This section contains 981 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) |
Religious Themes in Oryx and Crake
Summary: There are many religious, Christian metaphors in Atwood's Oryx and Crake. What is most interesting to consider, though, is the idea of Snowman as the only human, as a survivor, and most importantly as a representation of the biblical `serpent'.
It is in these representations of Snowman that I believe Atwood is making a definitive statement as to whether God created man or whether man creates God. Undoubtedly Atwood is suggesting that man inevitably, despite of himself, creates God, with or without outside assistance.
It seems that throughout the novel there is an extended metaphor of Snowman as various figures from the Christian bible. The first figure that Snowman can be said to represent is that of Adam, the first man, though the similarities between the two characters do not follow the same chronology. Just as Adam is given the animals as companions to look over, similarly Crake has ensured that the Crakers and Jimmy are both left in the newly re-created world as companions.
Another strong resemblance and play on words can be observed in the Christian story of original sin and Crake's mass destruction of humanity...
This section contains 981 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) |