Oryx and Crake Response 1

Atwood puts the last couple pieces of the puzzle together in these sections by showing the reader a series of flashbacks of Jimmy's life. There is a lot of foreshadowing, letting the reader further understand the personalities of both Crake and Jimmy. She spends a great deal of time describing videos games and its objectives and what role Crake and Jimmy normally take in these games.


Glenn, now Crake, is competitive, witty and composed. Extinctathon is one of the many video games they play together after school. Here, Glenn gives himself and Jimmy their nicknames, Crake and Thickney. The Thickney is a defunct bird that hangs around in cemeteries; and although it was not done intentionally, this bird directly relates to the life of Jimmy. Being the only one left of his kind, while struggling to survive. On the contrary, Crake, the bird, was very numerous in its kind, much like how post-apolypse there are great populations of Crakers running around everywhere.
The author makes it clear that these boys were extremely close during their youth. Having this common history together, it is rather mysterious as to why they would have such distant and opposite ways of living now. 


As I am reading on, there are thoughts about the difference (or similarities) of dystopia and utopia. Crake, I do not believe, is trying to construct a dystopian society, but the opposite. However, in the eyes of some, it is not a utopian society at all. Crake is making everybody equal, therefore making everything fair...but is it ethical? Nevertheless, like seen in history, this (more extreme) way of communism, does not always result in a positive outcome...

Oryx and Crake - Picture

I chose this photo because i think it represents the clashing ideals between the people who want to live in Crake's world and the people who object it because it not morally or ethically correct.