Irony in Oryx and Crake

I've always thought that irony is a comical and interesting thing. Margaret Atwood does an amazing job of representing irony in Oryx and Crake. She uses irony to show how the government and power want everything to go perfect and the way they want it, but everything ends in chaos anyway. I just really find it funny how ironic some people are in real life and that's why I enjoy talking about this topic so I'm gonna start by introducing the characters.

Our good pal Glenn, more commonly known as Crake, has to be the perfect definition of irony in this novel. There were a lot of examples that Crake demonstrates to show irony. For starters, he always said how he doesn't believe in religion or the arts or anything related to that. However, Crake has an obsession with controlling everything and wanting everything to go his way. Ever since he was young he was obsessed with science. Anything that related to science and straight facts was a pleasure for him to indulge. A good example of this was all of the board games and video games that he played. He always wanted to be the very best at everything he did. He wanted to conquer and rule above all else. Don't you think that sounds a little odd? Crake doesn't believe in religion or God or any god... none of that. But at the same time, he wants to control everything and play God himself? I mean he even created his own people. His own people. He is literally taking a form of deity. Snowman (Jimmy) even makes Crake a god to the Crakers because he knows Crake doesn't believe in that stuff. Basically, his entire persona is just ironic because of everything he believes and everything he does.  

Another topic that strongly represents irony is just the government and the corporations in general. I'm gonna use Jimmy's father to represent the corporations and businesses because he perfectly represents all of the traits that they hold. So Jimmy's father works for this company that genetically engineers animals. It's pretty messed up but basically some examples of these genetically engineered animals are the pigoons, rakunks, and wolvogs (basically just a combination of two different animals). So the irony in this is the pigoons were originally made for organ donating, rakunks were created to be nice family pets, and wolvogs were made to protect the citizens. As the novel progresses, pigoons turn to threats with human-like intelligence, rakunks become dependent survivors and don't need humans, and wolvogs become hunters rather than protectors. So where I'm getting at is they were originally made for human aid but then turn into more vicious and powerful animals than humans... Jimmy's father genetically engineered these animals to basically make things easier and better, but of course everything turns south. Not only that but Jimmy's father is basically one of the main causes for Jimmy to start living alone in a world. 

And of course the entire end of the novel just shows how the entire plot is ironic. This society that everyone lives in is very much like a dystopia. It's like a place where everyone wants certain things to go their way, and it does, but then turns out awful. All of the things that the higher power did, all the genetic engineering, the executions for treason, and many other things that added up caused this chaos. Obviously, Crake is the main person for creating the virus that kills off all of humanity but Crake would have never been capable of doing these things if the corporations weren't so powerful and actually cared about humanity. The businesses that were higher wanted to control everyone and everything that happened, basically playing like the puppetmaster of society. Crake eventually joins the highest business and gains mad respect from his coworkers. Later in the book, we learn that Crake basically killed everyone but his main goal was to control everyone. HUGE irony is involved in this. He wanted to be able to make everything go his way but now he has nothing to control. And not only does he have nothing to control but he basically commits suicide so he has no control at all. He goes from wanting all the power and everything to go his way but Crake is dead. Maybe he wanted to die because he lost everything he wanted but in the end it's still extremely ironic how everything turned out. 

I think irony used is incredible and very well thought out. Margaret Atwood definitely did a fantastic job with showing irony. And it can directly relate to the real world too. There are plenty of people in life who are completely hypocritical of there beliefs. Religion, science, and moral beliefs are all ironically represented in this. In the real world too, there are plenty of times where people want things to go perfectly their way and it does, but the end their unhappy with the outcome. In Oryx and Crake some people may be happy but it's not the outcome they wanted. 

What purpose do you guys think irony serves in this novel? I'm interested to see what other people think. 

Ian Ransonet

The Concept of Religion in Oryx and Crake

The Crakers in Oryx and Crake are made by Crake, a brilliant scientist. He specifically genetically modified these specimens to be above humans in intelligence and essentially created them to be above human emotion. Crake believed that human emotion and love were the root of a lot of humanity's problems. He also sees religion as one of the main problems with society. To Crake, religion offers a systematic reason for people to be held above one another.

https://studybreaks.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/aaaoryxsnowman.jpg
Crake created creatures who were diverse and unable to see race. They eat their own excrement and are self-fulfilling. The "Crakers" as they've been dubbed by Oryx and Jimmy (eventually Snowman) are not sexually driven creatures, they only mate during certain seasons and when the females begin to swell similarly to baboons. These differences from humans mean that they are not prone to leadership roles or to having the desire for love. Crake's creations are completely removed from human emotions or reactions. 
 
