Similarities Between Oryx And Crake

1835 Words4 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Implication of culture in modern society

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 …show more content…

Pondering over the limited directions he could go with his life, Jimmy often felt his degree in problematics would not take him far. Nonetheless, he strived to make the best of what he had because of his deep appreciation for words and human culture. This stage in his life allowed him to develop relationships with new people, especially the females. At some point throughout Jimmy’s visit at the Watson-Crick Institute, Jimmy asks Crake about any potential girlfriends and he replied, “we’re supposed to be focused on our work,” (Atwood 207). This detachment from others can be correlated with the lack of sympathy number people have for humankind. On the other hand, Atwood uses a protagonist like Jimmy who has always valued relationships with other people because of his gratitude for literature, language, and culture – this enables him to be open-minded. Crake’s character lacks this intimacy, thus, when he performs experiments alongside other number people with the same mindset, he fails to see any moral concerns – he fails to see it from different perspectives. Because of this, when Crake showed Jimmy Watson-Crick’s latest project, ChickieNobs, genetically modified chickens with no heads and that feel no pain, Jimmy was disgusted and Crake was delighted. Jimmy actually takes a step and claims it to be a “horrible,” and Crake simply responds by saying, “picture the sea-anemone body plan,” (Atwood 202). Crake finds it easier to dehumanize living creatures because he has not intimately experienced any significant relationships. Those who hide behind their work forget to see the bigger picture, thus, forget to take others into

Show More
Related

  • Textual Analysis Of Jon By George Saunders

    688 Words  | 2 Pages

    The influence of technology within the setting is exposed in the lack of humanity and emotional health of the characters. A drug called Aurobon is administered daily to every citizen that rids them of unwanted, inefficient emotions creating completely complacent humans. The introductory paragraphs of Jon exposes this ideal very quickly through scenes depicting “the healthy benefits of getting off by oneself and doing what one feels like in terms of self-touching” which is later expanded upon by an explanation that “love is a mystery but the mechanics of love need not be, so go off alone, see what is up, with you and your relation to your own gonads”. The lack of emotion evident in these first paragraphs presents the first glance into the utter lack of the human condition within the short

    Read More

  • Human Nature in Sebastian Faulks' Birdsong and Arthur Miller's The Crucible

    4273 Words  | 9 Pages

    Equipped with this knowledge the reader realises that even Elizabeth's comfortable, peaceful lifestyle is vulnerable and at risk. The Crucible and Birdsong, in their different ways, both highlight the complexity of human nature where love, loyalty and honesty co-exist with hatred, fear and suspicion. This means that even in times of conflict and slaughter people display the ability to love, trust and make sacrifices. However the greatest flaw in mankind's makeup is the ability to forget the horrors of the past, therefore allowing the continual repetition throughout history of the same, fatal mistakes.

    Read More

  • Carnal Knowledge by Boyle

    644 Words  | 2 Pages

    In the story “Carnal Knowledge”, by T. Coraghessan Boyle, Jim is the main character who loves to eat meat. He would love nothing more than to enjoy a dinner of “Beef, mutton, pork, venison, dripping burgers, and greasy ribs”. (1107) However, Jim’s cravings for “Kentucky Fried or Chicken McNuggets” were no match for Alena Jorgensen. (1108) Alena is an obsessive animal rights activist whom Jim met while laying on the beach feeling sorry for himself. When a person has feelings of depression and loneliness it can be very easy for another person to come into their life and change their whole persona.

    Read More

  • The Quintessence of Humanity in The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood and Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro

    2515 Words  | 6 Pages

    Often in life, people take their freedoms, a gift that allows them to express their individuality, for granted. However, in the dystopian societies of The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood and Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro, people are reminded of just how easily their freedoms and humanity can be stripped away. Attwood and Ishiguro urge people to never lose sight of the core values that define who they are. The compelling novels chronicle the life journey of two protagonists as they fight to define their own existence and worth in life. Offred, the central character in The Handmaid’s Tale is exploited as a baby making machine, while Kathy, the leading role in Never Let Me Go, is degraded as a lifeless android in a sea of clones. From Atwood and Ishiguro’s provocative coming-of-age novels emerge two beautiful and inspiring heroines. Whether it is through their remembrance of the past, their loss of innocence, their capability to hope, or their ability to establish relationships, Offred and Kathy prove that they are every bit as human as the rest of society. Ultimately, despite the many differences in their distinct masterpieces, Atwood and Ishiguro share the same intent in their haunting portrayal of the protagonists’ dehumanizabtion—to shed light on the true essence of what it is to be human.

