Oryx and Crake
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A theory about the identity of Oryx (major spoilers)
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(last edited
Apr 13, 2016 10:17AM
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Apr 13, 2016 10:16AM
I finished this book yesterday, and I got the impression that Atwood was strongly implying that Oryx was one of Crake's creations. However, I have not seen this possibility discussed much. It makes a lot of sense to me, and it also explains a lot of the ambiguities that the book initially left me with.
I was initially rather baffled by the characterization of Oryx, which I found both somewhat sexist and somewhat racist. If it had been a different author, I may have just taken her at face value, but because it is Atwood, who has such a reputation for feminist-bordering-on-man-hating writing, I simply could not. I realized that Oryx made much more sense when I considered the possibility that she was literally a male fantasy, designed by Crake based on the girl in the CP video whose strange allure captivated him so many years ago.
This would also serve to explain Oryx's strange approach to her own history: the way in which she both is and is not the girl in the porn video, the girl liberated from the garage. She literally both is and is not that girl. It also explains her strange attitude toward what "happened" to her: the look the girl in the video gives is reproachful, judgmental of those who may be watching. Her look is what first awakens Jimmy to the horror of what he is watching. However, Oryx bizarrely claims, repeatedly, that there is nothing upsetting to her about what she went through. Perhaps Crake simply wanted a girl with all the enigma and sexualization of a former child sex slave, but did not want (or know how) to deal with the human trauma that would come with that. His rapidly-matured dream girl never had the time or the childhood to develop childhood trauma.
Perhaps what he said about finding the real girl through "Student Services" was true, but perhaps that real girl somehow failed to meet his expectations. So maybe the Oryx we get to know was really based on her, even cloned from her, but still an altered version tailored to Crake's own fantasy.
This would also serve as an insight into why he killed her: because she was an embodiment of his own idiosyncratic, irrational human desires. In Crake's new world, with his new and improved humans, void of emotional desire and ruled by pure biology, that kind of fantasy would no longer make sense. In fact, it already didn't make sense to him beyond the immediate fact that he simply needed it.
Beyond the explanatory aspects of this theory, I felt that there were places where it was simply implied - for example when Snowman notes Oryxs' resemblance to the Crakers while she is inside the habitat. Also when Crake mentions that the Crakers are only "floor plans" and that it is easy to make humans with fewer alterations. Also the simple fact that Oryx was chosen as the Crakers' first human contact - is she perhaps a biological link between the two, as well as a social one?
Anyway, I realized that I actually liked the book a lot more when I considered it in this light, and I was wondering what everyone else thinks?
I was initially rather baffled by the characterization of Oryx, which I found both somewhat sexist and somewhat racist. If it had been a different author, I may have just taken her at face value, but because it is Atwood, who has such a reputation for feminist-bordering-on-man-hating writing, I simply could not. I realized that Oryx made much more sense when I considered the possibility that she was literally a male fantasy, designed by Crake based on the girl in the CP video whose strange allure captivated him so many years ago.
This would also serve to explain Oryx's strange approach to her own history: the way in which she both is and is not the girl in the porn video, the girl liberated from the garage. She literally both is and is not that girl. It also explains her strange attitude toward what "happened" to her: the look the girl in the video gives is reproachful, judgmental of those who may be watching. Her look is what first awakens Jimmy to the horror of what he is watching. However, Oryx bizarrely claims, repeatedly, that there is nothing upsetting to her about what she went through. Perhaps Crake simply wanted a girl with all the enigma and sexualization of a former child sex slave, but did not want (or know how) to deal with the human trauma that would come with that. His rapidly-matured dream girl never had the time or the childhood to develop childhood trauma.
Perhaps what he said about finding the real girl through "Student Services" was true, but perhaps that real girl somehow failed to meet his expectations. So maybe the Oryx we get to know was really based on her, even cloned from her, but still an altered version tailored to Crake's own fantasy.
This would also serve as an insight into why he killed her: because she was an embodiment of his own idiosyncratic, irrational human desires. In Crake's new world, with his new and improved humans, void of emotional desire and ruled by pure biology, that kind of fantasy would no longer make sense. In fact, it already didn't make sense to him beyond the immediate fact that he simply needed it.
Beyond the explanatory aspects of this theory, I felt that there were places where it was simply implied - for example when Snowman notes Oryxs' resemblance to the Crakers while she is inside the habitat. Also when Crake mentions that the Crakers are only "floor plans" and that it is easy to make humans with fewer alterations. Also the simple fact that Oryx was chosen as the Crakers' first human contact - is she perhaps a biological link between the two, as well as a social one?
Anyway, I realized that I actually liked the book a lot more when I considered it in this light, and I was wondering what everyone else thinks?
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I came here to ask people this very question, if Crake made Oryx based on that picture and his idea of that person. I've read the 3 books and nothing that contradicts it.
Both Jimmy and Crake are addicted to porn from an early age and incapable of making any kind of connection with any real, complicated and flawed human being. They finally found someone they could love but Crake had to make her based on an ideal.
Another reason why Crake loved her... she was his own achievement.
She was perfect for Crake because he designed her that way, and she was perfect for Jimmy because she had no history, so he, the word-person, could fill in the gaps.
