Time capsule found on the dead planet

This study guide will help you analyze the short story “Time capsule found on the dead planet” (2009) by Margaret Atwood. You can also find a summary of the text, as well as inspiration for interpreting it and putting it into perspective.

Margaret Atwood (b. 1939) is a Canadian writer, teacher, inventor, and environmental activist. Many of Atwood’s literary works explore themes such as gender, identity, religion, and climate change. The short story “Time capsule found on the dead planet” was written in support of the 10:10 climate change campaign, whose aim was the reduction of 10% of the carbon footprint by 2010.

Excerpt

Below, you can read an excerpt from our study guide:

Symbols

The most powerful symbol used in the short story is money. At first, coins are a reminder of the past, as the faces of animals on their sides remind humans of past gods and give them a sense of comfort. However, money soon stops being a means of exchange and replaces the old gods, becoming a deity in itself. Money then becomes a symbol of power, ambition, and greed. For the sake of earning more money, humanity destroys itself and is unable to stop: “We made these deserts from the desire for more money and despair at the lack of it. Wars, plagues and famines visited us, but we did not stop in our industrious creation of deserts.”

Deserts are symbols of death ...