The Adoration Of Jenna Fox Sparknotes

In Mary E Pearson’s thought-provoking and engaging dystopian novel, ‘The Adoration of Jenna Fox’, the narrator, seventeen-year-old Jenna Angeline Fox, has awoken from a year-long coma, with no recollection of her life prior, she is searching for her identity. Set forty years into the future, (the author has not formly disclosed the time frame, however particular descriptions throughout the novel communicate a general outline - for example, antibiotic resistance “by then most antibiotics were useless” and “the last polar bear has died”), the science fiction, medical thriller communicates many important ideas about human nature through various important events, such as Jenna’s bio gel discovery; while trying to reclaim her computer (later to

find out that it is her backup - a digital scan/copy of her brain) by ripping it from its bracket in her mother’s locked cupboard, Jenna gashes her hand, she examines the wound, it is deep and large - three inches long, running from her thumb down to her wrist. Jenna goes on to speculate the need for stitches, however, discovers there’s no blood, instead blue - bio gel (artificially oxygenated bioengineered tissue); prompting both herself and the reader to question what it really is to be ‘human’.

Jenna’s bio gel discovery communicates an important idea about human nature regarding humanity, by prompting both herself and the reader to question what it really is to be ‘human’.

During the important event, we go on to learn that in the accident, Jenna’s body was injured beyond saving. Nevertheless, her skeletal structure was replicated and with a mere 10% of her brain salvaged, full function was restored through additional infused bio gel and an uploaded brain scan. Pearson’s first-person narrative provokes concern and confusion in both Jenna and the reader, despite her mother’s argument that it is “the most important ten percent”, Jenna is not convinced and begins to question whether or not she can still consider herself human, “I don't want five hundred billion neural chips. I want guts”. Linking the concept of Jenna not being considered human to the rest of the novel, it is ironic in that protagonist Jenna, who’s not legally considered human because she’s too artificial expresses more emotion and empathy than biologically human antagonist, Dane, “and what I see in Dane’s perfectly beautiful face disturbs me. Emptiness”. This contrast further assisting Pearson to communicate her overall purpose of the novel - to make readers think about what it is human, by challenging them to decide whether artificial intervention or lack of emotion and “emptiness” makes one less

human.

Jenna’s bio gel discovery communicates another important idea about human nature regarding ethics and morals, by posing the question, is it ethical to artificially replicate a human body?

Throughout the novel, Lily (Jenna’s Grandmother) possessed a particular disliking to the ‘new’ Jenna and their relationship is strained, “I don’t hate you, Jenna… I simply don’t have room for you”. During the important event of Jenna’s bio gel discovery, both Jenna and the reader go on to discover that Lily’s dislike of Jenna was established on firm beliefs in that she did not think was ethical nor morally right of Jenna’s parents to artificially replicate their daughter’s body, “ I’m not like your parents. I think there are worse things than dying… They should have let you die”. I believe her opinion may is closely linked to two things she mentioned earlier in the novel, one being her feeling of constant guilt after modern medical advancements during her time as a doctor killed her husband, “And a simple thing like overusing antibiotics created a strain of bacteria so deadly it killed my husband and a quarter of the world’s population… I live with that every day of my life” and the other being her commitment to preserving non-genetically modified plants. On the contrary, during the important event, it is clear Jenna’s parents possess no ethical or moral doubt in what they did to preserve the life of their daughter; “The information is not the mind, Jenna. That we’ve never accomplished

before. What we’ve done with you is groundbreaking. We’ve cracked the code. The mind is the energy the brain produces.” Jenna’s father, Matthew, clearly takes pride in his work, though further implying that his science ambitions take priority over family morals as Jenna’s father, forgetting to acknowledge that Jenna may not have wanted to live like this, “I sense that Father thinks I should be impressed. Maybe even grateful. But what about my missing heart?”. This important event helps Pearson to communicate her overall purpose in writing the novel - to challenge readers to question their ethical standpoint regarding how far medical science should be allowed to take biomechanical human experimentation. Readers feel compelled to consider what they’d do in Jenna’s parents’ position if such medical technology were available today.

In Mary E Pearson’s ‘The Adoration of Jenna Fox’ numerous important ideas are communicated through various important events, such as, humanity and ethics/morality during Jenna’s bio gel discovery. By showing the contrasting views held by different characters, Pearson challenges readers to question their viewpoint on the various controversial concepts.