Oryx and Crake Summary and Analysis of Chapter 8

Summary

SoYummie

Jimmy and Crake graduate together from HelthWyzer High in February. The
ceremony was traditionaloutdoors featuring many formal hats and festive foods.
Crake was at the top of the class and as such was recruited by the Watson-Crick
Institute, the equivalent of Harvard. Jimmy, an average student with high verbal yet
poor math skills, had finally gained entrance to the Martha Graham Academy. Jimmy
suspected that he only gained entrance to Martha Graham thanks to a connection
his father had with the president of the school.

Jimmys father had married Ramona. After so many years, Jimmys father was finally
able to divorce his mother due to her absence. During the wedding, Jimmy had been
drunk and stayed to himself. It bothered him that perhaps Ramona and his father
would have a child together, a child that would undoubtedly be far superior to
Jimmy. Crake had carried him to his room that night.

Jimmy congratulated Crake at graduation. The only family member present to

celebrate with Crake was Uncle Pete. He tried to stay as far away from Crake as
possible. Crakes mother had died the month prior. It was suspected that it was an
accidentsomehow she had become infected with a killer virus, more than likely at
the hospital. Crake could not go visit her because she was in isolation. He watched
her die through the window. Jimmy could not understand why Crake was so
emotional detached from his mothers death.

Happicuppa

Following graduation Jimmy was invited to spend some time at Uncle Petes place in
the Moosonee HelthWyzer Gated Vacation Community. Uncle Pete spent most of his
time playing golf, leaving Jimmy alone with Crake. They spent their time watching
the wars being fought over the new Happicuppa bean. The creation of the bean
pushed many small growers out of business. Riots had broken out worldwide. Crake
was disturbed by the destruction of forests fueling the planting of the beans. A
Boston Coffee Party occurred, protestors dumped crates of the bean in the harbor.
The war got worse after the Lincoln Memorial was bombed. While watching some
coverage filmed outside of the Happicuppa headquarters in Maryland, Jimmy saw
his mother on the television. Upon seeing her face, Jimmy calls out to Crake to
freeze the frame. Crake gave him a glance and changed the channel. Jimmy was full
of fear that Uncle Pete had made the connection. He did not want him to call the
Corpsmen. Uncle Pete, however, did not appear to notice anything.

Crake later asks Jimmy why he cried out and asked him to freeze the frame. Jimmy
does not want to say. Crake correctly guesses that Jimmy saw his mother. Jimmy is
convinced that Uncle Pete is in the other room calling the authorities. Crake tells
Jimmy that his father had also run away and had gone over an overpass in the
pleeblands. Crake confides that Uncle Pete kept trying to have heart-to-heart talks
with him, to assure him that his father simply had problems. Jimmy asks Crake if he
thinks it is possible that his father simply fell off the overpass. Crake replies, with a
smile, that his father was uncoordinated

Snowman reflects on this conversation and wonders what Crake had been trying to
tell him. He feels stupid for not being able to read between the lines of his
conversation with Crake. Snowman decides that in an attempt to shut out the world,
Crake had simply walled himself in.

Applied Rhetoric

After summer vacation, Jimmy and Crake went to their respective schools. They
promised to email each other. Jimmy was astounded at Martha Graham's condition.
The school was quite literally falling apart. The security was incredibly lax, graffiti
covered the walls of the school, the buildings were leaky, and the grounds were
generally unkempt. Jimmy decided that he would simply have to buck up and make
do.

The Martha Graham Academy had received its name from a famous dancer. The
school had been set up by long-gone wealthy liberals from Old New York. Martha
Graham was to serve as an arts and humanities school. Many of the subjects that
the school had originally sought to teach had been outdated by technology.
Declining interest had resulted in the schools slow degradation. Many students
ended up going into advertising. Jimmy decided to study Problematics, as it was
best suited for individuals who liked words.

Jimmy was well aware of the type of job he would be able to secure with his degree.
Irrespective of the grim outlook, he threw himself into his studies. He shared a dorm
room with a girl named Bernice. She was a radical vegan who belonged to Gods
Gardeners. Bernice became the bane of Jimmys existence because she was unable
to accept his beliefs. She would burn his animal-based belongings. After many
complaints, he was finally liberated of her and given a new room.

Jimmy began dating women at Martha Graham. He quickly realized that there was a
similar logic to many of the women. He would rush to help them through their
problems, gathering the details of their troubled lives. Eventually, Jimmy would tell
them his stories and they would comfort him. Jimmy let the women try to make him
happy. Eventually, they would tire of him and leave him. He repeated this process
many times.

The women he dated were well aware of the story of Jimmys mother. She became
part of his routine, something for them to pity in him. The only one who had not
fallen into this trap was Oryx. She had been much more practical about it, stating
that perhaps his mother just needed to get away.

Aspergers U.

Jimmy complained to Crake about his life at Martha Graham via email. He told Crake
about the sub-par food and the various creatures he had found crawling around in
his room. Jimmy hinted at his sex life, but never spoke in details. He did this mainly
because he felt that was the only leg up he had on Crake. Most women were
intimidated by him. Crake, on the other hand, revealed little about himself. They
would play long games of chess online.

