One brilliant man alone tore down the world, in an attempt to create the perfect people. Instead of creating his ideal world, he created utter chaos, where the number of healthy and living humans fell rapidly. After the complete disorder came to an end, destruction and damage were not the only remnants left behind. A new world was begun with the end of the human race and the birth of the perfect race, which was made up of creatures of flawlessness and excellence. Margaret Atwood tells a story of an end, revolving in the time of a society of the future. The previous society becomes shattered because of the decisions made, decisions that can be made today as well. Margaret Atwood’s novel Oryx and Crake serves as a prediction for modern society through certain concepts in history, science and economics.
Predictions can be made by looking at the patterns that occur in history. One pattern that takes place in many years of the past is the idea of eugenics. Margaret Atwood discusses the topic of “eugenics, which is about encouraging and increasing the reproduction of healthy humans and decreasing the reproduction of people with genetic defects” (Au Par 1). Crake, also known as Glenn, is one of the main characters of her book. He turns from a brilliant teenager to mad scientist, proposing the idea of the Paradice project. “Paradice” is the dome where Crake completes his work; he creates the BlyssPluss pill and the Crakers. He plans to give out his killer BlyssPluss Pill, and replace the flawed humans with the ideal and immortal Crakers. This concept in history is first seen in Charles Darwin’s belief of “survival of the fittest,” where in nature, the stronger animals continue to exist; however, the weak do not. Hitler, taking Darwin’...
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...around at the world around us, and appreciate how amazing life already is. As for the creation of Crake’s new perfect population, people of all times need to understand that flaws are what make the human race as beautiful as it is.
Works Cited
Atwood, Margaret. Oryx and Crake. New York: Anchor Books, 2003. Print.
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She presents two contradictory images of society in most of her fiction: one in which the power and prevalence of evil seem so deeply embedded that only destruction may root it out, and another in which the community or even an aggregate of individuals, though radically flawed, may discover within itself the potential for regeneration. (34)
In the motion picture Gattaca directed by Andrew Niccol questions the ability of allowing genetic potential, calculated by birth, to establish the fate of an individual. The determination of a person’s destiny proved impossible and preposterous as mankind were defined by their capability to make decisions on their own concerning their future. The film exhibits the problems in a genetically engineered society. Development of science technologies has advanced exceedingly to the extent where immediately after birth an infant’s destiny can be identified just by taking a blood sample. This gives a glimpse at the person’s future and the opportunity to discriminate: ‘…no longer determined by social status or the colour of your skin. We now have discrimination down to a science’. Society in Gattaca was divided into two classes valids and in-valids.
Lawall, Sarah N. “The Oresteia.” The Norton Anthology of Western Literature. 8th ed. Vol. 1. New York: W.W. Norton, 2006. 107-205. Print.
Margaret Atwood's Oryx and Crake." Studies in the Novel 43.4 (2011): 470. Academic OneFile. Web. 30 Mar. 2014.
One aspect of control that is touched upon from the beginning of the novel until the end is the control of the population birth and growth. As a way to maintain the society’s motto of “Community, Identity and Stability,” the number of inhabitants is managed through the artificiality of the brave new world’s use of technology. In the first chapter of the novel, the reader is introduced to the process of creating humans in this Utopia. The advancement of science made it possible for the building of an artificial arrangement with the reproductive glands and equipment needed for fertilizing and hatching the resulting eggs. The fact that machines do what is done by human reproductive systems shows how science has dominated over man in this world.
1. Oryx and Crake are two of the major characters in the book. They are the two people Jimmy truly cares about, and thus their names acting as the title shows. The two combined represent the entire society in the eyes of the protagonist, as Crake describes the inability for their kind to “individualate.. above two hundred [others]… Jimmy would reduce that number to two,” (Atwood 263). The idea that humans only differentiate a certain number of others, typically the amount within their “primal tribe” or society suggests that Oryx and Crake were Jimmy’s entire society, as they are the only ones he can individualize (263). But Crake comes from the name of an extinct animal, as does Oryx. Also the two, who ultimately face death, represent scientific
As the world continues to evolve with technological advancements, stories of dystopian societies become more relevant. Among the many, “Oryx and Crake,” by the renowned author Margaret Atwood, illustrates another version of the obliteration of the human species. Atwood explores a world where scientific progression is praised and language arts are depreciated; is it a world where the gap between the rich and the poor further increases. Her novel stars Jimmy as he tells his tale of how he came to be the last of the human species. Through Jimmy’s flashback, Atwood highlights a distinctive contrast between those who appraise scientific evolution, or number people, those who value human culture, known as word people. Conclusively, she implies this
The novel Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood provides a dystopic vision of the outcome of unregulated pursuit of knowledge and control over nature. It is unlikely that the scenario portrayed in the novel would ever occur beyond fiction. The reason being the United States and many other countries already have regulating agencies and oversight commissions that would prevent scientists such as Crake from ever developing his ideas into reality. Atwood incorporates realistic experimental methods into her novel, which eventually lead to pigs being able to grow human organs, and creating “pigoons” that appear to be more horrific than Frankenstein himself. Consumers are the ones to decide what is put to use and what is not. There is a fine line between benefiting society and damaging society. This novel illustrates what may happen when that line is crossed a thousand times over; a horrific image. Atwood takes many of today’s scientific ideas with the potential to benefit society and turns them into tomorrow’s nightmare and creates a false paranoia. However, without new scientific advancements or technology, there will be no hopes for those who are in critical health conditions; therefore, we should overlook the arbitrary ethical proclamations of certain groups of people, for genetic technological progression is the only key to the sustenance of the population in terms of being able to be cured from the infestation of nature.
