What do these words mean?
Why does Snowman collect them?
What is their significance in the context of the novel?
Group 1: pp. 84-85 “Tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow…” OR “sere” and “incarnadine”
Group 2: “cork-nut”
Group 3: p. 148 “mephitic, metronome, mastitis, metatarsal, maudlin”
Group 4: “bogus” and “awesome”
4 replies on “4/19 in-class writing”
mephitic noxious; pestilential; poisonous. – he smells bad
metronome – keeps time – refers to the fat that he doesn’t know what time it is
mastasis – some sort of breast infection, may refer to his mother, caused her problems – maybe he thinks he is some sort of infection on the current Earth
metatarsal foot bones – refers to his foot injury
maudlin – self-pityingly or tearfully sentimental, often through drunkenness – refers to what he is currently doing
All words that describe his current condition, except the breast thing.
Group 4 – “Bogus” and “Awesome”
Members: Kodjo A, Erica S, Vincent P, Christopher S
What do these words mean?
The word “bogus” is used to describe Snowman’s current own reality and fate. The word “awesome” is also referred to as another old word similar to “bogus”.
Why does Snowman collect them?
Snowman collected both of the words “bogus” and “awesome” in DVD archives. Both of these words are also used in the past with Crake, which can show a correlation between the use of the words by Snowman as a way to hold onto the past through the use of both of these words.
What is their significance in the context of the novel?
Snowman uses the word “bogus” throughout the novel to describe his reality. In the later half of the novel reflecting on Jimmy’s life prior to being Snowman, he is seen using the word “bogus” with Crake. Similarly, “awesome” is also from Jimmy’s earlier life with Crake.
Jules F., Sarah S., Sara B., Wenting W.
“Tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow”—means hope or renewal.
“Creeps in this petty pace from day to day”—the days go by fast
“To the last syllable of recorded time” Right now is the last syllable of the recorded time until it’s not anymore, because time just keeps going.
“And all our yesterdays have lighted fools the way to dusty death”—every day that happened already made fools much closer to their deaths
He might have collected these words because of the idea of evolution and letting the body grow, to keep notice of what happened as you grow.
Everyone always has the idea that the next day will be better than yesterday, that the future is bright and there are opportunities, but ultimately each day leads to death.
Cork-nut is a word invented by Alex the parrot. It is used as a derogatory word that only Jimmy and Alex the parrot knew the meaning of. It is used in the same context as the word idiot and eventually was picked up by everyone else. Because it came from Jimmy, it made him “semi-cool” with the other kids in his compound. It is significant because it is something that he brought with him to the new world, which in a way was a piece of his old world that he carries with him. The word symbolizes his wit and prowess to “turn-a-phrase. He brings this wit as an old-world person that is inhabiting the new world. Throughout the book, Jimmy has been struggling with his grades as most subjects, especially the sciences, did not come easily to him. This is a source of a lot of his struggles as his father and best friend were science people, while he was not and it made him feel more estranged. He ended up in a worse college because of his grades so all he really ever had as a strength was his words. It is somehow ironic that of all people to be stuck with the Crakers at the end of civilization is someone like Jimmy who is about his wit and his words. He hardly has an audience to understand the complexity of his words, it is as if Shakespear is trapped in a world where nobody speaks English.