Chloe in ‘Landscape With Invisible Hand’ Explained: Is Kylie Rogers’ Character Selfish?

Landscape with Invisible Hand spins around an alien intrusion on Earth from a futuristic viewpoint and develops a storyline around it. Everyone is trying to align themselves with the evolution brought out in the world by the weird-looking aliens, and so is the character played by Kylie Rogers, Chloe. Everyone is trying to fit into the standards set by the Vuvvs, and many have been victimized in the process. The dystopian scenario created by the aliens destroying human existence is similar to that of the sci-fi film The 5th Wave. One such character who has been a victim of the rapid changes and industrialization brought forth by the Vuvvs is Chloe. She is a new girl at the school who instantly charms Adam, and later, he decides to take her home along with her family.

Having lost her home due to the Vuvv settlement in the suburbs, Chloe was still figuring out where to live when she met Adam. She was let into his house, and after having settled, there was a bond that developed between her and Adam. Despite being attracted to each other initially, Chloe was quite different from Adam. She did not have any interest in art and was more into materialistic things. The scene with Chloe insulting a needy classmate looking to purchase  something from her stallshows her as someone who harbors a capitalistic mindset, unlike Adam. Despite being in a similar situation, she had no empathy for her classmates. She seemed pretty surprised when Adam told her that his dad had turned down a contract with the Vuvvs because that did not appeal to him. When things seemed to go downhill, and she had to find a way to earn a living, she came up with the idea of Broadcast Courtship. She planted the idea in Adam’s mind, which led to a certain series of events. The character of Chloe is similar to that of Eve, who planted the idea of tasting the forbidden apple in the mind of Adam, eventually leading to the downfall of the human race. The materialistic desires of Chloe rings throughout Landscape with Invisible Hand, which propels the story further.

She explains to Adam the entire concept of the way in which human romance intrigues the aliens and how they like to observe it. They broadcast their love by attaching nodes to their foreheads for the Vuvvs to witness them holding hands, kissing, and doing other romantic things. The nodes also helped the Vuvvs feel the sight, sound, or touch that the humans were experiencing. While Adam seemed disturbed about others watching their private moments, Chloe seemed pretty okay with it. She always wanted to have the node on for more money flow. She was always wearing it, which made Adam uncomfortable to some extent. She is manipulative and convinces Adam that she is in love with him. The sudden fallout between the two families makes their relationship bitter, and they start to lose feelings for each other. The confrontation of Adam with that of Chloe at the ball makes him stand at an awkward position which ruins their relationship further. The efforts put in by Adam to communicate openly had not been appreciated enough by her. 

Chloe and Adam’s receding chemistry becomes quite obvious for the Vuvvs, and they are both sued and summoned to the other realm. They are charged with deceiving the Vuvvs with a false relationship, and the money that they have raised is to be given back. That is exactly when Chloe asks whether she could continue doing the same with someone else other than Adam. This proves that Chloe was just in it for the monetary benefit, and when Adam asks her about it on their way back, she lashes out at him yet again. She says that things are too complicated and that she cannot get back with him. She brings out the concept of Maslow’s Pyramid of Need, where she states that love is an aspect of a higher order and that she would figure it out after she figures out food and shelter. Maybe any person in her place would have reacted the same way if they were driven out of their wits as a result of a sudden alien intrusion.

Chloe does not play much of an integral role in Landscape with Invisible Hand after her breakup with Adam. She, however, transforms as a person to a certain extent after losing him and supports him in whatever he does. She, however, gets a new boyfriend after Adam to take care of her financial needs through the broadcast show. This also ensured that they are able to pay rent to Adam’s family. The tight situation that she was in explained her desperation to earn money. She sits without saying much on a bench to witness the mural being painted by Adam and resents her own family’s association with the Vuvv. We perceive her character to be materialistic and selfish at the beginning, but as time goes by, we are able to notice the guilt and dejection in her eyes.

Chloe is not supportive of her family’s aggression towards Adam’s family, and she seems to be grateful to Adam for putting a roof over her head. Chloe realizes the absence of Adam after he goes to the other realm. When Adam returns, he goes to his school and finds Chloe sitting in front of the place where he had made the mural. She tells him what a beautiful piece of art the mural was and that she was sad to see the Vuvvs take it away. The drastic shift in her character is noticed, as she was initially not appreciative of art and had an awkward reaction to the portrait Adam had made of her. She was also not quite interested in the art class in the beginning, but at the end, when Adam calls her to help him out with the art, she happily lends a hand. She realizes the importance of individuality in a world dominated by the Vuvvs. She understood the significance of individuality in a world in which everyone was trying to fit in. She had finally been enlightened through Adam’s actions and acknowledged that silent protests could also be done through artistic forms.

Chloe stands out as a self-centered person at the beginning but later transforms into a completely new person with the experiences gathered by her. She can be distinctly identified as a well-rounded character in Landscape with Invisible Hand, as her character undergoes multiple changes as per the events. She is portrayed as fickle-minded and, hence, gives up easily on her relationship with Adam. She did not recognize the gem of a person that he was and unnecessarily messed things up on a whim. She had been an exact depiction of how the extortion of the Vuvvs had brought out the primal instinct of survival among the humans. She had acted selfishly in order to protect herself and her family, which had reduced her to a mere victim of capitalization. However, ironically, being a victim of capitalization, she idolized that lifestyle to a certain extent that made her chase money instead of true love. Her character is confusing for the viewers, as her progression into a person with conflicting characteristics is quite sudden.


Debjyoti Dey
Debjyoti Dey
Debjyoti’s obsession with creativity and travel fervor has helped her branch out into the entertainment genre. Her love for psychological thrillers helps her get a daily dose of adrenaline. A regular caricature of the films and its characters is what keeps her going!


 

Latest articles