It turns out that a lot of the questions I asked in my last post were answered in the next chapter.
The children of Crake are both the actual children and the adults, other then Snowman, living in the wasteland. Crake did make them by genetic alterations. He was trying to make a super race that did not have the problems that normal humans do, as well as many additional features. Crake added such things as a natural body odor that repels insects, urine that repels larger animals, and faster developing children.
I also found out that Jimmy did not help Crake with this vision. Crake went to university for genetic science, while Jimmy went to a different university for arts and literature. This explains a lot about Jimmy's character. In the wasteland he is constantly quoting Shakespeare and other novels that he wishes he could read again, but they are no where to be found. Though, Crake and Jimmy continued to stay friends, so Jimmy knew all about Crakes experiments.
It also reveals somethings about the world outside the compound. One quote in particular stuck out to me, "Crake was top of the class. The bidding for him by the rival EduCompounds at the Student Auction was brisk, and he was snatched up at a high price by the Watson-Crick Institute. Once a student there and your future was assured. It was like going to Harvard had been, back before it got drowned." (Atwood 211)
The way Jimmy thinks about how Harvard had been drowned makes me think of global warming and the estimated raising of the oceans because of the melting polar ice caps. Since Harvard is near the coast of the North Atlantic Ocean, it would make sense. This could be what happened to the word outside the compounds. Humans caused so much damage to the Earth that is was unusable. I also find it strange how they had their high school graduation in February, because unlike June it was not as wet and rainy. This could also be because of global warming because of the climate change.
Another strange thing is how schools bid for the graduates to go to their school. It does not seem like they have a choice, everything is decided by money once again.
Wednesday, October 19, 2011
Tuesday, October 18, 2011
What I don't understand...
I am quite confused about a lot of things in the novel so far, but one thing is on the top of my list; the people in the wasteland besides Snowman. There are the children of Crake, and there are these other adult beings. Snowman describes both as perfect, and alien like. So, who are these people, where did they come from, and why is there no other humans like Snowman?
Snowman gives little information about how he has become to living in a tree, but there are a few hints here and there. Whenever he thinks about exploring more of the land, he thinks about how there were a lot of raids at one point, and how people had to leave quickly, so there are some supplies left were people used to live, and nothing in others.
When Snowman thinks of the past, it has been about his childhood and adolescents, rarely about his adulthood. His frequent visits to the past could end up in the present at some point though.
I also find it strange how Snowman is the leader of these people. He is viewed as a sort of godly figure in their eyes. They are constantly asking him questions about their past, and Snowman makes up stories that they believe, but leaves the reader guessing on what is truth. Which must mean that these people have absolutely no prior knowledge to what the world was once like.
I do have some predictions though. When he talks about the world he is in now, he brings up Crake a lot. He talks about how they socialized these people together and seems to blame Crake for a lot that has happened. So, I predict that the world, or this part of the world that Snowman lives in, became a wasteland because of Crake. I think it has a lot to do with genetic altering too. That would explain why the people and the children of Crake are not human like. Maybe Crake was doing some wild experiments, that Jimmy was helping him with, but things got out of hand, and something terrible went wrong that caused something extreme to happen to the world they once knew. I also believe Oryx had something to do with it because Snowman tells the people that the animals are the children of Oryx, and that is why they must not kill or harm them.
I hope a lot of my questions are answered in the book, as to not leave me guessing for myself once I turn the final page.
Snowman gives little information about how he has become to living in a tree, but there are a few hints here and there. Whenever he thinks about exploring more of the land, he thinks about how there were a lot of raids at one point, and how people had to leave quickly, so there are some supplies left were people used to live, and nothing in others.
When Snowman thinks of the past, it has been about his childhood and adolescents, rarely about his adulthood. His frequent visits to the past could end up in the present at some point though.
I also find it strange how Snowman is the leader of these people. He is viewed as a sort of godly figure in their eyes. They are constantly asking him questions about their past, and Snowman makes up stories that they believe, but leaves the reader guessing on what is truth. Which must mean that these people have absolutely no prior knowledge to what the world was once like.
