Oryx and Crake Themes
gender roles
capitalism
ethics of genetic modification
human relationships
Nature in Oryx and Crake
human nature
capitalism (big cooperations fueling off the poor, and damaging the environment)
genetic modification
Jimmy's parents
Jimmy and his mom
Jimmy and Crake
Children of Crake
Sex trafficking (Oryx)
creating hybrids of animals (e.g. rakunks, wolvogs, headless chickens)
Children of Crake
Jimmy seeing the headless chickens developed at Crake's university
Would the planet and environment thrive without humans? Would removing the current human population save the environment?
symbols of nature in the novel
character's names
Oryx
Crake
Snowman (Jimmy)
corporations
RejoovenEsense
OrganInc
HelthWyzer
Happicuppa
reference to abominable snowman (yetis)
a type of gazelle
a bird part of the rail family with a short bill e.g. corncrake
Thickney (Jimmy's nickname)
type of bird in tropical regions of central and southern Africa
found in Africa and the Middle East
found in Europe and eastward to Mongolia
from Himalayan folklore
a mysterious creature with human or apelike characteristics
Jimmy is the "last" human being left with the Children of Crake
Effectively portrayed as Snowman is the only human left on earth, and
Crakers
ethics of genetic modification being challenged
creating hybrids of animals (e.g. rakunks, wolvogs, headless chickens)
Jimmy seeing the headless chickens developed at Crake's university (page 238)
consequences of genetically modifying and creating hybrid animals (dangerous and deadly environment)
referred to as the 'Children of Crake' as Crake created them before the plague broke out
Crake's attempt to create a better society and human race as the Craker's are perfectly constructed, using different helpful characteristics/traits of other animals