An Eye on Valente’s Dystopian World: An Ecocritical Reading of the Past is Red

Abstract

Dystopian Fiction describes a world with destruction and chaos. Catherynne M. Valente’s The Past Is Red (2021) presents a dystopian world shaped by ecological destruction, climate change, and the consequences of human exploitation of the natural environment. There is a lot of research  on this novel but inadequate research is available on its representation of material environments and the interaction between human and nonhuman agencies. By employing textual analysis by Catherine Belsey, guided by Serenella Iovino and Serpil Oppermann’s theory of Material Ecocriticism, This study aims to explore the dystopian world in the novel by using the lens of Material Ecocriticism. The research examines how Valente highlights ecological degradation through physical environments, material objects, and nonhuman forces, while concluding the results of human actions on environment. The findings reveal that The Past Is Red portrays the environment not merely as a passive backdrop but as an active material force that shapes human experiences and narratives.