‘Snowman’ is a rare survivor of a dreadful catastrophe caused by the fall of modern science. He lives in a tree, clothed with rags, and hiding from relentless heat. He is at risk to Wolvogs, Rakunks, and Pigoons: dangerous genetically engineered hybrid animals that lower his chance of survival. Genetically modified humans, known as Crakers regard Snowman as their teacher. Snowman recollects what has lead him here: A wasteland, slowly starving to death, mourning his beloved Oryx and his best friend Crake. A series of flashbacks reveal that Snowman was once a boy named Jimmy who grew up in a world dominated by multinational corporations and privileged compounds that produce genetically engineered diseases to which then they market a cure. Crake discovers this secret and is in awe of what lengths a company will go to avoid obsolescence. He begins to concoct an apocalyptic plan to kill off most of humanity with an artificial plague and start over with a fast-growing humanoid species designed to his specifications. The author, Margaret Atwood was born in Ottawa, Ontario. She is well known for her grim subject …show more content…
In the beginning of the novel, Snowman’s life begins in a similar fashion of Adam from the Genesis creation story: He is the first man, created by the sacrifices of ‘Gods’ Oryx and Crake so that they might live. Just as Adam is given the animals as companions to look over, similarly Crake has given the Crakers to Snowman. As the novel progresses, Snowman evolves into different Biblical characters, the most noticeable being the serpent who leads the Crakers away from Paradice which saved them from the catastrophe in the first place. There are also metaphors for the Garden of Eden, whom consist of Adam and Eve - naked, innocent, pure, and free of sin, identical to the Crakers. The Crakers regard Snowman as a higher being, as did Adam and Eve to God in Genesis. I quote from an example from page