FAQs
Why did Margaret Atwood write Oryx and Crake?
Atwood wrote Oryx and Crake to highlight the dangers of unchecked scientific advancement, environmental degradation, and corporate influence on society’s future. She uses the genre of speculative fiction to present a dystopian world that serves as a cautionary tale, urging readers to consider the ethical implications of technological progress and the exploitation of natural resources. Unlike science fiction, where authors imagine a technology or invention that doesn’t exist yet, in this work, Atwood draws on existing technological and scientific advancements and extends these to provide a critical reflection on contemporary societal issues and the potential consequences of current trends if they continue unrestrained.
What is the time period in Oryx and Crake?
Oryx and Crake is set in a speculative future time period, although it is not explicitly stated. The novel depicts a dystopian world that has been drastically changed after an artificially created pandemic. While the exact timeframe is left ambiguous, the novel presents a vision of the future that is both eerily familiar and disturbingly plausible, suggesting that this can be a reality in the not-too-distant future.
What is the role of the media in the novel?
The media has an active role in the destruction of social fabric and the promotion of capitalist exploitation in the novel. Throughout the story, the media plays three distinct functions—desensitizing the population, normalizing state surveillance, and promoting a consumer-driven capitalism that fuels destruction.
Is Oryx and Crake part of a trilogy?
The novel is the first of Atwood’s MaddAddam trilogy, followed by The Year of the Flood (2009) and MaddAddam (2013).
How does the novel show humans playing God?
Crake is an example of how excessive confidence in scientific abilities can lead one to tamper with nature. Despite Crake’s firm atheism, he assumes the role of a symbolic god by creating a facility called Paradice and engineering a new species of humans. Although Crake may have approached the name Paradice ironically, Jimmy perceives how Crake suffers from a God complex. Not only does Crake bring forth a new human race, but he also takes it upon himself to eradicate the existing human population. After the apocalypse, Jimmy subverts Crake’s irony by elevating him to a godlike status among the Children of Crake. Describing himself as the “God of Bullshit,” Jimmy fabricates elaborate creation myths that the Crakers unquestionably accept.
What is Crake’s definition of immortality in the novel?
Diverging from more conventional definitions, Crake defines immortals as those who don’t fear death (and not necessarily those who don’t physically die). According to his interpretation, infants are immortal because they lack awareness of mortality. Thus, every person being born into this world is immortal; however, it is education that instills in them the fear of death, consequently making them mortal. Attaining immortality would necessitate either a deficit in cognitive ability or a lack of education regarding the life cycle.
What are some examples of anthropomorphism in Oryx and Crake?
Pigoons are a prominent example of anthropomorphism in the novel. These creatures are enhanced with human cortical tissue and organs, allowing them to possess cognitive capabilities beyond typical animals and manipulate for their own gain. Crakers are another example, though their characterization is more ambiguous. They can be considered humans possessing animal traits or animals imbued with human characteristics.