I do have some predictions though. When he talks about the world he is in now, he brings up Crake a lot. He talks about how they socialized these people together and seems to blame Crake for a lot that has happened. So, I predict that the world, or this part of the world that Snowman lives in, became a wasteland because of Crake. I think it has a lot to do with genetic altering too. That would explain why the people and the children of Crake are not human like. Maybe Crake was doing some wild experiments, that Jimmy was helping him with, but things got out of hand, and something terrible went wrong that caused something extreme to happen to the world they once knew. I also believe Oryx had something to do with it because Snowman tells the people that the animals are the children of Oryx, and that is why they must not kill or harm them.
I hope a lot of my questions are answered in the book, as to not leave me guessing for myself once I turn the final page.
Monday, October 17, 2011
Love
A paragraph that really stood out to me is:
Of course (said Oryx), having a money value was no substitute for love. Every child should have love, every person should have it. She herself would rather have had her mother's love—the love she still continued to believe in, the love that had followed her through the jungle in the form of a bird so she would not be too frightened or lonely—but love was so undependable, it came and then it went, so it was good to have a money value, because then at least those who wanted to make a profit from you would make sure you were fed enough and not damaged too much. Also there were many who had neither love nor a money value, and having one of these things was better than having nothing. (Atwood 154)
Even though it is quite long, I think everything said is very important. Love is a very powerful thing and in this world, people are replacing the comfort and security of love with money values. These children who were sold have already given up on love. They know that their only purpose is money, and they also know that the more money they are worth, the more care they will be given.
It is a very sad outcome, to give up all hope and to just live for someone else's profit gain.
Of course (said Oryx), having a money value was no substitute for love. Every child should have love, every person should have it. She herself would rather have had her mother's love—the love she still continued to believe in, the love that had followed her through the jungle in the form of a bird so she would not be too frightened or lonely—but love was so undependable, it came and then it went, so it was good to have a money value, because then at least those who wanted to make a profit from you would make sure you were fed enough and not damaged too much. Also there were many who had neither love nor a money value, and having one of these things was better than having nothing. (Atwood 154)
Even though it is quite long, I think everything said is very important. Love is a very powerful thing and in this world, people are replacing the comfort and security of love with money values. These children who were sold have already given up on love. They know that their only purpose is money, and they also know that the more money they are worth, the more care they will be given.
It is a very sad outcome, to give up all hope and to just live for someone else's profit gain.
Ethnocentrism
Reading about how Oryx and Jimmy came to meet and how Oryx once lived in an impoverished village makes me think about ethnocentrism. The village where Oryx is from is obviously much different then what we, as Canadians, are accustom to, so we judge their culture based on how we live.
In Oryx's village it is accustom to sell children. A man of wealth comes in from the city and buys up to four children from their mothers. The mothers choose which children are going to have a chance at being bought. Once they are bought, they are never to be heard from again. The man promises that their children will have a good life, and that a portion of the money the children make will be sent back to the family. The mothers do not necessarily want to sell their children, but they do it for the money.
I find this whole concept very disturbing, as did Jimmy. Oryx insists that it was the norm of their society, and even though she was sold, it does not seem to effect her. Once Oryx was bought, she was again sold into the sex trade at a very young age, she does not find the village culture revolting. I think it is because she is trying to block out those memories, so showing no sign of suffering will help her forget.
I also find it kind of ironic how Jimmy had a lot of doubts about whether his mother loved him while she was around, now knowing Oryx's story. Jimmy's mother was not the typical motherly figure, and she did leave him, but it seemed like she did the best for someone in her state. She even tried to contact him just so Jimmy knew that she is still alive, even though she is on the run.
Yet, even though it was Oryx's mothers choice to sell her, she still believes she loved her.
"The mother of Oryx sold two of her children at the same time, not only because she was hard up. She thought the two might keep each other company, look out for each other. The other child was a boy, a year older then Oryx. Fewer boys were sold than girls, but they were not therefore more valued.
(Oryx took this double sale as evidence that her mother had loved her. She had no images of this love. She could offer no anecdotes. It was a belief rather than a memory.)" (Atwood 147)
Looking at Oryx's village, there are a lot of gender roles associated. It seems like all that the women are good for is baring children, which they already had an abundance of. But, to the child buyer, the girls are more popular. There are always a lot of girls to be sold, as well as girls to be bought.