https://archandphil.files.wordpress.com/2014/12/wyattpost_illus.jpg
 Snowman rescued the Crakers from a continuous trapped existence within the confines of the facility they were created after the virus Crake unleashed a virus that decimated the human population. Crake viciously murdered Oryx after unleashing this virus and in retaliation Snowman has developed stories about Crake. He has placed Crake and Oryx on a pedestal in the eyes of the Crakers. Causing them to see them as gods who have created them for greatness and out of love. Snowman tells them that Crake is trying to get rid of the chaos of overpopulation for the Crakers and that it is for their betterment. 
  
https://img00.deviantart.net/df3b/i/2014/103/c/a/oryx_and_crake__snowman_by_grantyo-d79l3i3.jpg
Snowman creates these creation stories of how they came to be and how Crake came to be that are completely fictional and obviously exaggerated. However, Snowman recognizes that they are a blank slate and that anything he tells them will not be questioned. He is intentionally turning the Crakers into everything Crake despised about humanity. They begin to pray and worship Oryx and Crake and describe hearing them talk to them and acknowledge that they are seeking their advice. Snowman is taken aback at first, but he quickly realizes that his words have had even power than he intended.
 
https://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/s--_-rS6dlS--/c_scale,f_auto,fl_progressive,q_80,w_800/194px2hsuwt1ajpg.jpg
In speaking of Crake and Oryx in such high regard through his storytelling he has counteracted a lot of the properties that have been ingrained into them through creation. They begin to take on leadership roles, build idols, worship, pray, and ask higher order thinking questions. They also develop a desire to see the outside world past what Snowman has told them is their home. Snowman has given them more power than he intended. His intentions were to get back at Crake, but he has essentially created human beings who don't look like human beings. 
 
https://i.pinimg.com/originals/68/50/aa/6850aae63fe7be66a1abca933edfdf81.jpg
Religion has given the Crakers freedom from the confines of their limited creation. They were intended to only be functional for what Crake considered to be perfect, but this perfection limits them and doesn't allow them to have any purpose outside of their usual jobs of peeing and procreating. Religion has given them confidence to become individuals and function in a group outside of their original creation purpose.  

What are your thoughts on religion in Oryx and Crake? 

See you soon, 
Sarah Johnson 

Harry Potter

When I think of Gothic literature this is what I think of.
J. K. Rowling is a modern day Gothic writer, not just in her writing style, but also in the settings. In all seven books the main setting is at Hogwarts Castle. Literally when I look at Hogwarts I see this beautiful yet eerie castle.Personally I would not want to be trapped in those corridors at night.

Gothic literature is described as "violent emotions of terror, anguish, and love"  There is one scene in the Deathly Hallows Part One that really sticks out to me that displays this perfectly. In the scene Molly Weasley is dueling Bellatrix Lestrange in the Battle of Hogwarts. Molly Weasley was the matriarch of the Weasley household. Bellatrix Lestrange was one of Voldemort's Death Eaters (similar to an army). During the battle, Bellatrix began mocking Molly for the loss of her son Fred. "What will happen to your children when I've killed you? When Mummy's gone the same way as Freddie?" Molly knew she had to protect her family. Bellatrix tried kill Molly's daughter Ginny. With adrenaline and terror pumping through Molly's veins, she screamed "NOT MY DAUGHTER, YOU BITCH" and sent a fatal spell that killed Bellatrix. 
 

Not only this one scene but all seven Harry Potter books reflect modern Gothic British literature. According to thereadingclub.co.uk   J.K. Rowling is the third most famous author. When thinking of modern Gothic literature, which I love, I personally think of Harry Potter styled writing. J. K Rowling is a fantastic author, I highly recommend reading all seven of the books before you watch the movies. 

click this!!!

-Savanna 

Colonization in Oryx and Crake

   

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-F5RseZ4T6h0/Th1Nqs4WnbI/AAAAAAAAS8Q/fOt1MShUCC4/s1600/british-colonialism.jpg

Colonization is the branching out of one empire or country into another territory for the empire’s benefit in economic or political gain. The British Empire became vast due to its desire to gain economic abundance in other colonies. Margaret Atwood is a famous Canadian author and comes from a country that was once under British rule. The concept of colonization through the lens of the British Empire and colonialism can be viewed in Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood.

 

https://images.glimmerglass.org/app/uploads/2018/01/Atwood-George-Whiteside-Event-Header-2000-x-1015.jpg 

In Oryx and Crake, colonization is not a prevalent or desired in the current post-apocalyptic wasteland that Snowman resides in. The present may have no need to colonize because of its lack of civilization, but Snowman (formally Jimmy) lived in a world where colonization was prevalent and had serious effects. Oryx a girl that Jimmy eventually meets lived in a poverty stricken village where the parents were forced to sell their children to make money. A rich and wealthy man from the city visits the village and chooses children to take with them. Furthering representing the power and privilege of empires coming in and using their means of wealth to become prosperous. This man was able to prey on the plights of the poor to further expand his own economic gain and success. Colonization works very similarly to this and it has a lot of the same repercussions on the native people- usually resulting in higher poverty rates and continuous poor living environments. How can the poor grow forward if they are continuously held their by someone in place? Both in Oryx and Crake and in colonization we see represented by narratives of forced into poverty.

