Characters
Jimmy (Snowman)
Through the character of Snowman/Jimmy, Atwood explores the themes of identity, morality, isolation, and the consequences of scientific advancement. Following a global pandemic, Snowman emerges as possibly the only surviving human, entrusted with the care of a group of genetically modified humans known as the “Crakers,” engineered by his once-friend-turned-foe, Crake. Despite feeling duty-bound to protect the Crakers, Snowman cannot emotionally attach himself to them due to their childlike demeanor and superior genetic enhancements, leading to loneliness. In between scavenging for survival essentials, Snowman often retreats into memories of his earlier life, when he was known as Jimmy.
Through flashbacks, readers learn how Jimmy’s formative years are profoundly impacted by his mother’s abandonment, his friendship with the intelligent but emotionally detached Crake, and their common interest in sex. His strained relationship with his father, who disapproves of Jimmy’s lackluster performance in math and science, further contributes to his emotional scars. When his father remarries, Jimmy feels even more isolated. Despite excelling in humanities and linguistics, earning him popularity among his peers, Jimmy finds himself out of place in a world increasingly prioritizing science and technology, where his inclination toward language and the arts makes him outdated and financially unattractive.
In the contemporary setting of the novel, Jimmy travels back to the Paradice facility within the RejoovenEsense Compound, the site where Crake engineered the devastating plague that wiped out the world’s population. His primary aim is to gather essential supplies, yet throughout this journey, he finds himself tormented by an array of memories, particularly those of his mother’s abandonment. Echoes from his past, including the voice of Oryx, a woman he first encountered on a child pornography website and later developed feelings for, continue to haunt him. Oryx symbolizes both innocence and exploitation, reflecting Jimmy’s conflicting desires for connection and redemption. His love for Oryx serves as a driving force in his life, yet it remains tinged with guilt and regret, mirroring the moral ambiguity that permeates the novel. Additionally, Jimmy recalls snippets of literature and academic texts from his university days. However, the most persistent specter haunting Jimmy is the memory of his friendship with Crake. He keeps remembering their relationship, spanning from their high school meeting to their collaboration at RejoovenEsense. While the full extent of Crake’s actions remains undisclosed until the novel’s conclusion, Jimmy’s fragmented recollections inform readers of the circumstances leading to Crake’s creation of the catastrophic plague. Jimmy grapples with feelings of guilt, questioning his own complicity, as he realizes how he failed to recognize the warning signs of Crake’s descent into madness.
Atwood’s portrayal of Snowman/Jimmy as a flawed character underscores the novel’s exploration of human nature and the ethical implications of scientific progress. The character’s evolution from Jimmy, a disillusioned young man navigating the complexities of adolescence, to Snowman, a hardened survivor dealing with the consequences of his past choices, makes him a tragic figure, caught between the remnants of a world he once knew and the uncertain future that lies ahead. His journey serves as a poignant reflection on the fragility of human existence and the enduring search for meaning in a world plagued by chaos and uncertainty.
Crake
Crake’s original name is “Glenn,” but Jimmy mentions this just once and states that he should, in fact, be called Crake. The name Crake is derived from the Extinctathon game, which focuses on extinct animals like the red-necked crake. Through Crake’s character, Atwood delves into the themes of scientific ethics, human nature, and the consequences of unchecked ambition. Crake is introduced as a prodigiously talented scientist with a mysterious air about him. He expresses minimal interest in personal relationships aside from those with Jimmy and Oryx. Crake holds a starkly rational and vehemently atheistic perspective on life. His rejection extends not only to the concept of a divine being but also to the notion of a capitalized “Nature”—a notion that he considers is artificially dividing what is deemed natural and unnatural. While studying at the prestigious Watson-Crick Institute, Crake shows keen interest and remarkable proficiency in transgenic research. Unlike Jimmy, who grapples with the notion of genetically modified organisms as authentic or “natural,” Crake maintains that anything conceivable or artificially created is genuinely real. This strictly scientific outlook on the world, intertwined with his sociopathic tendencies, enables him to pursue his ambitious genetic endeavors devoid of moral considerations. Jimmy even suspects that Crake might have played a role in the deaths of his own mother and stepfather, further suggesting Crake’s potential sociopathy.
Crake’s fixation on what he perceives as “elegant solutions” to human issues leads him to dismiss conventional notions of reproduction involving hormones, sex, and emotional attachments, evident when he comments, “Falling in love, although it resulted in altered body chemistry and was therefore real, was a hormonally induced delusional state, according to him. In addition, it was humiliating because it put you at a disadvantage. It gave the love object too much power. As for sex per se, it lacked both challenge and novelty and was, on the whole, a deeply imperfect solution to the problem of intergenerational genetic transfer.” As the novel progresses, Crake’s ambitions escalate, leading him to explore the concept of a biologically superior human race. His increasing preoccupation with this idea culminates in the creation of the Crakers, a new breed of genetically modified beings designed to eliminate undesirable traits such as curiosity, humanism, love, and emotional turmoil from the human condition. Crake’s belief in the irredeemable flaws of humanity becomes an all-consuming obsession, propelling him toward increasingly drastic measures.
Crake remains all too human, suffering from sexual desire, love, and perhaps even jealousy, despite insisting on a logical outlook on life. Crucial to understanding Crake’s character is his complex relationship with Jimmy and Oryx. Jimmy, Crake’s longtime friend, serves as a witness to Crake’s evolution from a brilliant but detached scientist to a figure consumed by a manic conviction of humanity’s flaws. Oryx, on the other hand, represents a point of fascination and desire for Crake, despite his struggles with expressing sexuality and affection. Why Crake killed Oryx at the end remains unclear, but Jimmy suspects he might have been motivated by jealousy. This is ironic because it then renders Crake’s quest to create genetically superior beings devoid of petty emotions futile, as he himself succumbs to jealousy.