    Read More

  • The Satire of Margaret Atwood's The Handmaid's Tale

    505 Words  | 2 Pages

    Atwood tries to open our eyes by satirising our society with a brilliant contrasting novel. Dystopian in every way, the reader encounters a world in which modern values of our society seem/ are replaceable. Showing the worst of all possible outcomes, she demonstrates that our primarily heartless, just economical thinking could bring the downfall of our society. Altough satires are often used to be funny ;Atwood uses this instrument of literature for an attack on a society which she strongly disapproves of. With the intent to bring about improvement, she raises the question if our current lifestyle excuses the possible future problems.

    Read More

  • Comparing The Handmaid's Tale and Oryx and Crake

    1673 Words  | 4 Pages

    Margaret Atwood’s novel Oryx and Crake describes a world very different from the one we live in today, but not too far from a possible future. The story, told from the viewpoint of Snowman, possibly the only human survivor, recounts the end of days in human history. His description, given to us as flashbacks, tells of a world where technology is power, and those who lack power are doomed to a sub-par existence. This world gone mad is reminiscent of another Atwood novel written in 1986, The Handmaid’s Tale. In this story, the world of today is gone, democracy has been eradicated, and it is the elite few who control the fate of the masses. By comparing these two novels by Atwood, one can see corresponding themes dealing with governmental control, the dangers of technology, the uses of religion, and the treatment of sexuality.

    Read More

  • The Reality of Sex Slavery in the Present Day

    1386 Words  | 3 Pages

    In Margaret Atwood’s novel,  Oryx and Crake,  she  constantly  places the reader in an uncomfortable environment. The story takes place in a not so distant future where today’s world no longer exists due to an unknown catastrophe.  The only human is a man who calls himself the Abominable Snowman or Snowman for short, but in his childhood days his name was Jimmy.  If the thought of being all alone in the world is not uneasy enough, Atwood takes this opportunity to point out the flaws of the modern world through Snowman’s reminiscing about Jimmy’s childhood.  The truths exposed are events that people do not want to acknowledge: animal abuse for human advancement, elimination of human interaction due to technology, and at the core of the novel is the disturbing imagery that slavery is still present.  Modern day servitude is an unsettling topic that has remained undercover for far too long.  However, the veracity is exposed in the traumatic story of Oryx.  In order to understand the troubled societies of today, Atwood unmasks the dark world of childhood bondage through the character Oryx, but she gives subtle insights on how to change the world for the better before it is too late.

    Read More

  • Theme Of Apathy In The Handmaids Tale

    1519 Words  | 4 Pages

    In life, people don’t always stand up for what they believe in in order to avoid exclusion – this is called apathy. In specific situations, people will blindly follow a primitive ideology without any regard for morality. Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale is an excellent example of how apathy can affect an entire population. This novel is by and large a feminist novel that addresses the ignorance in imperialistic and religious ideologies, but also addresses the issue of human apathy. In this novel, Atwood offers a disturbing look into what could be. The alterior motive of the society is to purify and improve the country as a whole. However, it is not only nationalism and imperialism

    Read More

  • Humanity In The Handmaid's Tale By Margaret Atwood

    1147 Words  | 3 Pages

    Many texts that were published from different authors have introduced topics that can be related in today’s society, but Margaret Atwood’s creation called, “The Handmaid’s Tale”, gives voice to the thoughts and revolves around the narrator Offred, a woman whose rights have been deprived due to political issues. However, the information shared by Offred to the reader to the text is not reliable for the reason that she only touches upon her own perspective. Through the text, Atwood depicted what the United States of America would be in the future based on the actions of humanity during 1980’s. The text is set up in an androcentric and totalitarian country called Gilead, where the government attempts to create a utopian society. Thus, in order to attain this society, the authorities generated their legislation from the teachings of the Holy Bible in an attempt to control humanity. The governing