After a while, Crake eventually gave more info about his life at the Watson-Crick
Institute. He told Jimmy that it was known as Aspergers U because of the high level
of social awkwardness that the vast majority of students possessed. Most were so
wrapped up in their own work that they noticed little else. Crake invited Jimmy to
come see for himself during Thanksgiving.

Jimmy was committed to his studies at Martha Graham even though it would have
been easy to cheat. Most assignments could be purchased online. He concentrated
mostly on the vast number of self-help books in the library. He was fascinated by
the ways in which these books manipulated their readers through use of fear and
hope. He eventually wrote an outstanding senior thesis on the topic.
Jimmy took the bullet train to Watson-Crick. He watched the dilapidated pleeblands
pass by the window. In order to enter Watson-Crick, Jimmy had to pass through tight
security. Once again, he was questioned about the whereabouts of his mother. As
always, Jimmy told the truthhe did not know. Finally, they let him through. Jimmy
was so happy to see Crake that he almost cried.

Wolvogs

Jimmy gawked at the facilities at Watson-Crick. The grounds were beautifulfull of

flowers and mammoth buildings. Crake lived alone in a plush suite. He had a house
cleaning service, and his laundry was done for him. Crake showed Jimmy around the
schooltaking him to the various departments. Crake called everything wave of
the future which annoyed Jimmy after a while. Jimmy noted that the women at
Watson-Crick left much to be desired. They reminded him of his old roommate,
Bernice.

Crake took Jimmy to the BioDefences department, where the school kept its supply
of wolvogs, tame-looking dogs that were actually ferocious predators. Jimmy asked
Crake what would happen if the wolvogs ever escaped. Crake replied that it would
be problematic but that it would not happen because the bars in front of their cages
were kept to keep them in. Crake equated the cages to that which keeps Nature and
God in check. Jimmy perplexed at Crakes statement, tells him that he thought he
did not believe in God. Crake replies by stating that he does not believe in God or in
Nature with a capital N.

Hypothetical

Jimmy finally asked Crake if he had a girlfriend on the fourth day of his visit. Crake
replied that dating was discouraged at the school as the students were supposed to
focus all of their energies on their work. Student services could set up sexual
encounters for students who desired such interactions. Jimmy was in disbelief. Crake
explained that anythingany color, gender, hair-type, etc.could be
accommodated by the office.

The food at Watson-Crick was worlds better than that at Martha Graham. The food
was infused with real ingredients rather than the soy-based imitations that Jimmy
was used to eating at his school. Back in Crakes suite, Jimmy and Crake would scan
the internet as they used to when they were younger.
Crake walked Jimmy through a hypothetical situation. Crake suggested that illness
was unproductive because it did not generate anything but suffering. He went on to
state that the pharmaceutical company's ultimate goal was to eliminate sickness.
However, Crake points out that after a certain point the company, to remain
functioning, would need more illnesses to cure. Crake tells Jimmy that companies
like HelthWyzer are not finding cures to diseases but rather creating diseases.
Crakes father believed the same thing and this is why Crake believes that he was
eliminated; his fathers death made to look like a suicide to conceal the real
motives.

Extinctathon

The final evening of Jimmys trip Crake asked him if he would like to play
Extinctathon, the game that had given Crake his nickname. At first, Jimmy could not
remember the gameit had been so long since he had thought of it. He could not
believe that it was still up and running.

Crake was now a Grandmaster of the game. As he logged into the game, the screen
showed that MaddAddam would meet him. Jimmy asked Crake if MaddAddam was a
person. Crake replied that MaddAddam was a conglomerateseveral groups of
individuals. Using the picture of Oryx as a back door to hidden files, Crake showed
Jimmy a string of news articles related to various attacks. From the destruction of
Happicuppa crops to destructive transgenic animals, the havoc contained in the
pages was incredible. Jimmy began to feel uncomfortable. He thought that perhaps
Crake was trying to play a trick on him, to frighten him. Crake explained that at first
he thought they were simply a radical group. Over time, he came to realize that
they were systematically trying to take down the entire system. Jimmy became
concerned that Crake would be caught and implicated in the groups plots.

During the first night that Jimmy was visiting, he had woken to screaming. The next
day, Jimmy had remarked that Crake must have had an intense nightmare. Crake
claimed that he never remembered his dreams. Snowman knows why Crake
screamed: he was currently living Crakes nightmares.

Analysis

Jimmy has a tremendously difficult time processing his fathers marriage to Ramona.
Although he likes Ramona a fair deal, the definitive dissolution of his parents
marriage bring backs memories that he has yet to deal with. During this time of
emotional turmoil, Crake comes to comfort him. Although Crake is often depicted as
a primarily logic-driven person, a few situations that arise demonstrate his
empathetic side. This aspect of his personality is likely the driving force behind his
logic-driven ideashe cares about people enough to want to do something drastic
to help them.

Crake provides the primary source of support for Jimmy during his formative
adolescent years. The move to college signifies a split that allows each of these two
protagonists to develop apart from one another. Due to limited contact and
distance, both Jimmy and Crake mature separately from one another. This physical
and emotional space is that which Snowman finds himself reflecting on. What
exactly happened to Crake during that time?

