MaddAddam -- discussion guide Bringing together Oryx and Crake and The Year of the Flood, this thrilling conclusion to Margaret Atwood’s speculative fiction trilogy points toward the ultimate endurance of community, and love. Months after the Waterless Flood pandemic has wiped out most of humanity, Toby and Ren have rescued their friend Amanda from the vicious Painballers. They return to the MaddAddamite cob house, newly fortified against man and giant pigoon alike. Accompanying them are the Crakers, the gentle, quasi-human species engineered by the brilliant but deceased Crake. Their reluctant prophet, Snowman-the-Jimmy, is recovering from a debilitating fever, so it’s left to Toby to preach the Craker theology, with Crake as Creator. She must also deal with cultural misunderstandings, terrible coffee, and her jealousy over her lover, Zeb. Zeb has been searching for Adam One, founder of the God’s Gardeners, the pacifist green religion from which Zeb broke years ago to lead the MaddAddamites in active resistance against the destructive CorpSeCorps. But now, under threat of a Painballer attack, the MaddAddamites must fight back with the aid of their newfound allies, some of whom have four trotters. At the center of MaddAddam is the story of Zeb’s dark and twisted past, which contains a lost brother, a hidden murder, a bear, and a bizarre act of revenge. Combining adventure, humor, romance, superb storytelling, and an imagination at once dazzlingly inventive and grounded in a recognizable world, MaddAddam is vintage Margaret Atwood—a moving and dramatic conclusion to her internationally celebrated dystopian trilogy. Questions and Topics for Discussion 1. Why are Adam and Zeb so different? Or are they more similar than they first seem? 2. The MaddAddamites set about building a basic community for themselves, one that meets the need for food, clothing, shelter, and an energy source. If you were in this position, would you do things differently? Should children be taught elementary survival skills? English 12 AP R. Guraliuk

MaddAddam -- discussion guide · 2018-02-08 · MaddAddam -- discussion guide Bringing together Oryx and Crake and The Year of the Flood, this thrilling conclusion to Margaret Atwood’s

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MaddAddam--discussionguide

BringingtogetherOryxandCrakeandTheYearoftheFlood,thisthrillingconclusiontoMargaretAtwood’sspeculativefictiontrilogypointstowardtheultimateenduranceofcommunity,andlove.MonthsaftertheWaterlessFloodpandemichaswipedoutmostofhumanity,TobyandRenhaverescuedtheirfriendAmandafromtheviciousPainballers.TheyreturntotheMaddAddamitecobhouse,newlyfortifiedagainstmanandgiantpigoonalike.AccompanyingthemaretheCrakers,thegentle,quasi-humanspeciesengineeredbythebrilliantbutdeceasedCrake.Theirreluctantprophet,Snowman-the-Jimmy,isrecoveringfromadebilitating

fever,soit’slefttoTobytopreachtheCrakertheology,withCrakeasCreator.Shemustalsodealwithculturalmisunderstandings,terriblecoffee,andherjealousyoverherlover,Zeb.ZebhasbeensearchingforAdamOne,founderoftheGod’sGardeners,thepacifistgreenreligionfromwhichZebbrokeyearsagotoleadtheMaddAddamitesinactiveresistanceagainstthedestructiveCorpSeCorps.Butnow,underthreatofaPainballerattack,theMaddAddamitesmustfightbackwiththeaidoftheirnewfoundallies,someofwhomhavefourtrotters.AtthecenterofMaddAddamisthestoryofZeb’sdarkandtwistedpast,whichcontainsalostbrother,ahiddenmurder,abear,andabizarreactofrevenge.Combiningadventure,humor,romance,superbstorytelling,andanimaginationatoncedazzlinglyinventiveandgroundedinarecognizableworld,MaddAddamisvintageMargaretAtwood—amovinganddramaticconclusiontoherinternationallycelebrateddystopiantrilogy.

QuestionsandTopicsforDiscussion

1.WhyareAdamandZebsodifferent?Oraretheymoresimilarthantheyfirstseem?

2.TheMaddAddamitessetaboutbuildingabasiccommunityforthemselves,onethatmeetstheneedforfood,clothing,shelter,andanenergysource.Ifyouwereinthisposition,wouldyoudothingsdifferently?Shouldchildrenbetaughtelementarysurvivalskills?

English12APR.Guraliuk

Page 2: MaddAddam -- discussion guide · 2018-02-08 · MaddAddam -- discussion guide Bringing together Oryx and Crake and The Year of the Flood, this thrilling conclusion to Margaret Atwood’s

3.Whatcomment,ifany,doyouthinkMargaretAtwoodismakingaboutenvironmentalisminthisbook,throughorganizationslikeBearlift?OrdoesBearliftsuffersimplyfromthehumanflawsthatappearinallorganizations,nomatterhowwell-meaning?

4.TheInternethasanalmostphysicalpresenceinMaddAddam—the“lilypads,”thegameIntestinalParasites.DoyouthinkthisiswheretheInternetisheading?Isitbecominga“real”entityofitsown?

5.IsTobyrighttotrustZeb?DoyouthinkhisfeelingsforTobyaregenuine?

6.TobyteachesBlackbeardtowrite.Isthatagoodthingorabadthing?WhatconsequencesdoyouthinkthiswillhavefortheCrakersandtheirnewworld?

7.MargaretAtwood’strilogyoftenportrayshumansandourfuturegrimly,butitisalsobothfunnyandprofane.IsAtwood’sgallowshumoreffective?

8.WhatparallelsdoyouseebetweentheeventsofMaddAddamandrecenteventsinourrealworld?AreAtwood’sthreedystopianbooksexaggeratedorcouldtheyreallybeourfuture?

9.Despitehavingseemedviolentanddisposedtoeathumans,thePigoonsultimatelydisplaymorecompassionthanmanyofthehumansinMaddAddam.IsthatbecausethePigoonsareanimals,orisitbecauseoftheimplantedhumantissueintheirbrains?

10.TheCrakersseekstoriesfromJimmyandTobytoexplaintheworldaroundthem.Whatdothesestoriessayabouthowmythsareformed?Isthedesireforreligioninnatewithinus?WhatdoyouthinkMaddAddamissayingaboutourneedforgodsandhowreligionsarecreated?

11.Howimportantislanguageinshapingandchanginghistoryandrumourintomyth?DiscussthewaygodsforminToby’smonologuestotheCrakers—includingtheonenamedforaswearword?