    Read More

  • 1984 Social Class

    1414 Words  | 3 Pages

    In the human race’s development years, the social classes were separated by tribes and, within the tribes, by the physical mass of a person. Now, society is separated by the education level of people in the workforce. These distinctions are sometimes placed forcibly upon society by some need of the people living at that time, while other differences form through the separation of class interests. Over time, people have distinguished a pattern common within most societies. Most societies, from the most primitive to the most progressive, have congregated themselves into three classes of people. These societal classes are exemplified in many pieces of literature. One novel in particular demonstrates the extreme separation of the classes: 1984. In George Orwell’s 1984, three hierarchical parties are created and separated simulating the Marxist ideal of the three classes: proletariat, bourgeoisie, and the aristocracy; 1984’s Inner Party, a version of an aristocracy, runs society and yields a higher income and lifestyle portraying the Marxist theme of the superiority of the aristocracy over the other classes while, also, emphasizing the ‘perfect’

    Read More

  • On The Wings Of This Prayer Analysis

    1248 Words  | 3 Pages

    Richard Van Camp’s “On the Wings of this Prayer” and Paolo Bacigalupi’s “The People of Sand and Slag” both describe a future utterly inhospitable to the humans of today, where the focus lies on the main source which allowed these conditions to take place: mankind. These short stories focus on evolution, artificial or natural, and the effect it has on humanity. Both authors utilize similar aspects of literature in order to carry out similar messages which lend themselves to each other’s arguments. Through the use of dialogue guiding the reader’s thoughts and anecdotes of the past, the authors are able to portray their message that

    Read More

  • The Injustice In Brian Caswell's A Cage Of Butterflies

    858 Words  | 2 Pages

    “Who got crucified and made you God? You maniac” (Caswell, 1992, p. 149). This quote is at the heart of A Cage of Butterflies, a novel written by Brian Caswell. It makes people think about what is happening in the book to make someone explode like this. The novel is Caswell’s opinion on scientific research performed on humans is clearly displayed. Caswell is very clear with his opinions about the injustices that occur and because Larsen, the antagonist, is the major cause of most of the injustices, a heroine emerges, Susan Grace, a defender of the children. Susan’s involvement is essential to the story because without her Larsen would have continued to exploit the children’s wellbeing and only focus on the fame and fortune of his research. Caswell’s major points that he is trying to make about human injustice are at the forefront of this book.

    Read More

  • Comparing Oryx And Crake

    1356 Words  | 3 Pages

    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

    Read More

  • Definition Of Being Human

    784 Words  | 2 Pages

    What does it mean to be human? Is it the millions of cells that you’re composed of? Or is it something more? In George Orwell’s book 1984, through the use of his protagonist, Orwell looks at what it really means to be human. In a world that is built on destruction and manipulation, Orwell takes a look at how a totalitarian government affects humankind and a person’s ability to stay “human”.

    Read More

  • The Poem Binsey Poplars

    1231 Words  | 3 Pages

    Human flaws and the desire for technological advancement leads to the destruction of humanity. The poem Binsey Poplars by Gerard Hopkins portrays the author’s sadness with how easily humans can destroy the natural world without realizing the implications of their actions. He begins the poem by saying, “My aspens dear, whose airy cages quelled” showing that he is grieving for destruction of the delicate trees (Hopkins 1). The poem continues and he says, “but a prick will make no eye at all, where we, even where we mean to mend her we end her” (15-17). The author is comparing the Earth to a vital organ, the eye to compare the fact that they are both delicate. Hopkins is conveying the message that by destroying the landscape, no one will be able to see the beautiful scenery as a punishment for everyone’s actions. In the novel, Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood, Crake tries to eliminate the external causes of death such as; disease, warfare, and also over population with the use of a birth control pill. Atwood portrays greed as a human characteristic as humans do not reflect on the possible repercussions of their decisions. For example...

    Read More

More about Similarities Between Oryx And Crake

Open Document