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1-Page Summary of Oryx and Crake
Overall Summary
Oryx and Crake is a futuristic novel that deals with genetic engineering. It’s not told in the order of events, nor do we learn everything about what happened right away. Instead, it moves back and forth from different times and gradually reveals facts to the reader as they progress through the story.
The novel begins by introducing the main character, Snowman. He is sitting near the sea and looks disheveled and gaunt. It’s clear that he is the last of his kind—humankind. There are other people nearby known as Children of Crake, but he cannot relate to them. The novel therefore sets out by piquing curiosity about who these people are and what happened to cause Snowman to feel like a relic. Moreover, who this mysterious Crake?
We find out that the boy’s name is Jimmy and his parents worked in genetic engineering. They argued about ethics, and his mother left business to become a revolutionary. Later on, we learn she has been executed for her beliefs.
Jimmy was a normal student when he met Glenn, who would change the course of history. The two had different personalities, but they became friends and spent time watching videos online. One video featured a girl named Oryx that caught Jimmy’s attention because she looked at the camera as if she hated it. He felt both ashamed by what he watched and interested in her gaze.
As a child, he played the game Extinctathon with his brother. In that game, they had to identify extinct animals. It was then and there that Glenn took on the nickname Crake, which Snowman can’t see him without thinking of.
Crake and Jimmy went to different colleges, but they still stayed in touch. When Crake visited his old friend Jimmy, he was surprised to find that Crake had become a Grandmaster of Extinctathon. This meant that he could access the playroom with Oryx again. However, it wasn’t just a game anymore; it was where some of the world’s top minds met to talk about genetic engineering and synthetic viruses.
Jimmy worked in marketing and was recruited by Crake to help him with his project. As a scientist, Crake focused on genetic engineering and the creation of BlyssPluss pills that would promote health. However, they were also used as birth control because Crake believed humanity was facing a crisis due to dwindling resources and an increase in population growth.
Crake’s plan also included a biodome that would house his own creations, the “Crakers.” The Crakers were genetically engineered to be non-violent, have efficient digestive systems and reproductive systems, and die at age 30. They are referred to as floor models because they’re just an example of what genetic engineering is capable of.
Jimmy was shocked when he found out that Crake had slept with Oryx while Jimmy was at college. In addition, they were in a relationship and she went on to seduce Jimmy. It remains unknown whether or not Crake knew about this affair between the two lovers. The story reaches its peak when it is revealed that the BlyssPluss pills contained a virus that Crake unleashed to destroy humanity and usher in the Crakers as their replacements. Oryx had distributed these pills but did not know their true nature; she became distraught upon finding out what happened due to her involvement in this ordeal. At some point during all of this, Jimmy ended up inside of the Biocontainer biodome along with the other survivors, including his lover Oryx’s corpse; meanwhile, outside of said dome lay a dead body which belonged to none other than John (Crake). When John returned back home from helping create more BlyssPlus pills for distribution throughout society, he stabbed Oryx right through her throat with his knife before being shot himself by an angry Jimmy who witnessed everything unfold before him thanks to an alarm system installed within their compound by Mr. Jeavons..
