The Year of the Flood
Feminist philosopher Carolyn Merchant charts changes in the worldview of Europeans from the pre-modern to modern eras and claims that "as long as the earth was considered to be alive and sensitive, it could be considered a breach of human ethical behavior to carry out destructive acts against it." Discuss this change in worldview from the earth as a living organism to the earth as inert matter to be manipulated and exploited for resources. Bring in Atwood's The Year of the Flood as your primary textual example.