Of Monster and Man: Transgenics and Transgression in Margaret Atwood’s ＂Oryx and Crake＂

This paper ventures on an inquiry into the fine boundary between human and monster in Margaret Atwood's ”Oryx and Crake”. There are three parts in this article. The first section tackles the singularity of the human form and the anthropocentric hierarchy between human and other species. Inasmuch as the pigoons and the Crakers resemble human beings in corporeality and prove more adaptive to the post-apocalyptic wasteland, I argue that bioengineered creatures as such render the lone Snowman a Frankenstein's Monster. The second section focuses on Crake's scientific manipulation in terms of ethical transgressions. While Crake may be easily categorized as a ”mad scientist,” his destruction of the human race actually attests to a monstrous form of ”homo faber” when science colludes with capitalism. The last section reads Snowman's storytelling as a ”leftover” tale in contrast to Robinson Crusoe's ”survivor” legend. As human monstrosity derives from anthropocentrism and ethical violations, Snowman must open up the enclosure and separation intrinsic in Crusoe's ”homo faber” by respecting and tolerating others.