More handpicked essays just for you.
Critically analyse Margaret Atwood as a novelist
Surfacing margaret atwood key points
Analysis of margaret atwood oryx
Don’t take our word for it - see why 10 million students trust us with their essay needs.
Surrounded by nature as a child, Margaret Atwood connects this upbringing to her 2003 novel of speculative fiction Oryx and Crake. Throughout this novel, Atwood repeatedly utilizes futuristic concepts such as engineered immortality and synthetic pandemics. Atwood tells this story through the eyes of “Snowman”, also known as Jimmy, a survivor of a deadly global pandemic created by the genetic engineer Crake. Although the color green in Margaret Atwood's Oryx and Crake may appear to contribute to a meaning that supports the need for protecting nature, it serves more fully as a caution against genetic alteration.
It cannot be denied that Oryx and Crake is a work of speculative fiction that supports the need to protect the sanctity and fragility
…show more content…
of the natural world. This purpose is evident in the excerpt: Still, they’re amazingly attractive, these children – each one naked, each one perfect, each one a different skin colour – chocolate, rose, tea, butter, cream, honey – but each with green eyes. Crake’s aesthetic. (Atwood, 6) This passage conveys Jimmy’s appreciation of the Craker’s beauty but also explores his disappointment in their unnaturally green eyes. The use of green in Jimmy’s account further establishes a core purpose in the novel: Nature is sacred and must remain untainted. Additional support for this purpose is found in Jimmy’s response to Crake with “’What if they get out? Go on the rampage? Start breeding, then the population spirals out of control – like those big green rabbits?’” (Atwood, 122). Jimmy’s questioning of Crake in this excerpt clearly reinforces the need for a protection of nature as he discusses his fears of a natural disaster. The color green reappears in this quote and serves as a representation of the endangerment of nature in the form of an overpopulation of green rabbits (Spiegel). Further examples of the protection of nature is found in the end of the novel when Jimmy attempts to find a safe habitat for the Crakers—-a new “nature.” The passage reads “The Crakers could live in the park near the arboretum, coloured green on the map and marked with a tree symbol. They’d feel at home there, and certainly there would be lots of edible foliage” (Atwood, 209). The utilization of green to describe the Jimmy’s newly-established, safe abode for the Craker’s is ironic in that following global pandemics, overpopulation, and natural disasters, all resulting from a violation of natural order, Jimmy attempts to reestablish a new natural order rooted in a genetically-engineered species. In context with the previous excerpt, it is clear that Margaret Atwood’s Oryx and Crake serves to promote the protection of natural order. However, Margaret Atwood’s Oryx and Crake is foremost a caution against genetic alteration. This warning is clearly evident in Snowman’s detailed account of the Crakers, his encounters with the genetically altered environment, and the presence of the color green in these accounts. The first example is found in Snowman’s description of his surroundings: “Snowman wakes up before sunrise. He is in a tree. He looks out through the thick green vegetation towards the ocean, and the nearby reef made of rusted car parts” (3, Atwood). The dichotomy of natural language of “ocean” and “reef” contrast sharply with “car parts”, implying a cruel image of the downfall of civilization into a vast supergrowth of nature. The color green appears here and describes the overgrowth of the surrounding vegetation as consequences of genetic experimentation (Dinello). The presence of green in this excerpt contributes to the core theme of the novel: genetic alteration often has unintended consequences. Another example is located in the passage “They are strikingly beautiful, with bright green eyes… Crake asks Jimmy if he is familiar with the concept of a ‘floor model’ –then says the Crakers are the floor models” (156, Atwood). This excerpt clearly illustrates Crake’s violation of nature. By removing the Craker’s awareness of nakedness and their concept of mortality, Craker has removed integral components that define a typical human. The color green appears again in this excerpt and highlights the Craker’s most physically distinguishable trait: their bright green eyes. The presence of green displays the departure from nature and the inhumanity of genetically engineered humanoids (DiMarco). This departure from humanity and the stripping away of core human characteristics is a clear negative to genetic mutation, reinforcing the dominating purpose of the novel: genetic engineering has unintended and often tragic consequences. Additionally, the presence of green in Margaret Atwood’s Oryx and Crake also contributes to a sense of danger throughout the novel.
