Claim: In the novel, Oryx and Crake, Margaret Atwood writes about a post-apocalyptic wasteland that the main character Snowmen faces. In the text she warns that if we control knowledge, value technology above all else, and refuse to tolerate critical thinking in education systems or in society at large, the world as we know it could be in danger. Many things in the novel support this theme including, controlling knowledge and its effects on society, valuing technology above arts and literature, and the control of critical thinking.
Supporting Idea #1: The idea of controlling knowledge is a theme shown extensively throughout Oryx and Crake. Freedom of thought is not entirely accepted and the impact of this can be shown in Jimmy’s work, school, …show more content…
In the novel freedom of thought is frowned upon and even punishable. Many character’s throughout the novel have been frowned upon and even discouraged when they chose to go against the social norms of a society that values technology above all else. Something in the novel that supports this is the disappearance of Jimmy’s mother when she runs away to join the resistance. This demonstrates the theme of control of knowledge and critical thinking because Jimmy’s mother feels she needs to flee the compound to think freely and communicate about the information on issues that the people are facing in the compound, surrounding the extreme dependence on technology and scientific advancements. This point is furthered when Jimmy’s mother is executed for supporting the resistance and not accepting the way that the major companies are taking over. Another thing that supports this the way that people react to situations they are put through. This can be shown with the way that Oryx reacts to the awful events that transpired in her life, regarding the amount of abuse she faced during her childhood you would expect her to react negatively but she reacts with little remorse and even seems to have a positive memory of the entire experience. I believe this is due to the fact that after spending her whole life in a society where critical thinking is not entirely accepted, she has been conditioned to not speak negatively about experiences in her life. Critical thinking is a very important key in our society. It allows us to think clearly and rationally about what to believe in certain situations, as well as gives us the ability to understand and make connections in our school and work lives. However in the recent years as our society's dependency on technology has grown, with new search engines like Google, and the increasing use of video games, critical thinking
Supporting Idea #1: The idea of controlling knowledge is a theme shown extensively throughout Oryx and Crake. Freedom of thought is not entirely accepted and the impact of this can be shown in Jimmy’s work, school, …show more content…
In the novel freedom of thought is frowned upon and even punishable. Many character’s throughout the novel have been frowned upon and even discouraged when they chose to go against the social norms of a society that values technology above all else. Something in the novel that supports this is the disappearance of Jimmy’s mother when she runs away to join the resistance. This demonstrates the theme of control of knowledge and critical thinking because Jimmy’s mother feels she needs to flee the compound to think freely and communicate about the information on issues that the people are facing in the compound, surrounding the extreme dependence on technology and scientific advancements. This point is furthered when Jimmy’s mother is executed for supporting the resistance and not accepting the way that the major companies are taking over. Another thing that supports this the way that people react to situations they are put through. This can be shown with the way that Oryx reacts to the awful events that transpired in her life, regarding the amount of abuse she faced during her childhood you would expect her to react negatively but she reacts with little remorse and even seems to have a positive memory of the entire experience. I believe this is due to the fact that after spending her whole life in a society where critical thinking is not entirely accepted, she has been conditioned to not speak negatively about experiences in her life. Critical thinking is a very important key in our society. It allows us to think clearly and rationally about what to believe in certain situations, as well as gives us the ability to understand and make connections in our school and work lives. However in the recent years as our society's dependency on technology has grown, with new search engines like Google, and the increasing use of video games, critical thinking