Some people remark that the aliens have a very stereotypical way of invading Earth. Few people remark that this is just a way to use a stereotype and make their motivation a big surprise, and actually relevant. After all, the souls aren't malignant, just condescending with humans, whom they do not understand. The cultures are also very strange for each other. A case of criticism of ethnocentrism and anthropocentrism?
Removing Souls from human bodies. What is the logic behind showing love to coaxing aliens out of human bodies?
This troper, having been raised in a communist Vietnam, was struck by the similarities of the resemblance between the Souls' society and the one communism aspires to create - peace and love for all, right down to the Sickeningly Sweet TV. YMMV, but perhaps this is a subtle way of stating that communism is alien to human nature?
More likely it is because Meyer draws her "inspiration" from older works and the communism-metaphor used to be commonplace in american scifi throughout the era - see Bodysnatchers.
They're definitely communist. Note how Wanderer/Melanie just walks into a supermarket (called "Store"-no brand names, apparently there's only one) puts things in her cart and walks out. While it might seem like the car incident, where the Souls are just so trusting of each other they hand over things if asked, there were no signs of a cashier that I saw. Apparently people can just take what they want and leave-there's no buying or selling. While the Souls appear to have circumvented the incentive problems communism has by just being natural altruists who freely give to each other, how they allocate resources is still an issue. With no money, it would be very difficult to know what people wanted or didn't want for consumer goods. This was another huge problem in actual communism. Do they somehow track what every person takes?
It was mentioned that they had to go to a checkout, but that was only for inventory purposes. One of the humans with Wanderer thinks it's weird.
Huh, I don't remember that. I guess it would explain that. With perfectly selfless, helpful aliens communism might even work.
So, Earth is now filled with alien beings who cannot express human emotion. Hmmmm...
Not really. Jeb notes that aside from the Wiping Us Out things, they're just like us (In terms of feelings) when he saw an Elderly Couple together. Wanderer then confirms as much.
Fridge Horror (Stephanie Meyer book)
Wanderer points out the Soul couple raising a human child as a sign of hope. But what's going to happen when that kid hits the terrible twos and nobody in his world understands human child-rearing, discipline, anger management or even human psychology? How is he going to adapt to a world where everybody he meets is "perfect" and he's not? That kid will be lucky to reach four years old before they put a Soul in him, just to shut him up.
YMMV. After all, he surely had already had a few tantrums, not to mention incessant crying as an infant. Possibly the Souls understand it as a natural part of the maturation process and accept him as he is.
Who's to say he won't be implanted as soon as he is "old enough" after all, in the timeline of the book, it is mentioned adults are too unstable to implant anymore, and they need new bodies to implant Souls into from somewhere...
