Oryx and Crake

                                                                     Oryx and Crake

“Oryx and Crake,” by Margaret Atwood is about the future of technology and what might happen to mankind if we abuse such power. The story is essentially about a man named Snowman.  Before everyone got infected and died, before oryx, before crake, and before he was given the responsibility of the Crakers, he was called Jimmy. Jimmy grows up in a compound where his father works for companies developing gene-splicing materials. Because of the experiments, animals such as wolvogs, pigoons and rakunks were created.

These are animals that were spliced together to form a new species, eliminating the weaknesses, whilst gaining the advantage of the other animal. His best friend Crake grows up to invent a one time only birth control, only with a deadly disease as a side affect. Through this love story/fantasy, the themes of personal relationships, abandonment, and human kind in general are all themes of this novel.

Not only is “Oryx and Crake” about the future, its about a past we all share. I saw this book as bittersweet with the message. The bitterness was in the destruction of mankind, the abuse of technology, playing God. It all sickens me to know that we have this power because you know someone will abuse it. You can’t help but like Crake though. Even though it was awful what he did, I think that in the whole scheme of things, his creation was even greater.

Crake wasn’t right in killing off virtually all of mankind, but making a better human helps the fat pill of reality a little easier to swallow. Knowing that the good-natured Crakers were going to outlast snowman and probably most of mankind surprisingly made me feel warm and comforted inside. I suppose the idea of the earth not being inhabited at all by a smarter life form just seems…. well, empty.

Snowman, or Jimmy, was a very complex character. He was a very human person. He did some good and some good, neutral in my book. To me, he represented everything a human is, was, or will be. Oryx represented an ideal, an abstract goddess who is calming and always looks on the bright side of things. She is beauty. Crake is like a teacher, the creator, and the boss. He is also good-natured and wants the best for mankind, to our knowledge. Still his intentions for everything are still so ambiguous, I don’t even think Margaret Atwood knew. It’s supposed to stay a mystery, some things just are meant to be that way.

The book as a whole was extremely entertaining. I loved Atwood’s writing style. I enjoyed how she caught a single moment sentimentally, and then make a sudden shift in the story with a sentence such as, “…and he cut her throat. Jimmy shot Crake.” It was brilliant. I would suggest this to anyone.

 

                                         

      I chose this picture as a depiction of women because I think it’s funny and sad that women have to feel sexy and wanted by doing things like this. This is just one example of many like it. Why do women put themselves in these degrading situations? How are they benefiting from this? It really angers me, and I think most women when they believe they are being “Empowered” by their sexuality. This is true, to an extent. Women want to be independent and empowered, but putting your body on display is a step backwards in my opinion.  I think that this is an issue not only for men but for women, We are the bigger culprits here. The problem is, its too easy. Women love attention, that’s how its always going to be. It’s a physical advantage I wish we didn’t abuse so fleetingly. Maybe then, we could respect ourselves first, and others will follow in our example. Maybe then they will take us seriously and pay us equal wages. :/