All At One Point/ The Aquatic Uncle [Short Stories 4 & 5] & Oryx & Crake [novel 7]

My main thought that All At One Point brought up was that it's amazing how people can occupy the same space and never really get to know each other. How people can be in the same room and never say hi. How quickly we forget those people once time has passed. I guess that's a little bit of a depressing thought, but it's true and I can't pretend otherwise. It always seems that at the end of something is when you finally start to get to know people then your time is up and it's time to keep moving on. On a happier note, it is also wonderful how

We already discussed in class that The Aquatic Uncle was about evolution but I also think it is about change. Change is constant and for a lot of people it is hard. In this story we have the uncle who is a fish that doesn't want to face having to live outside of water even though the world is changing around him. He is given plenty of options to go about change in a more comforting way but of course no one really likes change. I think this story is relevant to a lot of people's view on change. I enjoy that the author added a character who was the complete opposite of the uncle and that the main character had both of these people in their lives. By having someone who is on the opposing side that is also an understanding person really makes a big difference in people's view of change.



Oryx & Crake

So I actually started this book a few weeks ago because I thought we were suppose to read it for a different week. When I found out that we weren't suppose to read it I stopped reading it but will probably finish it for my last entry post. So this is what I thought about it so far; 

Parts 1-2 [chs 1-6]

I thought the opening to the book was pretty great. Since I am not a guy, I can only guess how they would act in such a situation as the snowman is put but from my point of view for Margaret, who is obviously a female as well, to capture the feeling of a male as her main character is dead on. Too often authors stay in their gender groups when writing because of course it is easier for someone to write about a gender mindset when you are indeed part of the gender group as well. I enjoy how she is getting the mindset of a guy, which we can especially see every time that snowman's/Jimmy's mother is mentioned. So far when the mother is mentioned we get this frustrated and defending mother who wants her child to both grow up and stay young at the same time. I think this is very typical in mothers and maybe it's also a little gender-typical, but none the less it supports the guys' mind.

The first part for me displays some of the things I'm worried about for the future. They don't fully get into what is really going on but at this point I have a feeling that Crake is the owner of this company, I'm guessing OrganInc Farms that we are introduced to in part 2, that during time ends up being the largest company. So large that they decide how the human race will evolve. Such as men not having facial hair. It would be very interesting to know what type of alterations we would have if we gave someone the power to change us and to take away things that we are used to, that make us human.

One of my favorite parts so far is when Jimmy is explaining how they lived when he was younger when  OrganInc Farms's workers had their own community and relates it to medieval times.

"So are we the kings and dukes?" asked Jimmy.

"Oh, absolutely," said his father, laughing.

I'm finding it difficult to explain why I enjoy this little exchange between son and father. I think it shows a lot how the book is going to go. How Jimmy is going to grow up having had his parents, mostly his father, work at this huge company and live a higher class life than most people but then he's going to be completely against the after effects of this company. 

So far I think this book has a lot to do with change, realization, and how both of those ideas are going to effect each other. Such as, how the main character is going to try to get through to the next day realizing he can't change the past.

Bloodchild [short story 3]

I have enjoyed reading some short stories lately, it's something I rarely do because I kind of forget that they're there. When you usually finish a novel they make you feel as if you're glad that you've been told this story. They have this completed sense about them, even series have this completion and when they don't we feel as if something was left out. Short stories don't really need to solve anything, they don't need to make you feel as if everything turned out alright.

So when I said that this story was strange, I really meant that it's different. Yes there were a lot of unusual elements to the story but that's not necessarily bad. After talking about the story in class, it's pretty clear what this story is about; survival. It's not about survival of the fittest, which I dislike that phrase anyway because it's selfish, but it's just plain and simple survival. Doing exactly what you have to because you might not know any better, it's expected of you, or out of sacrifice. I feel as if the main character gave into this life because he didn't know much else, he was almost forced into it in that sense because he didn't have a choice and the only choice he had was sacrifice. It's easy to stand back and judge him for giving in, for not fighting more, for not wanting something different for himself. I can't decide if I feel his actions were heroic or stupidity. When I think about what I would have done in his case, it's hard to say that it was stupidity. To one's self it wouldn't feel like a heroic act but as an outside realizing the sacrifice how can you not say it's heroic. Then in the same sense I think he was foolish. He was foolish to give up his life to just live for bearing the alien's offspring. 