Oryx and Crake were outside when the outbreak was happening, I think Crake was fairly sure they were both infected and killed them both for that reason. This motivation for the murder-suicide is even mentioned as a possibility in the third book (because in that book she had apparently given up on the intelligence of her readers and explains everything in detail) But Crake planned everything, so why did he put them both outside for the outbreak?
Maybe he just didn't want any more human-kids being born?
Both Jimmy and Crake are addicted to porn from an early age and incapable of making any kind of connection with any real, complicated and flawed human being. They finally found someone they could love but Crake had to make her based on an ideal.
Another reason why Crake loved her... she was his own achievement.
She was perfect for Crake because he designed her that way, and she was perfect for Jimmy because she had no history, so he, the word-person, could fill in the gaps.
Oryx and Crake were outside when the outbreak was happening, I think Crake was fairly sure they were both infected and killed them both for that reason. This motivation for the murder-suicide is even mentioned as a possibility in the third book (because in that book she had apparently given up on the intelligence of her readers and explains everything in detail) But Crake planned everything, so why did he put them both outside for the outbreak?
Maybe he just didn't want any more human-kids being born?
I came to the same conclusion regarding Oryx solely because Crake chose her as the first human the Crakers had contact with.
We see how their fleeting interactions with Jimmy after the virus affected them profoundly. Crake understood that their first human interaction had to be with someone with no preconceptions about existence. Oryx is a clone, and so she has no psychological or neurological history. She is not the product of human society, or possessive of any of the human traits that motivated Crake to do what he did regarding the virus. She is not "tainted".
This is why Jimmy falls so hard for her. All his prior relationships he had basically been trying to "fix" his partner. He deliberately picked someone more damaged than him, and derived pleasure from helping them heal. Its obvious that he's not doing this out of any sense of selflessness (perhaps a little) but to keep from acknowledging his own inadequacies and mental anguish. Jimmy wanted Oryx to be traumatized by her past.
The only problem is, she doesn't have one. Her disposition is entirely the product of what Crake thought was necessary for it to be.
Interesting to see how Jimmy and Crake are both changed by seeing the "young Oryx" in the porno. Two very different reactions awakened by the same realization; that what they're witnessing is repugnant. There's something wrong with it. I really believed throughout the entire book that Jimmy and Crake are on the same intelligence level. Their intelligence is just applied to different things. Crake's reaction to the vid and the depravity of society in general was to be cold, rational, and scientific. Jimmy embraced the more sentimental aspects of human existence, but he essentially ends up a burnout. I think there's several layers here regarding the psychological aspects of the characters and the existential aspect of the novel.
We see how their fleeting interactions with Jimmy after the virus affected them profoundly. Crake understood that their first human interaction had to be with someone with no preconceptions about existence. Oryx is a clone, and so she has no psychological or neurological history. She is not the product of human society, or possessive of any of the human traits that motivated Crake to do what he did regarding the virus. She is not "tainted".
This is why Jimmy falls so hard for her. All his prior relationships he had basically been trying to "fix" his partner. He deliberately picked someone more damaged than him, and derived pleasure from helping them heal. Its obvious that he's not doing this out of any sense of selflessness (perhaps a little) but to keep from acknowledging his own inadequacies and mental anguish. Jimmy wanted Oryx to be traumatized by her past.
The only problem is, she doesn't have one. Her disposition is entirely the product of what Crake thought was necessary for it to be.
Interesting to see how Jimmy and Crake are both changed by seeing the "young Oryx" in the porno. Two very different reactions awakened by the same realization; that what they're witnessing is repugnant. There's something wrong with it. I really believed throughout the entire book that Jimmy and Crake are on the same intelligence level. Their intelligence is just applied to different things. Crake's reaction to the vid and the depravity of society in general was to be cold, rational, and scientific. Jimmy embraced the more sentimental aspects of human existence, but he essentially ends up a burnout. I think there's several layers here regarding the psychological aspects of the characters and the existential aspect of the novel.
This makes sense out of a lot that was bothering me about her, as well. Great theory!
Oooohhh, very interesting. The sort of theory that is so good, I would hate to find out it was wrong. At least, that is my impression after all of thirty seconds' consideration.
Makes sense to me too. I wish I could comment more intelligently, but I read the book several years ago and only remember a few details. Certainly I remembered the sex slave part, but also remembered the description of Crake's nasty toenails. Eww. Anyway, your theory gels quite a bit with the cognitive dissonance he seemed to have about Oryx. Well done.
Wow- I completely didn't pick up on this idea! Very interesting theory. I read this a few years ago, and then read the other two later. I really want to pick it up again and read it now! I loved this series, and this brings another level to it. Thanks!
I have read only Oryx and Crake and not the next two ones. I always thought that the girl from the video is a different one from the one Jimmy find with Crake later. I felt she was just playing with Jimmy's obsession. It never occurred that Crake could clone her as he is also enamoured by the girl in the video.
Its possible. The writer has kept the interpretation open.
Its possible. The writer has kept the interpretation open.
It always bothered me what a perfect specimen of woman Oryx is, both porn girl and mother figure. Sort of rhymes false with Atwood, somehow. But this theory was what I hoped for/imagined, so thanks for sharing!
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