Baroque Apocalypse in Homero Aridjis’ «Gran teatro del fin del mundo»

Abstract

The present article provides a (neo)baroque reading of the dystopic and postapocalyptic universe of Homero Aridjis’ (Mexico, 1940) Gran teatro del fin del mundo. The use of dystopia and allegory subverts the Western anthropologic paradigm: utopias of continuous progress and triumphant individualism can be read in reverse. The analysis is structured in three parts: first part establishes the nature of intertextual relationship with Calderón’s baroque piece El gran teatro del mundo; second part describes ironic dystopia in Gran teatro del fin del mundo; third part highlights the logic of reversed aridjian aesthetics.