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Jimmy vs Snowman

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Oryx and Crake is the first novel I’ve read where a character has two different names and the story switches back and forth to either ones time in history. We first see Jimmy as a sweet, laid back kid who loves his parents, but soon becomes older and not so innocent.   After Jimmy's mom left he became a totally different person. This is what we would expect to happen when something so traumatic happens. Also l iving in a futuristic world seems like it would take a toll on some. The advanced technology would make society totally different, so of course Jimmy changed as a person. When Snowman was first introduced he seemed like some dirty homeless man who was barely making it. After learning more about him I started to sympathize with him. It seemed as thought her regretted a lot from his past.  The isolation that Snowman has gone through has changed him dramatically. The only interactions that he ever has is with the people from crake, and he doesn't seem too excited to talk to...

Meaning of Work as a Whole

Oryx and Crake has many takeaways.  Atwood is known to include allusions throughout her novels. They are often events in our world that happen, but we see it as something that is just a part of history. If we took a step back, these events are kind of crazy and dystopian in itself.   Some of these takeaways include; you may never totally know someone, they could have some big secrets, the world will probably end badly if big corporations get too much power and overtake people, and the government can become extremely controlling because of power and money. Of course many people have big secrets that could effect everyone,  but we don't see that everyday. Crake and Jimmy were best friends and Jimmy never knew that Crake would make a whole new species to preserve a part of the human race. As humans we can deceive people quite easily if we really want to. People also lie if they think it will protect others. It is all part our instincts for "survival". Another idea that I too...

Why AP?

In the fall we read The Handmaids Tale by Margaret Atwood. That story while it was of literary merit was also a fun read. Oryx and Crake is very similar in that way.   The author does a great job bringing a reader in with exciting diction, tone, and stories in general. The book moves at a quick pace making it enjoyable to read. Because of the literary devices used in this novel I think it could make a good AP book. There are also some things that make it seem like a book you might just read at home and not in a school setting. It is definitely meant for an older grade and I probably wouldn’t recommend it to freshman, but for AP literature it might be worth a shot. There are many references to “inappropriate topics”, but for the most part it is school appropriate.   I would even recommend this book as just a fun book to read on the side especially if you enjoy dystopian novels. It is only the first book in a series of three and at some point I hope to read the others. Allusions...

Style in Oryx and Crake

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                                          Margaret Atwoods Style Now I have read one and a half of Margaret Atwood's books. There are definitely some similarities in style between The Handmaids Tail and Oryx and Crake. For starters there is lots of time jumping from the past to present. In The Handmaids Tail Offred shares her memories from the past. In Oryx and Crake we also read about the main character, Snowman's past. These time jumps can sometimes be confusing, but also add a lot to the story. It makes it a lot more interesting to read, and it almost feels like you are reading two separate stories at once. The story talks about memories from Jimmy's life and also the current events in the main character Snowman (who was once named Jimmy before everything changed). These stories from Jimmy's life are often descriptive, yet Snowman often says he has trouble reme...

Oryx and Crake Characters- Stella

                                                                                                                          Snowman The main character throughout the book is Snowman. While this wasn't his original name, in this post apocalyptic world this is what he's called. The name snowman can be interpreted in different ways. Initially I thought he was named Snowman because he was white and susceptible to the outside weather. Then I learned that he named himself after the abominable snowman. If anyone doesn't know an abominable snowman is, according to Merriam Webster, an abominable snowman is a mysterious creature with human ...