It was a wicked game. Homer, says Snowman, making his way through the dripping-wet vegetation. The Divine Comedy. Greek statuary. Aqueducts. Paradise Lost. Mozart's music. Shakespeare, complete works. The Brontës. Tolstoy. The Pearl Mosque. Chartres Cathedral. Bach. Rembrandt. Verdi. Joyce. Penicillin. Keats. Turner. Heart transplants. Polio vaccine. Berlioz. Baudelaire. Bartok. Yeats. Woolf.
In "Oryx and Crake," the protagonist Snowman reflects on a world filled with the remnants of cultural and historical significance. As he navigates through a lush yet decaying environment, he conjures memories of great works of art and literature, from Homer's epics to Shakespeare's plays and the music of renowned composers. This evokes a sense of loss, as these achievements symbolize humanity's potential which now seems overshadowed by destruction and ruin.
The mention of significant figures and milestones like the polio vaccine, heart transplants, and various masterpieces underscores the contrast between human creativity and the current desolation. Snowman's journey serves as a poignant reminder of both the marvels of human innovation and the fragility of civilization, illustrating the consequences of a world where such brilliance is at risk of being forgotten.
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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!
