One Order of ChickieNobs, Please. In Margaret Atwood’s novel, Oryx and Crake, pre-singularity society is explored by the narrator: Jimmy. During adolescence and early adulthood, the narrator is forced to face various social issues and struggles to accept them as part of society. While resistant to change at first, Jimmy gradually relents and gives into these new “improvements.” Though futuristic, aspects of this world parallel that of our own and even exaggerate issues we see today. Human trafficking is prevalent in both the novel and in our society. From Oryx’s childhood as well as an introduction into the lives of Jimmy and Crake, the audience sees the worst in humanity. After being purchased from her poverty-stricken village at …show more content…
Altogether, 5.5 million children globally are actively work in the sex industry (Pasnak-Lapchick). Atwood demonstrates this frightful statistic all too well. Throughout the novel, readers are introduced to technological advancements in the form of biological and genetic engineering. During Jimmy’s youth, his father is employed by OrganInc Farms. In this lab compound, geneticists have perfected the Pigoon Project. From of a transgenic pig, viable human organs are grown and then harvested for commercialization (Atwood 23). Later, as Crake shows an adult Jimmy around the NeoAgricultural department of Watson-Crick University, Jimmy discovers the latest creation: ChickieNobs. These meat-birds are devoid of eyes, beaks, and brains and have the capability to produce multiple chicken breasts within two weeks (203). While no such inventions exist today, that does not mean they will not in the future. Expansions in genetic engineering are explained, “The field of transgenics allows scientists to develop organisms that express a novel trait not normally found in a species” (Glenn). A vaccine for non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma was recently developed by injecting human tumor DNA into a tobacco plant (Glenn). In comparison to the pigoon project, both of these experiments lead to improvements in the field of medicine for the betterment of human life. A threatened species can even be preserved by creating hybrids that combine its DNA with that of a closely related species, as seen hooded
Next, to make a difference to end child prostitution is people should treat them as the victim, rather than treating them as the criminal. One clearly does not know what is going through their mind, so making judgements and statements does not help their situation at all. Julian Sher discusses that “When these children go get the attention of the system, they are almost always treated as criminals, not victims” (13). For what we can assume is that they did not choose this lifestyle but have just got caught up in it and have a hard time getting out. They are scared of their “pimp” who tells them if you do not do what I say I’ll kill you, hurt you, we’ll sell you to another pimp, etc. In the article, Report urges new approach to child prostitution: “ ‘These are children that are prostituted. These are children that are harmed. These are not criminals, Ellen Wright Clayton, a physician and member of the team, said at a press conference in Washington, D.C. on
Often times, authors of many sorts search for ways to connect their personal writing to ideas that the modern reader can comprehend; they wish to provide a speck of familiarity. Thomas C. Foster explains in How to Read Literature Like a Professor, “We want a new novel to be not quite like anything we’ve read before. At the same time, we look for it to be sufficiently like other things we’ve read so that we can use those to make sense of it” (58). However, sometimes that sense of familiarity is not a good one, as displayed in Margaret Atwood’s Oryx and Crake. Many of her themes have been dramatized to receive the desired reaction out of her readers. However, when these themes are thought upon by one who has dutifully read How to Read Literature Like a Professor, the fictional lines begin to blur into reality. Set in the near future, Oryx and Crake is an expertly created dystopian fiction that contains a plethora of political messages with the ability to be applied to the
Different environments that people come from cause people to have varying perspectives of that environment around them. The perspective that people have is a product of the experiences and the impact that those experiences have on a person’s approach to the trials and tribulations of life. Oryx and Crake, by Margaret Atwood, is a novel about a post-apocalyptic world in which the scientific approach to the world clashes with a more naturalistic approach. Crake represents an idealistic view of the world shown by the way he strives for perfections. He believed that in their current form, humans were far from perfect because of the undesirable traits they possessed and devoted his life to fix this inherent problem in humanity by creating the Crakers. Oryx displays an optimistic view of the world on the surface but can be taken as pessimism at times because she never attempts to improve her situation at all. In many ways, she embodies many of the aspects that Crake sees as flaws in human being such as emotional attachments she has with people and how she always seems to find a positive way to view the situation she is in. As the story progresses, it is clear that Jimmy is influenced by Oryx and Crake in how he views the world and in what direction he should guide the Crakers. He values the human element that is present in humanity but also sees the importance of scientific advancements. Through the portrayal of the characters, Atwood is showing how the values of each character
The authors did a great job of starting the second part with a strong introduction that makes the reader feel that human trafficking exists and it exists next to us. “The harsh truth is, modern-day slavery is in your town. You are not protected from it by nationality, race gender, or income. It can afflict anyone – gardener down the street, the construction crew on a local office building, your neighbor’s housekeeper, your daughter on
As I first started to read ‘Oryx and Crake’, I was somewhat skeptical of whether or not I would enjoy reading it. The first chapter confused me with unusual words that I have never heard or seen before. Whenever I read something it is usually a book or magazine that I plan on reading or that is based on actual facts on a certain subject such as history or sports related. This book came as a surprise as I started to read it because it was not as hard to understand as I thought it would be and was actually quite enjoyable. The symbols in this book can mean many different things based on what the reader believes since religion plays a big part in it.
