A Study of Margaret Atwood's Maddaddam Trilogy through the Lens of Material Eco-criticism

This thesis employs material ecocriticism as its theoretical framework to conduct a systematic analysis of Margaret Atwood's MaddAddam Trilogy. It explores how the trilogy reconstructs the relationship between the human and the non-human world through material narratives, thereby transcending anthropocentrism and pointing toward the possibility of a cross-species symbiotic ethics. In the contemporary context where genetic engineering and digital technologies increasingly blur biological and cultural boundaries, Atwood’s trilogy serves not only as a literary imagination of a possible future but also as a profound critique of current ecological crises, technological overreach, and ethical disorder. The research applies the core propositions of material ecocriticism—particularly its emphasis on the vitality of matter, trans-corporeal mobility, and narrative agency—as the primary lens for textual interpretation. The theory dismantles the traditional binaries of human/non-human, nature/culture, and subject/object, arguing that all material forms possess agential capacity and the potential to generate meaning. The analysis reveals that within the trilogy, non-human matter is far from passive; rather, it actively participates as an agent in narrative construction and ethical shaping. Microorganisms, such as the JUVE virus, rewrite the global order through their logic of propagation. Plants carry cultural significance and facilitate spiritual exchange, as seen in the practices of God's Gardeners. Genetically engineered products like the Crakers and Pigoons constantly challenge human definitions of life, intelligence, and morality through their emergent behaviors, emotions, and communicative abilities. Meanwhile, human characters undergo profound subjectivity reconstruction through interactions with these non-human entities, gradually dismantling their anthropocentric worldview. Through its narrative design, the MaddAddam Trilogy outlines a vision of ecological ethics based on material interconnectedness and trans-corporeal coexistence. The practices of “God’s Gardeners,” Toby’s gardening, and the negotiated relationships among humans, Crakers, and Pigoons foreshadow a decentralized, multispecies model of community. This community emphasizes symbiosis through dialogue, care, and justice amidst difference. Therefore, the thesis concludes that Atwood’s writing moves beyond simple apocalyptic warning; it provides a textual resource for rethinking how to re-embed humanity within the ecological network with humility and responsibility, and how to forge cross-species ethical contracts in an age of pervasive technology.