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Jimmy And Crake By Margaret Atwood Essay

426 Words2 Pages

Margaret Atwood portrays segregation through the idea of education being the main factor that dictates how individuals will live their lives, and in what ways they will exist in a society. Jimmy and Crake grew up in the same Compound but they had their academic differences. Jimmy was skilled with words and Crake was skilled with numbers. Crake would often tutor Jimmy to help him pass his math and science classes. Crake was unable to understand why Jimmy struggled with subjects that he found easy and essential. In their fictional world, the main emphasis in society is placed on science and numbers. Everything else is set aside. This includes the arts and literature aspects of their society. Upon graduation, Jimmy attends the Martha Graham …show more content…

This is an example of how this society does not value the arts anymore, in Atwood’s future. Jimmy is one of the only students who do not cheat at school, which goes to show the morals and ethics of the other students who currently attend school with him. He occasionally creates his own words to use, and his teachers never bat an eye, but instead praise him. Jimmy is in school so that he can learn how to use language in order to manipulate people into buying products that they do not need, since that is the only thing a person skilled with words is good for in this future society. Crake’s school is the complete opposite, and when Jimmy goes to visit he can see all the differences in their schools. “The security going into Watson-Crick was very thorough, unlike the sloppy charade that took place at Martha Graham: the fear must have been that some fanatic would sneak in and blow up the best minds of the generation, thus dealing a crippling blow to something or other” (Atwood 197). People place a high value on this learning institution, and the people who attend

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