INTRODUCTION
My research question for this essay is “How can M.A.’s novel ’Oryx and Crake’ be seen as a critique towards modern society?” I have chosen to use this research question, because I find it interesting how literature can be used as a medium to warn society against what could happen, if we do not take action and just let things evolve. The book ‘1984’ written by George Orwell is similar to the book chosen here, since they both, according to how both novels fall into the post-apocalyptic genre, can be interpreted as a warning to our present society about letting technology take over, and letting technological development be more important than developing human qualities. This essay will investigate how the novel can fall into the genre post-apocalyptic fiction based on the characteristics of the genre and the characteristics of the book. It will also look into the narrator of the story, and how the choice of narrator has affected the book, and it will look into the fight between the two major sciences (natural sciences and the humanities) and lastly, whether or not the book can be interpreted as a critique towards modern society based on the findings of the investigations mentioned above. I expect to find that Oryx and Crake can be seen as a warning because the issues the novel approaches are all issues that are present in the world today.
THE POST-APOCALYPTIC GENRE AND NARRATIVE STRUCTURE
The novel “Oryx and Crake” was written by Margaret Atwood in 2003. The novel