Jimmys education at Martha Graham Academy nurtured his love of words and
artistic self-expression. Although he was not like the average Martha Graham
student, he felt that he fit in intellectually. Societys undervaluing of verbal talent
was readily visible in the deteriorated nature of the school. In addition, Jimmy
encountered some anti-establishmentarian individuals at the school. These
individuals bolstered the notion that science reigned supreme, while art was
secondary. This theme is replayed repeatedly throughout the novel, eventually
coming to an apex at the destruction of humanity.

During a visit to the Watson-Crick Institute, Jimmy learns of what life in the highly
valued world of science is like. Everything from the accommodations to the food to
the facilities is far superior to those at his school. Jimmy also learns of Crakes
involvement with MaddAddam, a radical group that uses science against the capital-
driven pharmaceutical/scientific companies. Jimmys concern regarding Crakes
possible affiliation with the group scares him. This fear can be read in at least two
waysthe first being one that demonstrates Jimmys complacency in the current
world order. Rebellion against the status quo is terrifying for Jimmy. The second
thing that Jimmys trepidation indicates is the level at which he values his
relationship with Crake.

Snowman recalls something that he witnessed during this particular trip to Watson-
Crick: Crakes recurrent nightmares. Crake claimed that he could not remember
anything in the morning. Jimmy suspects that he is living Crakes nightmarein
other words, that he is experiencing that which Crake would have never intended.
Although the reader is unsure of what exactly Snowman is referring to at this point
in the novel, the passage serves as a foreshadowing of the progression of the story.

Genetic engineering a blessing or a curse?

It is irrefutable that scientists have made gigantic strides in genetic
engineering over the past decades. Cloning and DNA profiling is no longer a
far-fetched wishful thinking but sheer reality. This essay aims to discuss the
potential benefits and pitfalls of genetic engineering with regard to the fields
of medicine, agriculture and cloning.

First and foremost, the most significant advantage of genetic engineering

can be found in the field of
medicine. There is a strong likelihood that new treatments for hitherto lethal
diseases may be discovered, for example a cure for cancer. It might as well
be the case that doctors will soon be able to cure babies suffering from
hereditary diseases before they are born. On the other hand, due to the
overuse of medicine to cure every kind of potential illness, more and more
people will develop an immunity to, for instance, antibiotics.

As far as agriculture is concerned, genetic engineering has brought great

benefits. Farmers are able to grow modified crops which remain unaffected
by drought and disease. Furthermore, it allows mass production of crops as
well as animals which means that sufficient food can be provided for the
entire world population. However, we may run the risk of creating an
imbalance of species which will not only destroy the food chain but also
interfere with the natural course and laws of nature.

Last but certainly not least, cloning is another crucial break- through in
genetic engineering. The
temptation to create the perfect human being is irresistible and may lead to
a society without neither criminals nor anti-social people. On the other side
of the coin, the process of cloning could not run as smoothly as expected and
cause threatening mutations. On should also take into account religious
aspects. Creating humans runs counter to most religious beliefs.

On balance, genetic engineering offers vast beneficial possibilities.

Regrettably, they all entail a tremendous risk and the long-term effects are
unknown. The use and research into genetic
engineering need to be taken with a pinch of salt.

Kerstin
Genetic Engineering a blessing or a curse?
It is beyond any doubt that, in this day and age, genetic engineering has
made inroads into our lives. Little did we know about what far-reaching
opportunities it might bring about a few decades ago and scientists are on
the brink of a breakthrough in terms of cloning creatures. However, there
seem to be opposing opinions whether these advances might do humankind
more harm than good. This essay aims to shed light on the role of genetic
engineering and its impacts on human beings.
First and foremost, there is no shadow of doubt that one of its greatest
benefits lies in the field of agriculture. Had it not been for the possibility of
altering genes, we would not be taking delight in seedless fruits, such as
grapes. More importantly, these modifications have given rise to mass
production in farming, considering the fact that crops as well as animals can
now be engineered and bred to be resistant to diseases. This aspect is
believed to be a powerful weapon in the persistent fight against hunger.
Paradoxically, however, the pesticides consumed are detrimental to humans'
health.
Other tremendous advances can be observed in the field of medicine. Once
posing a severe threat to humankind, diseases, such as tuberculosis, are now
curable and its transmission preventable. Conversely, while scientists are still
fumbling in the dark trying to fight AIDS and companies benefit from the
commercials of alleged remedies, people affected keep on suffering.
The probably most controversial aspect of genetic engineering is cloning.
Taking the reproduction of a human ear on a rat's back as an example,
cloning is irrefutably conducive to better treatments for injuries victims.
Having said that, we must consider that we are interfering with nature, and,
leaving alone moral or religious concerns, are not aware of any long-term
and potentially irreversible consequences.
On balance, it is blatantly obvious that genetic engineering offers a
considerable amount of benefits. However, with great power comes great
responsibility. It seems to me that, as we are moving towards unknown
territory, we should take it with a pinch of salt.