Bioethical Issues in Margaret Atwood's Narrative

Since its birth, bioethics has been an interdisciplinary inquiry blending philosophy, theology, law, medicine, the social sciences and the humanities to reflect on the complex interactions of human life and techno-science. The present work aims to underline the central role of literature for contemporary bioethical reflection by analyzing Margaret Atwood’s cautionary novels The Handmaid’s Tale (1985), Oryx and Crake (2003) and The Year of the Flood (2009). In particular, The Handmaid’s Tale provides a framework for discussion on biopower, the female body and the ethics of ARTs (Assisted Reproduction Technologies), while Oryx and Crake and The Year of the Flood allow us to analyze other bioethical concerns, namely ecology and the ethics of genetic engineering.