Oryx and Crake Characters- Stella

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                                                    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 or apelike characteristics reported to exist in the high Himalayas. Snowman often wears a big white sheet around him making him appear as a snowman. 

Snowman initially seems to be caring about his current life, he wants to remain knowledgeable in this "new world". He tries to stick to a schedule because "...the strict adherence to daily routine that tends towards the maintenance of good morale and the preservation of sanity" (4). Snowman often says quotes out loud so that he doesn't lose any more memory than he already has.

Snowman is very cautious about everything around him. He has made shelter for different types of weather storms, and doesn't dare to set foot in the lagoon. As he watches the children go for swims and find different items which we would call trash or junk, they see it as treasure. Snowman calls these items "things from before".

Once in a while Snowman hears a voice. Often talking about sex. This is something he thinks about often. It seems he is going crazy because of this random voice in his head, but it has become normal for him. Lots of things have become normal for him.


                                                                           Jimmy


Once upon a time there was a boy named Jimmy. In the current he is Snowman on an island named Crake, but back then it was Jimmy. When he was little he was super caring and emotional. Especially about animals. At a bonfire there were many animals being burned. His father told him that it the animals were dead and he should look at them like they are food. But Jimmy could only think about their heads. "And their heads, thought Jimmy. Steaks didn't have heads. The heads made a difference; he though the could see the animals looking at him reproachfully out of their burning eyes." (18) Jimmy saw this as his fault that he didn't save them. 

Jimmy is also caring about his mother. There was always some tension between the two but also love. "More than anything, Jimmy had wanted to make her laugh--to maker her happy, as he seemed to remember her one being." (31) Jimmy never knew what her mother's reactions would be to anything but always wanted her to be happy.

Jimmy's father on the other hand wasn't very supportive or nurturing. He often doubted Jimmy's abilities. Now in this new world Snowman has proven him wrong and has survived some of the worst.








Comments

  1. AnonymousFebruary 19, 2021 at 11:58 AM

    I like your interpretation of the name Snowman. I actually didn't think about this while reading the book and thought it might've had something to do with a certain memory or something from life before the pandemic, but very cool!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Ms. LaClairFebruary 28, 2021 at 10:12 AM

    Stella, good discussion of the main character. Remember that other people reading your blog might not have read this book, so it would be helpful to provide a little context before diving right into characters. Remember that you can include pictures and images in your posts.

    ReplyDelete
  3. AnonymousMarch 1, 2021 at 11:54 PM

    Hey Stella,

    It was really interesting to read how Snowman got his name and the different obstacles he faces in this post. It seems like Snowman might be a representation of some themes of this book and I'm definitely interested to read if this is true. Do you think there's a deeper meaning to his name?

    ReplyDelete
  4. UnknownApril 8, 2021 at 1:12 PM

    I like how you analyzed the origin of the characters name, since it gives me a strong sense of the character even though I haven't read the book. I'm impressed you thought to analyze that, since I'm sure I wouldn't have put that much thought into it, but it makes sense. I think that this post gave me a good introduction to Snowman as a character, and I look forward to learning more about the plot of the book.

    ReplyDelete
  5. AnonymousApril 9, 2021 at 1:04 PM

    Hey Stella,
    I found your character blog to be very informative on how the character of Snowman was named. Do you think it is foreshadowing the future?

    ReplyDelete

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