Noise

Noise or "the Noise" is a disease which affects all animals and male humans on New World. Words and pictures can all be seen and heard in the Noise.

Apperance[]

In the film, the Noise appears like opalescent trailing smoke around a person's head when moving or an opalescent fog around a person's head when staying still. There is also black Noise in the film. Mayor Prentiss' "I am the Circle and the Circle is me" appears as blue circles in the film and Aaron's Bible verses appear as opalescent with spikes of orange.

The color key of the Noise is single colored (a color per emotion) in the books and orange (posters) and opalescent (film) in the film adaptation.

In the end of Monsters of Men, the Noise is described as a burden to everything by David Prentiss, Sr. This shows that its appearance is dark and more of a feeling than an image, as we know since the Mayor is perfectly capable of hiding his Noise and using it to his benefit.

History[]

Pre-Series[]

Human settlers believed the Noise was caused by the native humanoids, the Spackle, which lead to the slaughter of many of these creatures. However, the Noise germ was already in the atmosphere when the settler ships landed.

Before the series started, the men of New Elizabeth (now know as Prentisstown) started to become suspicious of the women of their town as they had no Noise. The women had realized by then that something horrible was going to happen and tried to escape through the swamp, but many were caught by David Prentiss (later Mayor Prentiss) and were killed.

Chaos Walking trilogy[]

The Knife of Never Letting Go[]

Todd Hewitt is led to believe that the Noise germ killed all the women and half of the Men, released by the Spackle during the Spackle War.

Mayor Prentiss had found a way to utilize the Noise as an asset and use it as a weapon against people in many different ways, mostly doing so through mental exercises and repeating phrases such "I AM THE CIRCLE AND THE CIRCLE IS ME".

The Ask and the Answer[]

Con Ledger and the residents of Haven have found a cure for Noise, made from synthetic chemicals and a native plant with a natural neurochemical in it.

The Burden were rendered Noiseless throughout the novel, as they were given the Noise cure. However, there were occasional bursts of Noise from 1017 as he worked in the abandoned monastery.

David rewards his male citizens with Haven's Noise cure for good work. He also gives the elites the cure, rendering them Noiseless, and withholds it from the rest of Haven, forcing them to have Noise.

David begins to use the Noise as a weapon, making him undefeatable in a plausible Noise battle.

After the Burden were killed, David destroyed the Noise cure.

Monsters of Men[]

It is revealed that David uses a phrase to silence his Noise, which he teaches to his top generals. David continues teaching Todd how to use the Noise as a weapon, and throughout the novel Todd utilizes David's techniques on his own. In the finale, Todd uses the Noise against the Mayor to free Haven.

Film[]

Todd is first shown with the Noise when walking around the forest with Manchee (who is female in the film). When Aaron approaches him, Todd repeatedly thinks "I am Todd Hewitt I am Todd Hewitt" frantically to hide his real thoughts. Aaron then slaps Todd after Todd reveals his real thoughts. Later in Prentisstown, Todd then scares Davy by thinking "Snake" repeatedly and a large snake from Todd's thoughts throws Davy off of his horse.

Emotions[]

In the books, the Noise is colored based on an individuals' emotions.

Anger - red/black
Calm - blue/green
Pride - purple
Hate - black
Embarrassment - yellow

Noise Techniques[]

David Prentiss, Sr. has developed exercises and phrases which can be heard at the start of The Knife of Never Letting Go and other various areas throughout the trilogy. There are also techniques used by other characters to control their Noise or to be used as weapons.

General[]

I am the Circle and the Circle is Me.[]

This technique was created to center a man with Noise and prevents all their thoughts from being displayed all the time. It is also used to subdue individuals, make those who heard it be part of a collective voice, and to control those with Noise.

It was used to subdue Prentisstown in The Knife of Never Letting Go (definitely the movie) and to subdue Todd in The Ask and the Answer. The technique was used by Todd per advice from David throughout The Ask and the Answer. In Monsters of Men, this was used by Todd to make his Noise quiet throughout the novel. It was also used by Todd to manipulate people.

In the film, this technique is shown as a light blue ring surrounding a person's head and all thoughts are collectively heard as one.

I am Todd Hewitt I am Todd Hewitt[]

This technique was given as advice to Todd by Ben. It was used to calm and center Todd whenever his thoughts got out of hand.

It was used extensively in The Knife of Never Letting Go. In the film, this was used whenever Todd hid crucial information, whenever he didn't want people to see his thoughts, and to stop his Noise from being uncontrollable.

Illusions[]

In the film, the primary Noise technique was illusions. This was shown to be helpful multiple times throughout the film, like Ben helping Todd and Viola escape and Todd using an illusion of his mother when confronting David in the finale.

Submit.[]

This technique is the horse version of "I am the Circle and the Circle is Me". It was used by Morpeth on Angharrad in The Ask and the Answer.

Quiet, please.[]

Although spoken by David Prentiss, Sr. in Monsters of Men before his speech after Nicola's suicide bombing, this technique quiets all men with Noise.

Drop it.[]

This technique was first used by David Prentiss, Sr. in Monsters of Men, when he found Todd picking up a piece of concrete to beat David to death with in the finale.

Weapons[]

Yer Nothing.[]

This technique paralyzes a man with Noise and reminds them of all their failures. It is shown as a blinding flash to those who are targeted by the technique.

This technique was primarily used by David to paralyze and arrest Todd after he snuck out to find Viola in The Ask and the Answer and was also used by David again to paralyze Todd's soliders during his plan to overthrow David and reestablish Haven in The Ask and the Answer. The technique was used by David in the finale of Monsters of Men when he fought Todd at an abandoned fishing settlement.

Viola.[]

This technique was created by Todd out of his love for Viola, as she is the person who is simultaneously his weakness and his strength. It is the first Noise weapon Todd performs in The Ask and the Answer. The effect of it is similar to beating a person up, but without touching them. The more fierce the person think's Viola's name, the more powerful the blow is to a man with Noise. In Monsters of Men, Todd uses this technique to fight David at an abandoned fishing settlement.

Get back.[]

Although probably not a weapon, this technique was first used by Todd during his "Noise-fight" with Todd in Monsters of Men. It was used a directive by David and a weapon by Todd.

Trivia[]

The Spackle, the natives of New World, have evolved with the Noise.
In the film, it is stated that Aaron thought that Noise would be a decent education enough and that's why books are forbidden in Prentisstown, and the reason why Todd cannot read or write.