Ecological Discourses in Margaret Atwood’s Novel Oryx and Crake

Abstract

Cli-fi is an innovative genre of fiction that modernizes climate science into human stories. Writers of cli-fi discover, what it means to be human in a world that is influenced by warming temperature, powerful storms and rising seas. The cli-fi narratives arouse consciousness about the complex issues of climate change. The novel Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood, published in 2003, is about a post-apocalyptic world which will be a reality in the future. The novel carries two distinct genres- a pre apocalyptic world and a post-apocalyptic world. The pre apocalyptic world is an exaggerated representation of the mid of twenty first century and the post-apocalyptic world is portrayed as the end of twenty first century. Oryx and Crake discusses a world that is completely destructed due to unscientific acts, war, global warming, climate change and diseases. The two genres narrate through the character Snowman who is the only survivor of the destruction.  Oryx and Crake, towards the end, narrates the ruin of entire living organisms. Snowman enters the Compound and witnesses a number of changes there. The best example is about the pigoons. Once they were meant to help human beings but now, they are cruel creatures. Bio terrorism and the over use of scientific discoveries have changed the entire bio balance of the planet. Most of characters are not affectionate towards each other. The relationship between Oryx and Jimmy is an exception. This is the reason behind Jimmy’s forgiveness towards all the activities of Crake against nature. For Jimmy, Oryx is the beautiful part of nature and Snowman longs for the love and care he has once received from Oryx.