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September 10, 2025Open Access

Multiple Levels of Inherent Malevolence in Margaret Atwood’s MaddAddam

Key Points

The novel illustrates how certain sects derive pleasure from the suffering of others, leading to a cycle of addictive violence.
Environmental pollution is a central theme, reflecting real-world concerns about the impact of human actions on the planet.
Atwood explores human-virus relations in the context of a post-apocalyptic world, adding depth to the narrative.
The emergence of new illnesses and the threat of pandemics underscore the urgency of addressing environmental destruction.

Abstract

Margaret Atwood's much anticipated dystopian trilogy comes to a gripping and dramatic close with MaddAddam, which epitomises her signature blend of adventure, humour, romance, deft storytelling and a vivid imagination that is firmly rooted in reality. MaddAddam mostly adhered to the same structure as the first two novels, even though it began soon after the conclusion of The Year of the Flood. This post-apocalyptic dystopian trilogy is plausible, complete with nuclear sword-rattling, environmental pollution, the resurgence of ancient diseases, and the emergence of new illnesses that have the potential to spread into a pandemic. The complex interactions that occur between humans and other species—both in the context of human-virus relations and in the broader context of anthropogenic environmental destruction—have also been brought to light by the outbreak. This is just as crucial. This paper surveys how certain sects in the novel derive pleasure from the sufferings of others and their desire to harm others turns into addictive violence.

Multiple Levels of Inherent Malevolence in Margaret Atwood’s MaddAddam

Key Points

Abstract

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