For present purposes he's shortened the name. He's only Snowman. He's kept the abominable to himself, his own secret hair shirt.
In "Oryx and Crake" by Margaret Atwood, the character known as Snowman has chosen to simplify his identity by dropping the more complex name that connects him to his past. By referring to himself only as Snowman, he sheds external labels and masks, distancing himself from the weight of his history and the painful truths associated with it. The phrase "kept the abominable to himself" suggests that Snowman harbors deep, unsettling memories or traits that he chooses not to reveal. This self-imposed isolation serves as a form of personal penance, akin to wearing a hair shirt as a sign of his inner turmoil and guilt. His decision to keep these burdens private underscores a significant theme of the novel—struggling with one's identity in a world that constantly challenges and complicates it.
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All the things you can talk about in anyone's work are the things that are least important.
Race of Cain, ascend to heaven, And cast God down upon the earth!
