Utopia and Anthropocene: Capitalism and Societal Intersections in Margaret Atwood’s MaddAddam Trilogy

Authors

  • Eugênia Adamy Basso Instituto Federal do Rio Grande do Sul

Abstract

Margaret Atwood’s trilogy — Oryx and Crake (2003), The Year of the Flood (2009), and MaddAddam (2013) — depicts a dystopian landscape in which technological manipulation and the unchecked expansion of capitalism converge within a weakened state increasingly governed by powerful corporations. This dystopian scenario, often understood as the aftermath of failed utopian aspirations, foregrounds social inequality, environmental devastation, resource scarcity, and systemic violence as consequences of a neoliberal turn. At the same time, the proliferation of technological innovations fosters a transhumanist ideal of human enhancement, estranging bodies from their organic foundations. The aim of this article is to examine how human activity, as a (de)structuring force of social and ethical environments, has shaped the Anthropocene, ultimately presenting nonhuman bodies as a potential locus of hope for reimagining society.

 

Keywords:

Dystopia; Utopia; Anthropocene; Capitalism; Society.

 

Author Biography

  • Eugênia Adamy Basso, Instituto Federal do Rio Grande do Sul

    Holds a Bachelor’s degree in Portuguese and English Language and Literature from the Federal University of Pelotas (2016), a Master’s degree in Letters from the Federal University of Pelotas (2019), and a PhD in Letters from the Graduate Program in Letters at the Federal University of Pelotas (2023). Currently serves as a faculty member at the Federal Institute of Education, Science and Technology of Rio Grande do Sul (IFRS) and as Extension Coordinator at the Veranópolis Campus. Has experience in the field of Letters, with an emphasis on Literature and research in literary dystopias.

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Published

2026-03-10

Issue

Vol. 5 No. 2 (2025)

Section

Artigos

License

Copyright (c) 2026 INSÓLITA - Revista Brasileira de Estudos Interdisciplinares do Insólito, da Fantasia e do Imaginário

Creative Commons License

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How to Cite

Utopia and Anthropocene: Capitalism and Societal Intersections in Margaret Atwood’s MaddAddam Trilogy. (2026). INSÓLITA - Revista Brasileira De Estudos Interdisciplinares Do Insólito, Da Fantasia E Do Imaginário, 5(2), 69-82. https://revistas.intercom.org.br/index.php/insolita/article/view/5193