Abstract
The novels analyzed for this thesis, Ernest Cline’s Ready Player One (2011) and M.T Anderson’s Feed (2002), explore the topic of subjectivity and coming of age in relation to the body and the physical, social and virtual environments the protagonists find themselves in. The main argument of this thesis is that both Ready Player One and Feed portray the formation of human subjectivity as in dialogue with the physical body, rather than simply existing as a function of the brain. Furthermore, the thesis explores how the novels depict capitalist-oriented technology as a threat to human agency and the natural environment. Lastly, the thesis argues that both texts advocate for a closer physical and emotional connection to other (human) beings and nature, although they may simultaneously question the ability of humanity to actually achieve this goal.