Global Capitalism in Oryx and Crake

Abstract

In her speculative fiction novel Oryx and Crake, Margaret Atwood follows emerging global capitalism to its possible ends. As a response to our own world, her novel provides us with an opportunity to examine our global state and conceivable destiny. The result is the discovery of a globalized society dominated by transnational corporations determined to control the population for their benefits. These corporations are reliant on the production of myths to convince consumers to buy their products of sex, beauty, and youth. In Atwood's world everything is available for a price. These myths, perpetuated by various media sources, infuse people with desires and ideals that benefit corporations even as the people responding to these desires recognize them only as natural. From this revelation in a fictional work, we can better understand the risks of globalization in our own world.