Theme

Perry 1

Isaac Perry

Mrs. Vallier

ENG 4U

Saturday, Oct 23rd/’10

A Brewing Theme
           

            After reading 103 pages from Oryx and Crake, I am starting to see two themes. The first is friendship and the relationships Snowman has with his two closest friends (Oryx and Crake). The second is the exact opposite, which is being alone. The two are told during different time periods but through the same character. This makes an interesting contrast between the two time periods because you see both how Snowman is with his friends, and how he acts without them.

            In addition to the interesting contrast these two themes present, it is also interesting when they are both present at the same time. This can be a seen in a scene when Snowman is lying on his bed in the forest by himself. While laying there he starts to imagine that Oryx is there with him. This dream seems to become a hallucination where she starts to talk to him and says things like “Let’s pretend I’m here with you, big butt and all, getting ready to suck your brains right out your dick” (pg 40). Just reading that quote would make one think that he is simply having a dirty dream, but after seeing multiple ones that aren’t even of a sexual nature and then reading that “He can’t turn them off, he can’t change the subject” (pg 68), it is clear that they are much more than daydreams.

            It’s not clear if these hallucinations will drive him completely crazy or not, but they definitely show that he is having a hard time being alone without anyone to talk to.