But of course as soon as I say that we have to get into the idea of humans and the fact the so many people give up almost all they have to their children. I don't think people should have to feel that way. If having a child makes someone so unhappy because they have to leave their old life, then don't have one. There is nothing worse than making someone feel regret for something they cannot change. Though that's sort of another subject entirely.

Another aspect of the story that I thought was different was the connection between the main character and the alien. Sure he grew up being shown diagrams, he sort of accepted the fact that his life was planned out for him. He lived in the reserved pretty much like a caged animal, sure he was safe, sure he wasn't going to be given away to a stranger and these situations seem great because either way his fate was sealed. He had this bond with the alien, and it was strong enough for him to do what he needed to do and not resent her for it. I guess that's what I think was so odd about their relationship, the fact that there wasn't any resentment. How can you feel the same about someone if the only choices they give you are negative. Either you let my children feed off of you and when they are ready to come out it could kill you or your sister gets it. Then you think about it what does being upset about it do for you, bitterness? If she asked him for such a sacrifice then why didn't she sacrifice her children. She wanted to watch him grow up that's why she chose him, he basically was her child, how can you put that type of burden on someone you love just for your own sake. 

I enjoyed the brother as a character. I think he was the easiest to relate to about how I felt about their situation. Yet I pity him, he wanted out, he didn't want his fate to just be like everyone else's. I'd like to think that maybe he changed his fate but since the story was about survival I know that is unrealistic. There really was no way for him to run away no matter how hard he tried. I still admire his spirit to want more. This is something I rarely say because I usually find something to relate to in people but I despised the mother, she was weak in my opinion. She felt that she owed the alien one of her children because the alien introduced her to her husband. Could she not realize that the alien was practically breeding them there was nothing selfless in her actions. So she just stood aside, practically ignoring the fact that her sons were being given up as incubators.

The story was written a little gory, I enjoyed how the alien's children were refereed to as grub. That was a nice little touch, made them seem like leeches. I didn't really think about the author as male of female, I guess we could say that it's much more likely that a female would write about birth but I don't think we can completely rule out that fact that a guy could write this story. So I did like this short story, there was a lot to think about and I always think that's a positive thing.

the future.

I'm a bit torn about how I feel about the future and where technology is going and how they are going to effect each other.

In some ways I wish technology would stay the way it is now, but I know that isn't going to happen. Then there is another part of me that can't help but deny that some of the future technology will be extremely beneficial to us.

I'm one of those people who grew up without technology as well as with it. Meaning that I didn't start getting into technology till I was in middle school. I lived in a smaller city, which at that time there was more land than houses but of course now it is no longer that way, and we didn't really get that into computers till later. Once DVDs started coming out both my sister and I tried to deny the fact that they were going to replace VHS but now that DVDs are popular we like it that way, same with blu-rays. We also still have never had tv channels at our house so we're used to not watching tv.

But I feel like there will be types of technology that will help us such as replacing legs, arms, or other body parts. Then there are things that I feel are unnecessary, such as 3D tvs. I'm really not excited to see where tv technology is going to go. I guess that's because I don't watch tv. Since I do watch a lot of movies, I still feel a dislike for 3D. I already get really wrapped up in movies and I think too many directors will chose to or be forced to make 3D movies and they will rely on that 3D effect rather than focus on better story plots.

I also know that with the way the world is heading involving the environment we will probably need to change our technology so that we can continue to function.

So as I mentioned before, I'm torn because I understand that somethings I just won't be able to change, other things I wish I could change, and then there's also those things that I know we need because everything is changing.