Estratégias de sobrevivência em cenários de opressão: uma leitura da distopia O Ano da Graça à luz da síndrome de Estocolmo

Abstract

This article analyzes the survival mechanisms of women in contexts of oppression, based on the novel The Grace Year by Kim Liggett (2019), a dystopia in which young girls are isolated and subjected to a purification ritual to eliminate an alleged destructive magic. The dystopian genre is adopted as a theoretical framework, drawing on the reflections of authors such as Gregory Claeys (2017) and Leomir Hilário (2013), who understand the genre as a critical tool against oppressive social structures. Based on bibliographic and literary analysis, the study investigates how the protagonist, Tierney James, faces violence and psychological coercion within a patriarchal system, developing an ambiguous bond with her captor. Drawing from considerations on Stockholm Syndrome (Graham, 1994; Yonamine, 2016), the article discusses how forming emotional ties with an aggressor can emerge as a strategy of adaptation and psychic preservation in the face of systematized violence. By drawing parallels with real cases, such as the Stockholm kidnapping (1973) and the story of Natascha Kampusch, the article highlights how survival in oppressive contexts can blur the lines between victims and perpetrators. It concludes that such emotional dynamics, often judged simplistically, constitute complex responses to structural domination, pointing to the need for non-moralizing interpretations of survival strategies in patriarchal societies.

Keywords: Dystopia. Feminine writing. Oppression. Stockholm syndrome. The Grace Year.