In a world dominated by religion it was thought that the only place where perfection existed was within God. In some cases, for instance the ontological argument, it was the proof to his existence. But in a modern world the concept of perfection has been distorted and comes with an abundance of seemingly negative consequences, ultimately putting into question whether or not perfection is even possible. In Margaret Atwood’s Oryx and Crake the concept of perfection is constantly challenged in a world run by corporations who are trying to package human perfection and profit from it. The desire and attempt towards attaining perfection brings moral instability and corruption. Even though perfection seems as if it is the ultimate and most excellent way to live, it is always accompanied with negative results making true perfection unattainable. As previously mentioned, the society that is most present in the novel is run by large corporations that attempt to provide a perfect life for the people within the Compounds. The corporations are riddled with immoral actions that are projected onto the lives of the people they are trying to provide for. Jimmy, on the other hand, lacks this desire for perfection and is pleased with his mediocrity; this level of being content with himself allows him to feel and exercise more valuable traits like empathy. Finally, through the novel Crake is slowly trying to grasp at, or create perfection and he is slowly losing his moral grounding. What seems to be a positive goal for man to have is actually the opposite, causing men to lose what makes them most different from animals, leaving them cruel and ruthless.
An altruistic person is defined as a person who is selfless and cares more about the well being of others. On the other hand, a mad scientist is contrary of an altruistic person: someone willing to create and promote inhumane experiments for the sake of one’s amusement and contentment. Although both personalities contravene with each other, it is possible to have both identities in one body. Margaret Atwood introduces Crake as a character who exhibits the two discordant makeups in the novel Oryx and Crake. Atwood portrays such character by representing Crake as a smart mad scientist that with the goal to “save the world” creates the Paradice project of altering human-like creatures with the goal of eliminating human imperfections, and inventing the BlyssPluss pill that promotes immortality, which eventually causes the humanity’s downfall. Although Crake’s logic is twisted, Atwood also represents him as a character that possesses the heart of an honourable and benevolent humankind willing to resolve a variety of the world’s crisis and helping his friend out during their time of distress.
"Eugenics, Genetic Engineering Lite." The Future of Human Evolution. Humans Future, 2010. Web. 14 Feb 2012.
The novel, Brave New World, takes place in the future, 632 A. F. (After Ford), where biological engineering reaches new heights. Babies are no longer born viviparously, they are now decanted in bottles passed through a 2136 metre assembly line. Pre-natal conditioning of embryos is an effective way of limiting human behaviour. Chemical additives can be used to control the population not only in Huxley's future society, but also in the real world today. This method of control can easily be exercised within a government-controlled society to limit population growth and to control the flaws in future citizens. In today's world, there are chemical drugs, which can help a pregnant mother conceive more easily or undergo an abortion. In the new world, since there is no need...
The world has changed since The Handmaid’s Tale was written in 1986. Oryx and Crake is a continuation of and a development of many of the ideas first brought up in The Handmaid’s Tale. Although the details are different, the terrifying possibility of either future is enough to make anyone question the morals of the world today and stay vigilant against these warnings offered by the author.
Daniel Keyes’ short story, “Flowers for Algernon”, masterfully weaves a narrative addressing the then current fears of biological science while simultaneously pulling at the heartstrings of readers. This particular text addresses both existentialism as seen in Charlie Gordon’s rapid decline at the end of the story, as well as eugenics which can be found when taking a look at the whole of the experiment Charlie is participating in (eugenics is a term coming from Professor Westgate’s handout). By examining the emergence of existential thought and the consequences of such in the character of Charlie Gordon, the concern of moral practicality in the pursuit of eugenics is unearthed.
When created in 1923, the American Eugenics Society exemplified an air of reform with a seemingly positive purpose, however this cannot be further from the truth. In reality, the society polluted the air with myths of weeding out imperfections with the Galtonian ideal, the breeding of the fittest (Carison). The founder of the society, Charles Davensport , preached that those who are imperfect should be eliminated(Marks). From the school desk to the pulpit, the fallacies of the eugenics movement were forced into society. Preachers often encouraged the best to marry the best while biology professors would encourage DNA testing to find out ones fate (Selden). A...