The Genesis and Exodus of Crake’s Children in Oryx and Crake

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The Genesis and Exodus of Crake’s Children in Oryx and Crake A global census by the U.S. Center for World Mission indicates that, in the year 2000, 52.8 percent of the world’s population adhered to the Abrahamic religions, Christianity, Judaism, and Islam (Bush). While there have been numerous conflicts between these three religions throughout history, especially between Islam and Christianity, these three religions are all remarkably similar, particularly in their sacred texts. Both the second Sura of the Islamic Qur’an and the books of Bereshit and Shemot in the Jewish Tanakh contain stories that correspond very closely to the Biblical books of Genesis and Exodus. These accounts are also explored in Margaret Atwood’s novel Oryx and Crake, in the creation of Crake’s Children and their flight from Paradice Dome, the home that Crake designed for them. The parallels between the Biblical accounts and Atwood’s narrative are particularly strong concerning the character of the protagonist, Jimmy, who later becomes known to Crake’s Children as Snowman. In the final chapters of Oryx and Crake, Jimmy demonstrates many similarities to Adam in the Genesis story. Like Adam, Jimmy is tempted by the woman he loves, which leads to his expulsion from an ideal environment and forces him into a life of suffering in a hostile world. After Jimmy changes his identity and becomes Snowman, he begins to more closely resemble Moses in the Exodus story. Overall, the character of Jimmy/Snowman bears more similarities to Moses than to Adam. In the story of Genesis, the serpent temps Eve with the forbidden fruit of the Tree of Knowledge, and Eve in turn tempts Adam. In Oryx and Crake, the “forbidden fruit” that Jimmy and Oryx indulge in is their relationship, despite the fact that Oryx is also romantically involved with Crake. It is Oryx who tempts Jimmy to disobey Crake: “But then Oryx

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