ENGL 105W Lecture Notes - Lecture 6: Synecdoche, Assisted Suicide, Voyeurism
15 Mar 2016
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Humans are supposed to master animals and assert their domination. 3 ways to look at animals: physical, imaginary, symbolic. Animals in oryx & crake: chapter titles, character names- crake (type of bird), oryx (type of antelope, genetic experiments, computer games. Etymology lifting the veil; revelation; form of loss, rebirth, showing us something that is hidden. End of time: 3, 40, we are biological organisms with limited life spans. Inhospitable environment: 11, 38, 39, snowman melts in sun, poorly adapted to environment, scavenger, improvising. Disappearance of civilization: 45- animal trapped by science (civilization) Fading of language: fears losing words that no longer have clear functions, 39, 68. Snowman loses time, language, civilization become animal-like. Human treatment of animals mirrors social attitudes towards other marginalized groups in the novel. Novel calls into question whether civilized humans have escaped the animal natures that have tried to disavow. Tools: agricultural work, food, clothing, subject to scientific experimentation, commodities.