 

https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51mwR1ZxtWL._SX322_BO1,204,203,200_.jpg

We also see colonization pose an issue through the Happicuppa bean. Crake and Jimmy go on vacation together after their high school graduation and are kept busy by the Happicuppa bean war that has broken out instead of their usual game and pornography escapades around the Internet.The Happicuppa bean is a genetically modified bean that is similar to the cocoa bean. The only difference is that it grows at a rapid rate and doesn’t require the same amount of workers to pick the beans off the bush. The problem is that this has lead to many small cocoa bean businesses falling under poverty line and into an even higher rate of poverty. This is interesting because colonization in nations focuses on economic success for the country taking over, but continues to keep the native poverty stricken. With the creation of the Happicuppa bean it is on a higher scale and this form of colonization is done at the hands globally of a coffee company.

 

http://www.victoriaaddis.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/ne_scifri_oryxcrake_web2_final_event.png 

Through both the past of Oryx and her villages’ plight for money as well as a company’s desire for money we see that colonization has mass effects on the natives who work for small businesses. Both the coffee bean workers and those in Oryx’s village were forced to find a new way of sustaining life outside of their trade. Do you think Atwood commenting on the British Empire and its colonization of countries for economical power?  

 

https://img00.deviantart.net/d726/i/2010/002/6/b/oryx_and_crake__snowman_by_jason_courtney.jpg

See you next time,

Sarah Johnson

Conception and Creation - Frankenstein by Mary Shelley

 

"One which would speak to the mysterious fears of our nature and awaken thrilling horror-- one to make the reader dread to look round, to curdle the blood, and quicken the beatings of the heart." (page 7)

Mary Shelley's introduction to Frankenstein offers an enlightening context to who she was a person, but also her knowledge of what made horror so enrapturing. I personally love horror and I'm fascinated by all things spooky. I'm fascinated by Shelley's self-aware nature when creating a horror story. She knew that horror goes beyond the pages and is psychological. The quote above from her introduction makes me as a fan of horror, go, "YES! THIS IS IT!:Source: https//i.gifer.com/U45X.gif

Shelley is a very intentional writer. She wanted her ghost story to heavily effect the reader and cause a culmination of emotions-- fear, excitement, uncertainty, and panic. This to me says that she was aware of her creation and the conceptional idea for Frankenstein could not just be a simple story. It had to be one that made the reader's heart stop at a bump in the night after the pages of the story had been shut. 

Source: https://typeset-beta.imgix.net/lovelace/uploads/615/81ff7780-0886-0133-4590-0a2ca390b447.gif

Conception is a word that is synonymous with Frankenstein. The word means to be born or to gain life. The basic premise of this famous novel is that a doctor creates an abomination against life by assembling a human from stolen body parts and bringing it to life. Conception in this sense is not the usual image of a woman giving birth to a child and bringing it into the world. This image is much more perverse and has undertones that are questionable in morality. 

Source: https://i.giphy.com/media/uYaKN0JX5YupG/giphy.gif

Looking at the conception of Frankenstein in a wider lens offers further insight into Shelley's intentions as a writer. Not only was the conception of this story borne from a night with Romantic poets and the dare to all create a ghost story, but it was also borne from Shelley's own quiet introspection of what is a good ghost story. Shelley wanted to create something horrifying. Frankenstein in and of itself is a creation. It's a story that required much time and effort to imagine, write, and edit. In many ways, Frankenstein was Shelley's child. It was brought into the world through the same amount of labor and love that a woman brings a child into the world. Shelley gave life to this story and because of that it is more than just a ghost story. Frankenstein's monster is very much a living, breathing entity that lurks within the pages and preys upon humanity's worst fears.

Source: https://i.giphy.com/media/1SRaXI2J1o7vO/giphy.gif

A vast majority of Shelley's 1831 introduction to Frankenstein discusses her process of invention and how the story was not borne completely from nothing. "Invention, it must be humbly admitted, does not consist in creating out of void, but out of chaos; the materials must, in the first place, be afforded: it can give form to dark, shapeless substances but cannot bring into being the substance itself." (page 8) This sentence shows the excruciating process that Shelley went through in developing an idea. Invention takes time and effort. Time and pieces of oneself have to be given to create. Through this passage we see that while Frankenstein is a labor of love it was also a taxing and grueling creation. One must wonder if Shelley looks upon Frankenstein with the same horror that the doctor eventually looks upon the monster with...

What are your thoughts on conception and creation in regards to writing novels? Do you think Shelley's own struggle with creating a tale is mirrored in the themes of creation? Let me know down below in the comments.

 

 See you next time,

Sarah Johnson