Atwood expertly portrays Crake as a tragic figure whose relentless pursuit of perfection ultimately brings about his downfall. His unwavering belief in the superiority of his creations blinds him to the ethical implications of his actions, resulting in catastrophic consequences for both himself and humanity as a whole.
Oryx
The love interest of both Jimmy and Snowman in Margaret Atwood’s Oryx and Crake, Oryx’s character symbolizes resilience, compassion, and tragic innocence amidst a world wrought with exploitation and manipulation. The first time Jimmy and Crake see Oryx is when they are boys, and they come across a video that features three young girls licking whipped cream off the body of a man. One of the girls looks straight into the camera, and Jimmy feels an immediate connection with her.
However, Oryx’s origins remain mysterious, with multiple versions of her past circulating through the novel. However, what remains constant is her unwavering optimism and serene demeanor, even in the face of unspeakable horrors. Oryx’s journey from victim to survivor is marked by a succession of exploitative relationships, beginning with her abduction by Uncle En and subsequent coercion into various forms of sex work. This early exposure to exploitation lays the foundation for her later interactions with an adult filmmaker called Jack, who directs her and other children in child pornography. Jack also teaches her English in exchange for sexual favors. Later, an unnamed San Francisco artist buys her and keeps her in a garage. She continues to learn English until she is discovered and released, highlighting the cyclical nature of abuse and vulnerability in her life.
However, Oryx’s resilience lies not in her ability to escape her past but rather in her capacity to find moments of beauty and connection amidst the darkness. Despite the traumas she endures, Oryx maintains a sense of compassion and empathy toward others, particularly the Crakers, whom she nurtures and teaches with unwavering patience and affection. Her role as a teacher to the genetically engineered beings underscores her innate desire to impart knowledge and kindness, serving as a stark contrast to the callousness and selfishness shown by many of the other characters in the novel.
Furthermore, Oryx’s relationships with Jimmy and Crake provide insight into her complex understanding of human nature and her capacity for forgiveness. While her feelings for Jimmy are rooted in genuine affection and tenderness, her admiration for Crake stems from a belief in his misguided ambition to eradicate human suffering. Despite the betrayals and ultimately fatal consequences of these relationships, Oryx’s enduring compassion toward both men speaks to her capacity for understanding and forgiveness. Thus, in a world plunged into chaos and the loss of human emotions, Oryx emerges as a beacon of hope, reminding readers of the enduring power of kindness and empathy in the face of adversity.
The Crakers
The Crakers, originating from Crake’s Paradice project, are initially conceived as examples of genetic enhancements, akin to “floor models” showcasing various modifications available for purchase by rich parents seeking genetically superior children. However, it becomes evident that the Crakers embody Crake’s vision of a solution to what he considers to be human flaws, with the ultimate intention of supplanting humanity entirely.
The Crakers are all physically perfect; they have flawless features and UV-resistant skin engineered for resilience. Their dietary capabilities resemble those of rabbits, enabling sustenance from a wide array of vegetation, which ensures that there is never a scarcity of food. Notably, Crakers neither have the capacity for romantic love nor do they suffer the consequences of it (such as jealousy, frustration, anger, etc.). They engage in strictly reproductive sexual encounters once every three years per female. Pheromonal cues and physical indicators help them in their mating exercises, which require no emotional attachment, thereby eliminating feelings of disappointment or frustration for males if they are rejected by females. Crake also designs them to die abruptly at the age of thirty, as he believes that if they don’t have the foreknowledge of death, they would be fearless and would effectively be immortal.
Crake’s attempts to eliminate aspects of religion, history, and art from the Crakers’ existence prove partially unsuccessful. Despite his efforts, they are curious about their origins, leading to the genesis of rudimentary mythology, wherein they deify Crake, which is ironic considering his dislike of mythology. Furthermore, toward the novel’s conclusion, the Crakers begin to express artistic inclinations as they build a likeness of Snowman, hoping for his safe return.
The question of the Crakers’ humanity remains ambiguous, yet their interest in art and history suggests a humanistic aspect to their nature. While their design aims to eradicate human traits, their innate curiosity and creative endeavors hint at a deeper connection to humanity than initially perceived. Thus, the Crakers blur the lines between humanity and engineered perfection, inviting contemplation on what constitutes the essence of being human.
Sharon
Jimmy’s mother, a once-respected microbiologist, abandons her career to care for her son. However, she succumbs to depression and erratic behavior, hinting at underlying turmoil. There are speculations that her moral crisis and withdrawal from society stemmed from her knowledge of corporations intentionally spreading diseases for profit. Eventually, overcome with guilt and unable to tolerate her husband’s involvement, she abruptly departs, leaving Jimmy a loving note and taking his pet, Killer, to set it free. Before leaving, she destroys her husband’s computer. During her absence, sporadic postcards from faraway locations provide information about her whereabouts, while CorpSeCorps continues to search for her.
Jimmy sees his mother briefly on television, protesting alongside environmental activists, which shows her continued involvement in dissenting activities. However, her defiance against corporate oppression culminates tragically when she is captured and executed by the CorpSeCorps for treason. Her last words to Jimmy, captured on video, are: “Goodbye. Remember Killer. I love you. Don’t let me down.” Through her tumultuous journey, Jimmy’s mother embodies a struggle against societal injustices and ethical compromises, ultimately sacrificing her life for her convictions.
