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 living 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 them. Maybe it's because they look like people, but they don't have the same human characteristics.


I personally don't like either of the characters that much. It seems like Atwood maybe did that on purpose. I'm not sure. Neither are super relatable. Jimmy is living in a futuristic world and has teenager problems, but they aren't ones that I deal with. 


Snowman just kind of keeps to himself and doesn't have much to say except recalling memories. He also is pretty doubtful when it comes to him as a person. Snowman first named himself after the abominable snowman, but later on in the book thinks, "Maybe he's not the Abominable Snowman after all. Maybe he's the other kind of snowman, the grinning dope set up as a joke and pushed down for entertainment..." (224)





Snowman has become a negative person who rarely sees the good because of the new life that he is in. Jimmy also seemed pretty negative, but at least he had some friends that were around. 


These two characters while the same person were dramatically different. It made the story more interesting and allowed the reader to follow along both of their timelines. It is also different then any other book I have read which made it more intriguing.

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