Similarities Between Oryx And Crake

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As the world continues to evolve with technological advancements, stories of dystopian societies become more relevant. Among the many, “Oryx and Crake,” by the renowned author Margaret Atwood, illustrates another version of the obliteration of the human species. Atwood explores a world where scientific progression is praised and language arts are depreciated; is it a world where the gap between the rich and the poor further increases. Her novel stars Jimmy as he tells his tale of how he came to be the last of the human species. Through Jimmy’s flashback, Atwood highlights a distinctive contrast between those who appraise scientific evolution, or number people, those who value human culture, known as word people. Conclusively, she implies this …show more content…

Pondering over the limited directions he could go with his life, Jimmy often felt his degree in problematics would not take him far. Nonetheless, he strived to make the best of what he had because of his deep appreciation for words and human culture. This stage in his life allowed him to develop relationships with new people, especially the females. At some point throughout Jimmy’s visit at the Watson-Crick Institute, Jimmy asks Crake about any potential girlfriends and he replied, “we’re supposed to be focused on our work,” (Atwood 207). This detachment from others can be correlated with the lack of sympathy number people have for humankind. On the other hand, Atwood uses a protagonist like Jimmy who has always valued relationships with other people because of his gratitude for literature, language, and culture – this enables him to be open-minded. Crake’s character lacks this intimacy, thus, when he performs experiments alongside other number people with the same mindset, he fails to see any moral concerns – he fails to see it from different perspectives. Because of this, when Crake showed Jimmy Watson-Crick’s latest project, ChickieNobs, genetically modified chickens with no heads and that feel no pain, Jimmy was disgusted and Crake was delighted. Jimmy actually takes a step and claims it to be a “horrible,” and Crake simply responds by saying, “picture the sea-anemone body plan,” (Atwood 202). Crake finds it easier to dehumanize living creatures because he has not intimately experienced any significant relationships. Those who hide behind their work forget to see the bigger picture, thus, forget to take others into

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