A responsabilidade do arconte e a representação do antropoceno no romance pós-apocalíptico Oryx e Crake, de Margaret Atwood

Abstract

Drawing on the notion of the archon as proposed by Sonia Torres (2021), we aim to analyze Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood, focusing on the context, actions, and legacies of Snowman, the character who assumes the role of archon by preserving and reconstructing the collective memory of the extinct humanity. The methodology is based on textual and comparative analysis, intertwining literature, philosophy, and environmental studies to understand how this figure operates within the narrative. Our reading is supported by Derrida (1995), Foucault (1970), and Barthes (1966), exploring discourse and the construction of memory, as well as by authors such as Negri (2008) and Caldeira (2000), who discuss social segregation and corporate dominance in the novel. We observe how the protagonist manipulates his position as a guardian of history, creating a religious system that blends facts and invention, both to fill the void of collapse and to legitimize himself. We conclude that the figure of the archon in Oryx and Crake not only redefines memory and the power of narrative but also reflects human fragility in the face of the Anthropocene, where what is told about the past can be as decisive as the future itself.