Oryx And Crake Essay Oryx And Crake Irony In Oryxs Crake

1. Oryx And Crake Essay
The concept of change within character is accepted by society to be an indisputable truth; however,
when faced with a case where this notion proves false, it is overlooked. Throughout Margaret
Atwood's Oryx and Crake, Crake's character seemingly has two shifts; his transition from Glenn to
Crake and his shift in personality after meeting Oryx. However, when analyzing the actions of Crake
and the descriptions provided through Snowman's recollection of the past, the audience is able to see
otherwise. In Atwood's Oryx and Crake, contrary to the conventional perspective, the antagonist,
Crake, shows no development as a character throughout the entirety of the novel to disprove the
notion of change. As the novel progresses, the character of...show more content...
Oryx is first seen in the book through the eyes of Jimmy when he and Crake are on a pornography
website, "HottTotts" (91). Jimmy becomes fixated on her and has Crake "print... the picture of
Oryx" (91). Years later, Jimmy visits Crake in university, and the two play Extinctathon on the
last evening of Jimmy's visit. Upon entering the "playroom," Crake brings up "the picture of
Oyrx" from their childhood (215). Jimmy feels "ambushed" because the picture was close to his
heart, not Crake's (215). When Jimmy arrives in Paradice to meet Crake, Jimmy discovers that
Oryx was working as a caretaker for the Crakers. After asking Crake about where he found her,
Crake explains that he first met her through "Student Services" as a "post–grad at Watson–Crick"
after presenting a picture of Oryx (309). After reaching his position at RejoovenEsense, Crake
brings Oryx with him and provides her employment. Through spending time with the couple,
Jimmy notices that Crake "[likes] to have a hand on Oryx" even though he had "never been a
toucher" and realizes that "Crake [loves] Oryx" (313). While Jimmy and the audience may believe
that Crake loves Oryx and therefore changes, the manipulation of Oryx by Crake proves otherwise.
He utilizes her in two main ways; to distribute the BlyssPluss pills and to manipulate Jimmy. Crake
exploits Oryx by earning her respect and trust. Oryx "[believes in Crake... and [that] he wants to
make the world a
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2. Oryx And Crake
Oryx and Crake is a novel that follows the narration of a character named Jimmy, or Snowman.
Although the novel caters specifically to this character, I do not believe he is the most important
person. Instead, I feel the most noteworthy character, the one who truly sets things in to motion, is
Crake. Throughout the novel, we are given multiple hints as to why Crake is a the most
predominant figure. The first, and most obvious clue, is the title of the book. Before we are
introduced to him, we learn his name, indicating that he is an important figure. Another clue is that
without Crake, Jimmy would have never become fixated on Oryx, who is discovered during one of
their internet escapades (Atwood 91). Referring back to my first point, she...show more content...
Without his involvement in the novel, the creation of the Crakers would not have been possible
(Atwood 292). His combination of developing into a formidable geneticist and unique philosophies
is the reason the Paradice project could be executed. After all, the Crakers are the sole purpose of
Jimmy's continued existence in a post–apocalyptic environment (Atwood 329). Which is something
else Crake set in to motion when he slit Oryx's throat, causing Jimmy to feel an unbreakable tie to the
Crakers (Atwood 329). Furthermore, without Crake, the near–extinction of the human race would not
have occurred in the form of birth control (Atwood 325). In addition to the Crakers, he is also
responsible for the BlyssPluss which was a hot bio–form distributed to the public, causing the
rupture of internal organs and bleeding from most orifices (Atwood 325). Without this invention,
humanity would have continued to deplete their resources and perhaps eventually withered, but this
snuffed out any corrections that could have been made by executing generations of people.
In conclusion, I believe Crake is, plot wise, the most crucial character throughout the Oryx and
Crake novel. Without his involvement, we would not have been introduced to Oryx, have half a
title, produced the Crakers, or unleashed a horrific disease amongst the people (Atwood 324).
Jimmy played a significant role by tending to the Crakers after the Chaos; however, without Crake
there would not have been a catastrophic event, creating a new world (Atwood
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3. Irony In Oryx's Crake
The other instances of Crake grinning were related to odd and dark subjects. When asked about
why Oryx cannot take care of the crakers if anything were to happen to the crakers He states, "If
I'm not around , Oryx won't be either.."Something like that," said Crake grinning.Which at the time
Jimmy had taken both as a joke and also a symptom of Crake's truly colossal ego"(Atwood p321.)
This act of grinning demonstrates Crake's obsession with control that came from his trauma, an
event he had no control over and in which his father was helpless in his situation. By being
pleased about Jimmy's suggestion that Oryx couldn't live without crake in such a way that would
resolve to her own death, is a sign of his grinning as acting out because he has reached to the point
where his overconfident ideals for human improvement and need for the satisfaction in life he
didn't have as a child, has outweighed the value of people's lives. The grin is also smug because he
knows more than Jimmy, foreshadowing his master plan to take everyone's lives not just Oryx's.
...show more content...
Jimmy describes his dead corpse as such,"Crake's empty eye sockets look up at Snowman, as his
empty eyes, once before. He's grinning with all the teeth in his head "(Atwood p335.) In a literal
sense the way Crake's mouth was displaying his teeth is an accurate use of the term grinning. In a
different sense the grin can represent all the pain caused by his trauma and actually dying.This
can be supported by the description of his eyes being just as empty when he was alive showing
that a part of Crake might have already died before with his father. The grin is also a sign that
Crake had achieved what he wanted and had possibly worked through his trauma making him now
content after having died. Trauma is what made Crake have this sort of, " We had to destroy the
village in order to save it"(Berger p8.) mindset when he was alive and all this can be read through in
his subtle
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