Oryx and Crake

You can be whatever you want to be. This simple phrase is told to children and young adults time and time again, encouraging them to be original and shoot for the stars in every aspect of their lives, but how much truth does it actually hold? “You can be anything you want to be” is a wide exaggeration. Can we really be “anything” we want to be? The answer is no. As a human being, one cannot simply decide to become a dog. Sure, technology can improve so that we may change some very prominent things about ourselves, such as gender and overall appearance, but can anything really be changed?

The book Oryx and Crake addresses the idea of changing ones self in a future where genetic manipulation and extreme plastic surgery are the most common of everyday practices. This future, while horribly frightening, resonates with the reader in a very personal way. In these days of extreme beauty worshiping, its no secret that everyone has something about their physical appearance they wouldn’t mind changing. Oryx and Crake suggests that in this future, changing things such as height, weight, and even gender are the most common and overused practices in their world. While we may not have the technology to make such extreme ideas an everyday practice, we often find ourselves emulating said ideas, especially as children. “Avatar” websites are highly enjoyed amongst teens and younger children alike. Kids are able to pick their body type, hairstyle, clothing, and even more extreme features such as race or animal appendages. These sites give body-obsessed teens the opportunity to be all of these things and change everything about themselves using only a computer and a little imagination; They are free to be as unique or as simple as they so choose. Perhaps one day these choices may be as simple as clicking a mouse around on a computer screen. Perhaps through our societies’ body obsession, we may finally take changing ourselves to the extreme and finally become the person we truly want to be.