I think that another theme of the novel could be how people will do anything for money. Like we see with Oryx, how her mother sold her for money. Also, in the compounds, how they genetically alter animals just for the consumer. Another is how violence in the media is to gain revenue. Everything is to make money.
In Oryx's village it is accustom to sell children. A man of wealth comes in from the city and buys up to four children from their mothers. The mothers choose which children are going to have a chance at being bought. Once they are bought, they are never to be heard from again. The man promises that their children will have a good life, and that a portion of the money the children make will be sent back to the family. The mothers do not necessarily want to sell their children, but they do it for the money.
I find this whole concept very disturbing, as did Jimmy. Oryx insists that it was the norm of their society, and even though she was sold, it does not seem to effect her. Once Oryx was bought, she was again sold into the sex trade at a very young age, she does not find the village culture revolting. I think it is because she is trying to block out those memories, so showing no sign of suffering will help her forget.
I also find it kind of ironic how Jimmy had a lot of doubts about whether his mother loved him while she was around, now knowing Oryx's story. Jimmy's mother was not the typical motherly figure, and she did leave him, but it seemed like she did the best for someone in her state. She even tried to contact him just so Jimmy knew that she is still alive, even though she is on the run.
Yet, even though it was Oryx's mothers choice to sell her, she still believes she loved her.
"The mother of Oryx sold two of her children at the same time, not only because she was hard up. She thought the two might keep each other company, look out for each other. The other child was a boy, a year older then Oryx. Fewer boys were sold than girls, but they were not therefore more valued.
(Oryx took this double sale as evidence that her mother had loved her. She had no images of this love. She could offer no anecdotes. It was a belief rather than a memory.)" (Atwood 147)
Looking at Oryx's village, there are a lot of gender roles associated. It seems like all that the women are good for is baring children, which they already had an abundance of. But, to the child buyer, the girls are more popular. There are always a lot of girls to be sold, as well as girls to be bought.
I think that another theme of the novel could be how people will do anything for money. Like we see with Oryx, how her mother sold her for money. Also, in the compounds, how they genetically alter animals just for the consumer. Another is how violence in the media is to gain revenue. Everything is to make money.
Sunday, October 16, 2011
Innocence
To me, it seems like the innocents of the children in the compounds does not exist or it is lost at a very young age. It also does not seem like morals exist to the people of this time period/ reality. A world like this is actually very disturbing. It's a world where anyone can watch people dying over the internet. They can watch criminals die, violence in foreign countries, and people committing suicide. There are advertisements on these sorts of websites. That shows that they aren't for learning purposes, but for revenue because they know people enjoy to watch them.
Child pornography is another thing disturbing about the compounds. It seems wildly accepted and people seem to think that it is the norm to engage in this type of viewing. Even though it does happen in our society, it is not accepted. The police track these sorts of websites and shut them off as soon as possible, as well as arresting anyone involved. The people controlling and watching the websites are also considered sick and definitively not accepted after they have been found out.
In the compounds, children that have barley hit adolescence watch all these violent, disturbing, and sick websites without a thought about how very unpleasant everything is. In the early stages of adolescence, I would think that some part of your childhood innocents would still linger. That's why I think that maybe the children lose their innocents before hitting adolescence or maybe they never had innocents.
This brings me back to what I believe to be one of the themes of this novel; people are becoming desensitized to violence in the media. They watch these videos and it doesn't have an effect on everybody like it should. No one is complaining about the people subjected in the videos. All anyone cares about is making money.
Child pornography is another thing disturbing about the compounds. It seems wildly accepted and people seem to think that it is the norm to engage in this type of viewing. Even though it does happen in our society, it is not accepted. The police track these sorts of websites and shut them off as soon as possible, as well as arresting anyone involved. The people controlling and watching the websites are also considered sick and definitively not accepted after they have been found out.
In the compounds, children that have barley hit adolescence watch all these violent, disturbing, and sick websites without a thought about how very unpleasant everything is. In the early stages of adolescence, I would think that some part of your childhood innocents would still linger. That's why I think that maybe the children lose their innocents before hitting adolescence or maybe they never had innocents.
This brings me back to what I believe to be one of the themes of this novel; people are becoming desensitized to violence in the media. They watch these videos and it doesn't have an effect on everybody like it should. No one is complaining about the people subjected in the videos. All anyone cares about is making money.
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