Themes in Oryx and Crake
Written by Cathy Jing
Margaret Atwood is an
author who enjoys keeping readers in suspense, which is certainly true for Oryx and Crake. Even though we are already halfway
through the novel, we still have yet to discover what epidemic destroyed most
of human civilization. For the many little details we know about the story, it
is difficult to create theme statements about the novel thus far. Because of
this, I will focus on the major theme topics, speculating which direction
Atwood could be taking. The supportive evidence is based on everything up until
“Asperger’s U.”
The Domination of Numbers over Words
We have mentioned
this subject in a couple of our blog posts already, but without relating it to
a central theme in the novel. The many lengthy descriptions on big scientific
research companies like HelthWyzer, and what little respect
a humanities college has (the college “had found itself without a very
convincing package to offer” [Atwood 229]) both show that society values
science and numeracy far more than it does language. Jimmy feels isolated in
the same way. He is accused of not having an “elegant mind” (174), a term math
intellects describe themselves. Given that the central character reflects this
state of society, it is clear that numbers and science overpower the value of
words.
The hunger for
science is apparent with all of the growing pharmaceutical and biomedical
engineering companies. While these companies do thrive and allows for a more
technologically-advanced society, Atwood reveals a cautionary theme topic about
this kind of society. Because society esteems these scientific mindsets, it
leaves almost no room for language or culture. And, through Jimmy and Crake,
she enforces the idea that we need the humanities because they, for the lack of
a better word, humanize us.
Crake has an "elegant" and mathematical mindset. In fact, when we
were first introduced to Crake, I had a sneaking suspicious that he was a robot
(don’t think Atwood is writing about that kind of a sci-fi novel). He has a very
computer-like mindset: he wants to perfect his game strategies until he was
sure he could win (93). With his obsession with pornography and his apathy
towards child pornography, these traits dehumanize him. Further, he is
characterized as a “mutant [who] could crank differential equations in his
sleep” (212). Because of his computer-like intelligence and his lack of
interest with the arts, he is very much unlike a human.
Jimmy, on the other
hand, represents the importance of art and humanities. It seems as if he is the
only person interested in words, and becomes dispirited when he frequently
forgets them. “’I used to be erudite,’ he says out loud. Erudite. A hopeless word. What
are all those things he once thought he knew, and where have they gone?” (181),
he says. Because of his frustration as he loses sight of his values, Jimmy is
humanized as a passionate linguist, and not a robot, like Crake.
Science will overpower the humanities. This is something Atwood enforces with
her contrasting characters, Jimmy and Crake. For now, it seems that she wants
to emphasize its negative effects, that we still need language and culture and
art because they humanize us. This could be a theme topic that will be further
explored.
Endurance of Humanity and Human Imperfections
Another
theme topic could centre around the Children of Crake, “superhumans” possessing
the best adaptations existing in nature. He equipped them with self-healing mechanisms,
strong odours to ward off predators, and various mating strategies. Crake
created them, saying “how much needless despair has been caused by a series of
biological mismatches?” (202) Because of their lack of imperfections, these
Craker Children are not human at all.
With these creatures, there are already a couple of theme
topics that Atwood could be alluding to. One is that, while the Crakers are
inhuman, they may possess human qualities no matter how desperately Crake tries
to eliminate them. For example, they are beginning to explore religion: “they’re
conversing with the invisible, they’ve developed reverence” (192). They
recognize Crake as their creator, some sort of deity who “always watches over
them” (197). Religion is very much part of society as a whole, whether or not
everyone believes in it. Although Crake wanted to splice whatever cultural
mindset a human can have, by creating these creatures himself, he became their
God. This could relate to a theme that humanity always endures superficial "evolution".
Additionally,
perhaps Atwood wants to emphasize that our imperfections are necessary because
they make us human. When Snowman sees the Craker women bring him food, he notes
their perfect, magazine-model figures. To
him, the women were "placid, like animated statues" (121). Because of their lack of imperfections, it prevented any attraction from Snowman, and even reduced them to inanimate objects.
Atwood, Margaret. Oryx and Crake. Toronto: Seal Books, 2004. Print
I really like your post. It goes into great depth about how Atwood is using her book to send a message about the importance of respecting the arts, and how science and math are not necessarily the most important aspects of understanding.
ReplyDeleteI find it pretty ironic that Jimmy is the one being accused of having an inelegant mind. He's the one who is eloquent and expressive—we see him capable of conveying grave scenarios, but also delivering funny quips, like the one which prompted that insult of his mental elegance. I think it was a funny quip, I don't quite remember. Point is, he has dynamic range, while Crake seems like a robot: driven, linear, inflexible.
I do, however, think Atwood might be stretching the truth when she says that Snowman finds the female Crakers unattractive because they are too perfect. Imperfection has its appeal, and I can certainly see flawlessness becoming grating, especially in the context of a relationship, but as a culture we seem to enjoy masking imperfections and casting the illusion of perfect people, à la magazine cover models. I can't quite believe that Snowman would immediately find flawless beauty uncomfortable—he would, at first, appreciate it, even if he came to find it stilted and inhuman.
Well done Cathy! Your blog post was very well written.
ReplyDeleteI found it quite interesting how much it seems like Jimmy is a sort of puppet conjured up by Atwood for her to live through in her fictional world. A lot of the things that Jimmy seems to think regarding humanities and the diminishing value of the arts is remarkably similar to Atwood's actual point of view. I honestly found these parts a bit preachy and out of place. I think this mainly since creating life itself can be considered an artistic pursuit. It requires plenty of painstaking design and precision, similar to a sculpture, especially on the level Crakers is working on. In some ways the Crakers can almost be considered an evolving piece of art made by Crake, a sort of compendium of the different evolutionary traits of animals refined and amplified.
Despite not having much to work with in terms of themes, I'm impressed by how much insight you had, well done!