The first example of this is found when Jimmy accounts the green tropical fruit: “There’d been some bananas ripening in the Tropicals area, and several other things, round, green, and knobbly, that he hadn’t wanted to eat because they might have been poisonous” (Atwood, 87). This fruit, found in a post-apocalyptic habitat, is the direct result of Crake’s genetic engineering experiments that nearly wiped out the human race and reshaped Earth’s surface environment. The use of green not only describes the danger of consuming poisonous fruit but also the rampant menace of a post-genetically altered world. A second situation that employs green as a danger indicator begins when Jimmy walks through the forested environment and observes “Through the clefts in the overhead greenery he can see a handful of vultures… those things can count the change in your pocket” (Atwood, 133). Furthermore, he continues to describe the numerous dangers he encounters during his trek, such as snakes, “wolvogs”, and “pigoons.” These near-deadly encounters all occur within the lush, green environment of the forest. Surrounded by the color green, Jimmy is constantly at risk of death or injury due to the collapse of civilization that resulted from genetic engineering (Snyder). This continual risk further reinforces Oryx and Crake’s core theme: genetic engineering and …show more content…
environmental tampering often have tragic consequences. In conclusion, Margaret Atwood’s Oryx and Crake serves as a speculative tale of the future regarding issues such as genetic alteration and engineered diseases. Although its major symbol, the color green, appears to clamor for the preservation of the natural world, it serves more effectively as a caution against genetic alteration. Works Cited Atwood, Margaret.
Oryx and Crake. McClelland & Stewart, 2003.
DiMarco, Danette. “Paradice Lost, Paradise Regained: Homo Faber and the Makings of a New Beginning in Oryx and Crake.” Papers on Language & Literature, vol. 41, no. 2, 2005. Questia School, www.questiaschool.com/read/1G1- 133280082/paradice-lost-paradise-regained-homo-faber-and- the. Accessed May 2018.
Dinello, Daniel. Technophobia! : Science Fiction Visions of Posthuman Technology. University of Texas Press, 2005. Questia School, www.questiaschool.com/read/118582430/technophobia-science- fiction-visions-of-posthuman. Accessed May 2018.
Snyder, Katherine V. “‘Time to Go’: The Post-Apocalyptic and the Post-Traumatic in Margaret Atwood's Oryx and Crake.” Studies in the Novel, vol. 43, no. 4, 2011, pp. 470+. Questia School, www.questiaschool.com/read/1G1- 278171213/time-to-go-the-post-apocalyptic-and-the-post- traumatic. Accessed May 2018.
Spiegel, Michael. “Character in a Post-National World: Neomedievalism in Atwood's Oryx and Crake.” Mosaic (Winnipeg), vol. 43, no. 3, 2010, pp. 119+. Questia School, www.questiaschool.com/read/1G1-238653788/character-in-a- post-national-world-neomedievalism. Accessed May
2018.
Part of being a “green” character so to speak would include multiple trait one being the enjoyment of the big picture process. Though there are many examples in the novel the most obvious or most out there would be the rekindling between Daisy and Gatsby with Nick Carraway being involved with the set up. Through the whole scene Nick had debated if the future for them was a bright one in a way given the signs like Daisy’s overwhelming facial expressions and
In Margaret Atwood’s Oryx and Crake, Atwood seems to be offering a forewarning of the troubles that are to arise if our rapacious, self-obsessed society continues at the current rate. Current rate refers to the lack of regard for nature and animal preservation, the increasing intrusiveness of the NSA, the absolute power that large corporations are accumulating, and the severe income disparity. All of which threatens to bring an end to our society. The social issues listed above are a result of a single entity having absolute control over the people; in this case it is the corrupt biotech companies. Corruption is the driving force behind the evils that arise in Oryx and Crake. Mechanisms of control used in Oryx and Crake are similar to those described in Michel Foucault’s “Panopticism”. Panopticism describes that control is effective when enforced through the principles of surveillance, ability to recognize the presence of authority, and isolation. Pharmaceutical companies utilize technology
Apparently, green is the most prominently used color in the novel. The reason for this may be that green is the color used to describe the main character of the novel, Jay Gatsby. One of the possible meanings of green in this story is envy. Gatsby can be seen as an envious man for a few reasons. For one, he is extremely envious of Tom Buchanan because of the fact that he has the one thing he can’t buy, Daisy. Also, Gatsby is extremely envious of the people that he invites to his house. He knows that he is not old money like the people he invites to his parties. This makes him a man of who, is “Green with envy.”
A soldier’s journey, a trip back home from World War II and a collision with reality is described in the opening of Henry Green’s novel, “Back”. The opening deals with the soldier’s journey, his experience at the warfront, the death of his love, and finally a child who is his own son, the last thing he has of his love. Charley, the soldier is seen reminiscing the moments he had with Rose and his experiences at the battlefield while he walks through the graveyard towards the body of his love. The author conveys a lot more than just what the words say in the first few paragraphs, leaving the reader eager to turn the page as well as giving the reader the freedom to interpret what certain words and sentences mean.
