More or Less Human: An Ecocritical Exploration of the Posthuman in Margaret Atwood’s MaddAddam Trilogy

Abstract

We live in a time when science and technology are exerting more pressure than ever before on what it means to be human. As such, it has become necessary to consider the implications and limitations of a shift into the posthuman guided by science and technology. Supported by a close reading of the texts, this dissertation explores the posthuman as portrayed in Margaret Atwood’s MaddAddam trilogy. Critically analysing Atwood’s advocacy of a balanced shift towards a posthuman era, one not solely focused on the possibilities of human enhancement through scientific and technological intervention, but rather one which includes a close consideration of the elemental psyche of human beings, I argue that Atwood’s intervention has substantial merit. Atwood’s choice to foreground affect through observations of the human inclination towards religion, symbolism, and storytelling highlights the necessity of considering the aspects of the human mind which cannot be suppressed nor removed. Furthermore, her exploration of survivalism draws our attention to the unconscious aspects which contribute to our human condition. Atwood’s texts also explore contemporary posthuman theory in relation to the current environmental crisis we face. Exploration of the various approaches to the posthuman in this multivalent way is necessary to ensure that the posthuman does not perpetuate our negative impact on the natural environment.