Science of Oryx and Crake

Having now finished reading the book, i come to realize that the rate at which scientific progression happen was the downfall of the society. Scientists are always happy to advance in whatever way they can, and put no limits on this advance. While on it's own, this is not a problem, the issue lies in using these advances before we have developed the mentality to be able to. Morals are always behind, as morals cannot possibly be created ahead or even at the same rate as scientific advance. we don't develop morals around things we cannot do, simply because we don't need to. Morals cannot even be parallel in development, because the idea for something always is thought of before the implications of it.

In Oryx and Crake, the major scientific revelation is genetic modification. The people of the story have learned how to modify almost any creature, in to anything that they need. This ability sparks great innovation, but at the cost of becoming an unstoppable rolling stone. The people go from making pigoons, which are simply pigs that grow extra organs, to making genetically modified chickens that no longer even have a brain, and are simply meat that grows.

This ultimately leads to the downfall of the human race, when Crake decides that humans should be replaced with his enhanced version of humanity, The Crakers. Because of genetic modification, Crake is not only able to make people, but kill the current ones.

All of this was able to happen because of the lack of moral ability. Human morals had not yet caught up with the ideas behind genetic modification, and so, science could keep stretching things farther and farther.



A blue strawberry. While this may seem benign, what harm is a blue strawberry? The people of the book probably asked themselves the same question. What harm is a pigoon? and on and on from there.

Response 4

Question 2

Claggart is given a traditional military funeral and burial. The event is quite honourable and respectful of a man who served the country. The burial has little grandeur and special events, but is held in perfect military custom. This event is quite ironic, as it is very opposite of Claggart's life. Typically, funerals are representative of the life of the person, but in the case of Claggart's funeral, it represents what John Claggart should have been, rather then what he was.

Claggart had a rather dishonest life, as he spoke and acted in trickery, and was never trying to achieve the best for anyone. By contrast, his burial represented the traditional sailor's life, one of honour and servitude of a country.

Question 4

Billy's last words, before his death by hanging, are; "God bless Captain Vere". They are primarily symbolic of the conflict in Captain Vere. He likes Billy as a person and a sailor, but he has to follow the rules of his code, and have Billy hanged. The statement also demonstrates that Billy understands Captain Vere's predicament and agrees with his decision. It shows that Billy is a good person and will stick with his captain until the end.


http://www.fraternityofshadows.com/Mausoleum/Miniatures_Images/As_HangedMan.jpg

A hanging man, usually a gruesome affair, but in billy's case, quite peaceful.

Response 3

Question 1

After going to the forechains, Billy is confused. He is unsure if he did the right thing by telling the man to return to his post. He wrestles with this concept of what had happened, and also why, before asking the Dansker.

I think this tells us that billy is so nieve and inoccent that he cannot even understand why people would want to disobey rules. This meeting is Billy's first real experience with something dark, and (from his point of view) not good-natured. While he notices this, he cannot really grasp it, because he has no evil motivations himself. He is also not sure what to make of the bribe, as he does not think that money should be a factor in if something is right or not.

Question 2

When Billy confides in the Dansker about the indecent, the Dankser states that it could be another example of how Claggart "has it in for him". Billy, who no longer states that he blatantly disbelieves that Claggart has something against him, asks why the Dansker says this, but gets no answer. He does this, I think, because he is confused. Before, when the speaks to the Dansker, he knows what (in his mind at least) is going on, and therefore, contradicts what is told to him. In this instance however, he does not really understand what happend and why, and so, is willing to listen to what the Dansker has to say. He also realizes that what happened was not honest and straight forward, but in trickery and dishonesty.

Response 2

Question 1

John Claggart is the almost the complete opposite of Billy, he is older, higher ranking, and described as wicked. Unlike Billy, who is a simple, straight forward person, he has motives and uses deception and second meanings that Billy can't even begin to comprehend. Throughout the book, he speaks in a kind manner to Billy, despite the fact that he has no such kind feelings for him. I think that because he hides his true feelings and motives from people all of the time, he believes that others do the same, and therefore, reads unintended meanings in the actions or statements of others. A good example of this is when Billy spills the soup on the newly cleaned floor, Claggart seems to think that Billy directed this act as an insult toward Claggart himself, and therefore insults him (in a way that Billy does not understand). I believe that Claggart is motivated to dislike and even hate Billy out of envy, Billy represents the ideal person in the story, and Claggart is envious of this perfection.

Image: http://jasonsgrainofsalt.files.wordpress.com/2009/01/envy.jpg

Whilst this image is rather simple, It coveys Claggart’s point of view: Destroy those who have what you can’t.

Question 4

The Dansker is the person whose job is to show/teach Billy about hidden meanings and deception. He repeatedly suggests that Claggart is working against him, and is unfriendly toward Billy. Billy, however, flatly denies this, refusing to believe it. The reason, I think, that he refuses to believe it, is because he cannot believe it, he is a simple person, who does not “deal double meanings”. I think that the Dansker’s task in the story is to help Billy survive the ship, by providing someone for him to confide in, and giving advice.

Response 1

This is my first response. (Yay?)

Question 4

The names of the two ships have quite different meanings; Rights of Man refers to freedom to do whatever one likes and to be safe from harm. Bellipotent means the power of war, referring to the fact that it is a warship and that it's goals are destruction and glory. Melville could be demonstration how Billy's former life could be changing from one of freedom and peace to following orders and war.

http://www.sonofthesouth.net/leefoundation/civil-war/1861/may/loading-war-ship.jpg

This picture show the loading of a warship, in preparation for battle. It demonstrates the change that will occur in billy's life, from one of calm to one of rush.

Question 5

I believe that this implies that while he may be a nice, good looking person, he is quite innocent and perhaps not even very clever. Also, this could mean that he is the type of person who does not use trickery or speak any meaning beyond the literal one, a straight forward person.