you don't know the other person's physical presence? We're dubious.
"Competition brings out the best in me." (9.113)
Art3mis says this line, but it could really apply to just about anyone in the novel. The competition for Halliday's egg is so heated, it puts the pacing into overdrive. If it weren't for all these highly competitive people, the plot wouldn't move nearly as fast.
"I don't know [if I can save the world]. Maybe not. But I'm gonna give it a shot." (9.141)
Even when something is against all odds, Art3mis gives it a try. She's also talking about the real world—planet Earth—not the OASIS, which is the only world Wade is concerned with.
Quote 6
"The reason so many people are starving is because we've wrecked the planet. The Earth is dying, you know? It's time to leave." (9.136)
Here's another eerily familiar complaint. Looks like in Ready Player One's version of reality, climate change is here to stay. Wade's solution to the world's problems: give up and fly away. Is he sane to escape and try to start a new life, or just really selfish?
Quote 7
"I'd have a nuclear-powered interstellar spacecraft constructed in Earth's orbit [...] stock[ed] with a lifetime supply of food and water, a self-sustaining biosphere, and a supercomputer loaded with every [thing] that human civilization has ever created." (9.133)
Well, looks like Wade's given this some thought. It's a little like pinning your hopes on winning Publisher's Clearing House, but even more ambitious. And we're betting he won't blow the money on a condo in Boca. He's dreaming big here.
"If I win [...] I'm going to make sure everyone on this planet has enough to eat. Once we tackle world hunger, then we can figure out how to fix the environment and solve the energy crisis." (9.137)
In a world where people would rather spend money on digital clothing and gas for their spaceships, we're not sure they deserve a savior like Art3mis, but at least her heart is in the right place.