Oryx and Crake

Jimmy grew up in a strained family environment on account of his father’s dedication to his work and his mother’s depression. The couple would often argue, and Jimmy felt as though his father was trying to play the role of “Dad” but failing. Jimmy was also angry when his mother walked out on them, her unhappiness and dissatisfaction with the corporate world having reached its breaking point. Jimmy never connected with his parents after that, and later learned that his mother become a revolutionary and was executed.

Having been exchanged for money and taken from her village, never to return, Oryx grew up in various seedy environments rather than in a family home. As for Crake, his mother dies due to an infection that Jimmy later suspects was the result of her own son’s experimentation. Crake’s father is also dead, apparently due to suicide, though Crake believes that he was murdered to stop him from revealing that companies were creating, rather than finding, cures for diseases. Overall, then, none of these characters had a conventional or happy family background.

Jimmy once felt saddened by not having any real friends in his life, but, despite the contrasts in their personalities, he and Crake hit it off. Though Jimmy grew up in a household where relations were strained, Crake notices his empathetic nature. The two often get into debates and are not always on the same wavelength, but Crake sees Jimmy as the ideal person to oversee the Crakers. Jimmy had not initially envisioned himself in this role, but he ultimately confirms that he has the required qualities to take care of the Crakers. Even though he is angry at Crake, he recognizes that the Crakers are innocent.

Whereas a large part of the population live in the cities, known as pleebands, those working for corporations such as OrganInc live in state-of-the-art compounds. There is a sense of mystery about the cities, which are regarded as dangerous, squalid, and rife with infection. Corporate workers therefore live a rarefied existence, though Jimmy’s mother finds it overly sterile and cut off from the world. It is also notable that the novel does not refer to any local or national governments; rather, it seems as though corporate culture reigns supreme.

As with any corporate culture, the companies in this novel rely on marketing and publicity to both lure and reassure the public. As Jimmy’s mother observes, these companies are preying on people’s desperation and lining their own pockets by touting products offering eternal youth and beauty.

Companies are also in constant competition and take pains to keep their plans and findings secret. Certainly, the competitiveness in this novel is fierce and increasingly ruthless among the genetic engineering companies. From the second chapter, when we learn of companies infecting the animals of their rivals, it is clear that this is a dog-eat-dog world and that companies have no qualms about seeking retribution. Later in the novel, Crake spares no expense in keeping his Paradice Project and BlyssPluss pills a secret. No one, not even his own engineers, knows the full story.

While voyeurism and exploitation are very much present in our world and existing media, they have become both more prolific and naturalized in the world depicted in this novel. From the sheer amount of websites specializing in executions and child pornography, it seems that there is a great deal of demand for this type of viewing. Crake and Jimmy also seem to take it for granted, although Jimmy sometimes feels overwhelmed after their viewing sessions. It is not until he sees Oryx, however, that he feels shame about his viewing habits.

Jimmy likewise becomes angry when he hears about some of the individuals that Oryx encountered during her life and the exploitation she has suffered—indeed, there is no doubt that Oryx has been denied a happy childhood, having been passed around and forced into situations that no child should experience. Still, Jimmy is guilty insofar as he, and numerous other viewers and consumers, are part of a supply-and-demand system. He may feel angry when Oryx tells him about her past experiences, but he is one of the many viewers consuming media texts and sites such as HottTotts.com.

Crake’s reactions to the videos that he and Jimmy view are especially notable: Crake is not only unperturbed by horrific images but seems to get a kick out of them. When watching assisted suicides online, for instance, Crake applauds the “flair” of those who know when their game is up and act accordingly. This even extends to his own life, with Crake “marvelling” at the foam pouring from his mother’s mouth as she is dying from a virus. He displays fascination with the spectacle of these events but, as he himself acknowledges, lacks compassion.

In terms of media footage, the element of spectacle associated with horror, exploitation, and suffering becomes especially apparent after the outbreak of the JUVE virus, when some news anchors decide to film their own gruesome deaths. As a dystopian novel, Oryx and Crake thus highlights and magnifies the voyeuristic and sensationalistic aspects of the media. It is also a reflection of humanity as depicted in this novel that there is such a demand for videos depicting human suffering.