“Gatsby believed in the green light, the orgastic future that year by year recedes before us”(Fitzgerald 171). Whenever Gatsby looks at Daisy’s green light, he thinks of a bright future with his love of his life. The color green symbolizes Gatsby’s desire for a future with Daisy. Green also symbolizes Gatsby’s desire for great wealth. Nick describes Gatsby’s car as a “green leather conservatory” because the interior is green (Fitzgerald 64).
The use of diction is powerful, with the gripping use of words and description. Golding creates tension and reinforces his theme and tone with the use of specific words. Many are connotative and therefore create a story abundant in meaning and symbolism. Golding uses colors such as pink to symbolize particular things such as innocence, as shown in the piglets and the island. The word yellow makes the reader think of the sun, enlightenment and Ralph; the words black and red bring to mind evil, blood and Jack.
For most people, a certain colour may represent something meaningful to them. While in the Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, many of the colours used in the novel are meant to represent something. The novel’s setting is in East and West Egg, two places in New York. Our narrator, Nick Carraway, lives in the West Egg. Along with living in West Egg is a friend of Nick’s, Jay Gatsby; a character that is in love with Daisy Buchanan. Unfortunately, Daisy is married to Tom. As the plot unravels, the reader notices the connection between certain colours and their importance to the novel. The use of colours within The Great Gatsby symbolizes actual themes, as grey symbolizes corruption, blue symbolizes reality, and green symbolizes jealousy and envy.
World in Margaret Atwood’s Oryx and Crake and the Year of the Flood . 23rd ed. Vol. 2. Toronto: Psychology Press, 2012. N. pag. Literature Interpretation Theory. Web. 24 Mar. 2014.
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.
The implication of the color green was most abundant in chapter sixteen, where Hawthorne used much description to depict the dreariness within the woods, yet adding a sense of security to it all. 'Here they sat down on a luxuriant heap of moss, which, at some epoch of the preceding century, had been a gigantic pine, with its root and trunk in the darksome shade…'; (177) There is, apparently, plenty of references to the color green. Not only does green represent nature in general, its reference to the forest is also the very depiction of freedom. Nobody watches in the woods to report misbehavior, thus it is here that people may do as they wish.
Atwood creates many ideas in which allude to the thought that an apocalypse was to occur in the future of the novel Oryx and Crake. The presence of separation between a perfect and corrupt society presents many dangerous ideas that lead to the assumption of the ending of human life. In the novel, two different societies are being represented, one being the Pleeblands and the other being the Compound. The Pleeblands have been badly looked upon because p...
Unlike Owl Eyes, who fortunately doesn’t harm anyone in the accident, “Myrtle Wilson has her life violently extinguished” (Hendrickson’s, Styles Part 4), by one of Fitzgerald’s main characters named Daisy who didn’t even slow down for Myrtle. In this same novel, one of the characters named Jordan Baker, drives so recklessly and close to someone that she ends up popping a button on his jacket. Fitzgerald not only just uses repetition of reckless driving to show people's lack of responsibility, but also uses the repetition of the color green to show a fresh start.
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.
In the book Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury, there are many themes, symbols, and motifs that are found throughout the novel. For my journal response, I have chosen to discuss nature as a prevalent symbol in the book. The main character, Montag, lives in a society where technology is overwhelmingly popular, and nature is regarded as an unpredictable variable that should be avoided. Technology is used to repress the citizens, but the oppression is disguised as entertainment, like the TV parlour. On the opposite end of the spectrum, nature is viewed as boring and dull, but it is a way to escape the brainwashing that technology brings. People who enjoy nature are deemed insane and are forced to go into therapy. Clarisse says “My psychiatrist wants to know why I go out and hike around in the forests and watch the birds and collect butterflies,” (Bradbury 23) which shows she is a threat to the control that the government has put upon the people by enjoying nature.
Neil Gaiman’s “Snow, Glass, Apples” is far from the modern day fairy tale. It is a dark and twisted version of the classic tale, Snow White. His retelling is intriguing and unexpected, coming from the point of view of the stepmother rather than Snow White. By doing this, Gaiman changes the entire meaning of the story by switching perspectives and motivations of the characters. This sinister tale has more purpose than to frighten its readers, but to convey a deeper, hidden message. His message in “Snow, Glass, Apples” is that villains may not always be villains, but rather victims.