Famous for futuristic and apocalyptic storylines, award-winning authors George Orwell and Margaret Atwood challenge the strength of relationships within several of their works of literature. Specifically, within the novels 1984 by George Orwell and Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood, characters find themselves haunted by their unsuccessful relationships and grasping at the remains. However, romantic relationships in the novels’ dystopian societies are dealt a bad hand from the very beginning and are unable to thrive under the oppression created within society. Whether it be the unorthodox social views on intimacy or the undesirable effect on character trait, oppression abolishes significant relationships within the two novels. Unsustainability
“According to UNICEF, every two minutes a child is being prepped for sexual exploitation.” Studies have shown that 1.2 million children are being trafficked each year. “This number excluded the millions already being held hostage by trafficking.” (1).
Females and children have a greater risk for sexual exploitation. Approximately eighty percent of human trafficking victims are women and girls up to fifty percent are minors. Although the average age of entry for children victimized by sex trade is twelve years old. It is estimated that seventy six percent of transactions for sex with underage girls start on the internet. Over seventy one percent of trafficked children show suicidal tendencies. Two million children are subjected to prostitution in the global sex trade.
The sex trade is not a choice; there many situational factors contributing as to how these women and children got into the sex trade. Most of the women and children who are bought and trafficked into this industry are vulnerable or have a background of abuse and neglect (4425 Hossain). Exploiters use the vulnerability to their advantage by making promises of stability and love to lure their victims in. Many
In 2005, the State Department surveyed that there are approximately 100,000-300,000 children who are being sexually exploited in the United States. In 2013, the FBI had decided to do a three day bust on sexually exploited children. They managed to arrest 150 pimps across the U.S. and save 105 children trapped in sexual exploitation. Child pornography can be described as the same thing as prostitution but in this situation, children are being photographed and filmed doing sexual things against their will. After the photographers and film makers are satisfied with their work the then, proceed to send it to paying clients and post it on the internet for all to see for a small price. The United States are one of the largest producers and consumers of child pornography. In 2005, “study revealed that 83 percent of arrested child pornography offenders had images involving children between the ages 6 and 12; 39 percent had images of children between ages 3 and 5; and 19 percent had images of infants and toddlers under age 3.” In the book, Girls Like Us, Rachel Lloyd interviews a young girl by the name of Danielle who is only eleven and she was controlled by a pimp. It tells of her experience and how her pimp was beating her. She was only eleven. In fact, most of the children who are sex trafficked in the United States are
Imagine a four year old girl growing up in contemporary Cambodia. Each morning she wakes up miles from home, homesick and scared. She is forced to beg for money for the brothel that she belongs to, and all of her earnings go straight to her master. Then, that night, about seven men come to the brothel. These men, some as old as fifty, often pay as little as two dollars to partake in sexual intercourse with these school-aged children. The toddlers enslaved in the horrific sex trade are forever stripped of their purity, making human trafficking a major issue in present day Cambodia. Over 30,000 children are sexually exploited annually (“Children for Sale”), and millions have been forced into human trafficking
All children and young people are potentially at risk of being sexually exploited. Child sexual exploitation (CSE) is a form of child sexual abuse where an individual or group takes advantage of an imbalance of power to coerce, manipulate or deceive a child or young person under the age of 18 into sexual activity (a) in exchange for something the victim needs or wants, and/or (b) for the financial advantage or increased status of the perpetrator or facilitator (New England definition 2017). The Education system via schools, youth services, parental advice have a vital role to play in reducing the risk by enabling children and young people to explore what makes a safe and healthy relationship. Youth work professionals can help young people
There are a variety of myths associated with sex workers. These myths derive from what is shown in the media and from what are being televised in movies and television series. Three of these myths includes, “the average age of entry into sex work being between 12 and 14, human sex trafficking being the most common form of modern-day slavery, and also “target the demand” works.” (Scott, 2016) The average age of sex worker recruitment is not limited between the ages of 12 and 14 years. These ages, however, do report a high number of recruitment each year. This is because many young females tend to run away from their homes due to problems in their environment. “In 2014, The Atlantic and The Washington Post tracked down the source of this erroneous information: a 2001 study from the University of Pennsylvania that looked only at minors. The study was not peer-reviewed, the researchers themselves said it was out of date, and many questioned the findings (most research points to an average of around 16 or 17 for minors entering sex work, so 13 would suggest many 9- and 10-year-olds, which limits the conversation to be only about the rare circumstance of a kidnapped child).” (Scott, 2016) However, this study and now myth lived on carrying a stigma of young children between the ages of 12 and 14 running away and joining sex trades and becoming sex workers. “This is still the most pervasive lie on the subject of sex work.” (Scott, 2016) Researchers and others are
Girls ages 14-17 were forced into work as domestic servants but it wasn’t uncommon to find many girls as young as 8 or 9 years of age (“Incidence and Nature of Child Labor” 2). Many of these children typically worked a 12-16 hour day and seven days a week (“Incidence and Nature of Child Trafficking” 2). This evidence shows this crisis is on the rise and as the years go by the children are getting younger and younger.
Most of the children involved with prostitution are girls, despite an increase in the number of young boys in the trade. Over 100,000 children have been forced into prostitution or pornography every year, as part of the $9.8 billion U.S. sex trafficking industry. “Child sex trafficking has been a severe problem. According to the Department of Justice, forty percent of all human trafficking cases opened for investigation between January 2008 and June 2010 were for the sexual trafficking of a child. Victims on average are between the