Intermental Interaction in Margaret Atwood’s Oryx and Crake: A Cognitive Narratological Approach

Abstract

This research explores the externalist perspective projected by Margaret Atwood’s Oryx and Crake through the protagonist’s perception of the unification of social  thoughts. It dynamically examines the dystopian scenario presented as a tool for expressing the shared consciousness of fear and uncertainty, thereby engendering a feeling of socialised deviation. The potential strength of the situated identity is essential as a basis for initiating interaction in this narrative and tracking a unified mind. This interface is developed and centred on social interactions rather than individual thoughts or feelings. The study also analyses the representations of characters’ minds with textual cues that prompt readers to draw particular kinds of inferences about the contents and dispositions of those thoughts. It considers ways in which the dystopian world depicted in the novel, to various degrees, serves as a reflection of the change of events signalled by changes in the thoughts of the character. The social mind of conflict, competition, and exploitation are also outlined in this study.