An archetype is the perfect example or model of something. It would be something that serves as a model or example for future copies of that thing.  An example of an archetype used in our unit is from Oryx and Crake. Although archetype is sort of the ideal that is copied, in Oryx and Crake, Crake attempted to create the archetype of what he thought humans ought to be. By creating what he felt was the perfect human he was attempting to create the human archetype. He created them in as many ways having an ideal as much as possible. For example, he felt ideally, that people should not be racist or even notice differences of color between each other. In order to fit that into his archetype, he makes the Crakers different colors and programs them to not notice the color differences amongst themselves. He could have easily made them all the same color and still made them not care for color. Or he could have made them all different colors and notice each other differences but still programmed to not care. Either or these options would have the same effect. But for Crake’s ideals, humans come in different colors and there isn’t one color that ought to be the archetype, therefore the Crakers should have different colors. Another example is how they are all programmed to die at age 30. In order for the Crakers to always be the archetype, he cannot have elderly ones, because then they would not be ideal as they age. Rather they are always ideal and then they die. The last example is how they all have green eyes. We learn in the book that Crake’s personal preference of what he felt was the ideal eye color was green. He found it to be the most appealing eye color, therefore his archetype people should all express this ideal look. Although archetype usually refers to something that serves as a “classic” example that is then copied, in Oryx and Crake an archetype is being created backward in which the ideal is taken from bits and pieces from everyone and then put together to create an archetype.

“Archetype – Dictionary Definition.” Vocabulary.com, www.vocabulary.com/dictionary/archetype.

“Archetypes Revealed in Oryx & Crake – by Margaret Atwood.” Brooke’s Blog Diary, 26 Apr. 2017, fultonblogger.wordpress.com/2017/04/26/archetypes-revealed-in-oryx-crake-by-margaret-atwood/.

The “Uncanny Valley” is a term coined in 1970 by Masahiro Mori that describes our revolting reaction to something that seems very human but is not exactly. His research suggests that the more human something seems the more our affinity goes up for that thing until it seems a little too human. When something becomes too human, our affinity for it drops suddenly and we are disturbed by it.

We can see this effect happening in Frankenstein by Mary Shelly. In the book, Victor Frankenstein creates a creature that looks very human. He uses real human parts to make him. But when he becomes animated Frankenstein is horrified. It is something that looks very realistically human, but is not exactly. This is an exact example of the effect of the uncanny valley.

“Oh! No mortal could support the horror of that countenance. A mummy again endued with animation could not be so hideous as that wretch. I had gazed on him while unfinished; he was ugly then; but when those muscles and joints were rendered capable of motion, it became a thing such as even Dante could not have conceived.”

Frankenstein is describing the very concept of the uncanny valley in that passage. He said it was ugly when he was putting him together. Obviously, he still looks the same when animated, he is just moving around and seeming alive now. But it is when something that seems human becomes a little too human, in this case through animation, that it when the uncanny valley effect occurs.

Mori, Masahiro. “The Uncanny Valley: The Original Essay by Masahiro Mori.” IEEE Spectrum: Technology, Engineering, and Science News, IEEE Spectrum, 12 June 2012, spectrum.ieee.org/automaton/robotics/humanoids/the-uncanny-valley.

Schwarz, Rob. “10 Creepy Examples of the Uncanny Valley.” Stranger Dimensions, Stranger Dimensions, 14 Sept. 2017, www.strangerdimensions.com/2013/11/25/10-creepy-examples-uncanny-valley/.