Oryx and Crake

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ORYX AND CRAKE
Oryx and Crake is a story told through the view of a man called Snowman. He lives in a place near a body of water with a group of creatures that look like aliens by the name Crakers. They (crakes) ask him questions and also brings him a fish once per week. From his answers, he manifests a great deal of hatred and anger towards Crake who was his friend before everything happened. Conversely, he is very fond of Oryx and still hears her voice. We also learn later that Snowman’s name is actually Jimmy. His past also tells us about his past residents and how he ends up being Snowman instead of Jimmy.
Through analysis of the text, there are many things that can be associated with the character of Jimmy – also Snowman. Every happening is bound to his change in behavior and even the way the story twists. For example, the changes of his name are directly entwined with major changes in his personal life. In fact, we come to see that much of what affects his name changes is a kind of trying to forget a past life or even people who played significant roles in his life.
Throughout the text, there is a significant division prior to when the virus are released and after they are released. This change in the plot is also exhibited in the changing of names in the other characters in the novel. This renaming is however symbolic as it acts as a track to the vast changes that have happened in the planet. The main character – also the villain in the novel provides a perfect example of the transformations that comes with the change of name. As Jimmy, he presents a different character from Snowman who also carry the differences throughout the novel.
Adding up to the revelation of the events as there is use of names of inexistence animals for two main characters. The third man character does not however have a nickname. Oryx and Crake derive nicknames from these died out creatures.
Names of the people who were directly involved with the project Paradice also had their names from that list. Jimmy’s like others had his nickname form the same list, Thickney which though never stuck. Jimmy is the only person of the trio that survived when the pandemic swept across the city. From this point, we notice a relationship between those who were given the names and stuck and Jimmy whose never stuck. Probably, the extinction of the animals they were associated with had an effect on their survival.
Even though, we cannot fail to note that Oryx did not reveal her real name. She only used the nickname which can possibly explain her strange character. She is quite undefined, vague and speaks little about herself. In fact, Jimmy only speculates whom she would be.
Jimmy’s wolrd has much speculation where nearly everything can be seen at a cost. They both -- Jimmy and Crake have their friendship built upon hours of watching pornography, suicide – live suicide, execution and animal killing. The world in this case is seen through one perspective. The CorpSeCorps care less about this and concentrate their efforts on bringing down those who do not subscribe to the kind of lifestyle they live.
Appearance plays a central role in everyday life and the sales for their beauty products economy is driven by the same. Three companies; OrganInc, AnooYoo, and RejoovenEsense seemingly have come to understand that beauty is a desire for many and they make it to satisfy the global desire. Everyone and everything wants to look its best. Beauty has thus become a need.
Even when the virus effects patterns become rampant, individuals continue broadcasting the adversities of the few who are surviving the pandemic.
Evolution is another of the central ideas that seems to occupy the novel as we read on. There is what seems like a “Natural” evolution and a “synthetic” evolution. Synthetics evolution appears by the fact that they make other creatures who are not really human but have characteristic of human with less vulnerabilities. These two – natural and synthetic evolution seem to be in a kind of supremacy. This we can see it through the two characters Oryx and Crake numerous ways of interactions. The pharmaceuticals in the test have transcended simply creating medicines to inhibit ailments and bodily problems. This expansion in modifying animals genetically raises questions on the components of nature. This modification of human beings is later to be described by Crake in his own perspective as nothing lying outside the dominion of nature. In the last chapter of the text, nature as a theme is to be explored when Snowman meets other three surviving men and decides between human and cracker will live. Though, we do not get to know who he actually lets...