ECOLOGICAL DYSTOPIA AND GLOBAL RESPONSIBILITY IN MARGARET ATWOOD’S PROSE

Abstract

The article discusses Margaret Atwood’s work as one of the most important and impressive examples of how literature can awaken public self-awareness and strengthen discourse on environmental and ethical issues. Atwood’s dystopian novels, such as “Oryx and Crake” and “The Year of the Flood”, not only warn humanity of impending ecological catastrophes but also show how technological pressures and human greed can damage nature, society, and human identity. Atwood offers readers complex and multidimensional stories that combine fantasy, reality, scientific progress, and moral dilemmas. In Oryx and Crake, she describes a world devastated by biotechnological experiments and environmental neglect. Here, the creation of genetically modified humans so so-called “crakers” – represent both scientific ambition and the loss of human ethics. In this way, Atwood invites readers to reflect on where the line between progress and responsibility is drawn. In “The Year of the Flood”, the writer manages to save the world through an eco-religious group, the “Gardeners of God.” Their approach, which combines ecological awareness and spirituality, creates an alternative narrative in which harmony with nature and social coexistence play a crucial role in survival. Atwood’s vision is opposed to the modern industrial and predatory economic model, which is based on the deterministic consumption of resources and the exploitation of nature. It is also important that Atwood is not limited to scientific and ecological topics; her novels about gender inequality, violence, and women's resilience are set in a real environment. The characters of the work - Toby and Ren - are symbols of women's strength, their indomitable nature, who manage to survive and maintain dignity in difficult social conditions. Atwood's work is an indicator that literature is not only a reflection of reality, but also its transformation. Her dystopian narrative forces us to think about our actions and their long-term consequences, about climate change, the technological edge, and the need for social justice. She connects science, ethics, sociology, and philosophy in a single literary space, thereby allowing the reader to engage in a global dialogue.