Analysis of Octavia Butler's "Bloodchild" Essay

In “Bloodchild,” Butler creates a combination of characters to portray the two extremes: accepting the flaws of others (Gan) or rejecting them (Qui). This concept is done to create a parallel to our current society in which those who are afraid of difference create a system in which they are separated, such as they did in the 50’s which they segregate whites and blacks. In the story, Butler writes, “After a moment, she looked up at me, her sudden stillness a sign of deep impatience,” to establish that T’Gatoi is in power and is stripping Gan of his agency by intimidating him with facial expressions similar to that of animals scaring away their predators (Butler 10).  As the story progresses, there is evidence of an abusive relationship between Gan and T’Gatoi when Butler adds, “She knocked me across the room. Her tail was an efficient weapon whether she exposed the sting or not.” This scene proves that T’Gatoi is abuse of power because of her sense of superiority over Gan. This exchange more largely emphasizes that T’Gatoi is trying to subdue Gan such as, a slave owners would whip their slaves into submission (Butler 11).

Whites didn’t just open the door up and say, ‘Yall come in, integration done come.’ ‘It didn’t happen that way in Oxford. Somebody was bruised and kicked and knocked around-you better believe it’”. The social revolution of the 1960s changed America in ways that will be debated for a long time to come. Legacies both positive and negative were a part of that revolution, along with a few stirring controversies held over. Stories of heroic acts of protest, sweeping reforms, and unresolved crimes remain with people even today. In Oxford, it seemed that the nonviolent Civil Rights Movement had accomplished almost nothing, for white Oxford had closed the gate against reform. In the book, “Blood Done Sign My Name “, Tyson telling a story where an impassioned sense of justice is denied. Throughout the book Tyson accomplished three things he gave his personal story of what it was like to grow up in the south, to look at the investigation of a brutal crime where new evidence is brought forth, then he talks about the history of the Civil Right era especially in Oxford where the murder of Henry Marrow ignited the flame among the black community.

Serena Joy is the most powerful female presence in the hierarchy of Gileadean women; she is the central character in the dystopian novel, signifying the foundation for the Gileadean regime. Atwood uses Serena Joy as a symbol for the present dystopian society, justifying why the society of Gilead arose and how its oppression had infiltrated the lives of unsuspecting people.

The book Celia A Slave Melton McLaurin is telling us what happened to a slave owner and a slave that he brought. This story goes into details on the day of June 23,1855 about how a female slave that murdered her master and how she tried to cover it up. This story took place not far from Jefferson City in Calloway Country here in Missouri when around this time there were still debates over what state is going to be free and what states is going to be a slave one. As you’re reading the book you will see how race relations of that period was very … McLaurin talks in great details about the trail, the political climate of the time of the trail, and the experiences of a slave told in Celia view, and the antebellum time period.

Parable of the Sower is a very well-written science fiction novel by Octavia Butler. The setting is California in the year 2025. The world is no longer prosperous and has turned into a very poor place. There are countless people homeless, jobs are scarce and hard to come by, and very few communities of homes. The few communities that are still occupied have huge walls with barbed wire and laser wire surrounding them.

In Octavia E. Butler’s novel “Parable of the Sower”, the community was entirely collapsed, and almost everywhere was chaos and out of control. It was obviously in a dark period.

Bloodchild by Octavia Butler is seen as a story about the relationship between alien oppressors and a group oppressed humans. It has also been described as a love story between the human narrator and the chief alien. In her afterword, she describes “Bloodchild” as “a love story between two very different beings,” “a coming of age story” and a “pregnant man story.”(Hardy) However, when one comparing Butler’s “Bloodchild” to Simone De Beauvoir’s essay “The second sex”, similarities surrounding the social issues of gender inequality arise. The circumstances of the narrator mirror social issues affecting modern women. Bloodchild by Octavia Butler examines the dynamics of power between the sexes; by switching the gender roles in the

Throughout American literary history, nearly every form of literature has covered the topic of slavery and black oppression in America. From William Lloyd Garrison’s abolitionist papers to Harriet Beecher Stowe’s controversial Uncle Tom’s Cabin to Alice Walker’s The Color Purple, the exploration of the black position in America has been a theme that engrossed generations. In the past century, as science fiction has established its place in the literary genre, authors such as Octavia Butler have become increasingly popular. In her short story "Bloodchild", Butler extends the discussion of oppression in America into the science fiction genre. In this manner her story, "…like almost all science

Olivia Butler writes in her afterword that “Bloodchild” is not a story of slavery, and evidence from close reading can be used to support this statement. Butler uses the human form as a vehicle for defamiliarization to show the mechanical functions humans use to serve themselves and others. Furthermore, this process is able to reveal their passive nature and ultimately highlight the human allowance for manipulation. She brings light to these behaviors by showing a lack of respect for human life, an unbalanced power relationship between the Tlic and the humans, and Gan’s stripped cognitive processes.

In Parable of the Sower, by Octavia Butler, the author raises intriguing possibilities about the consequences of the United States continuing its current path on issues such as global warming, poverty, and human trafficking. Butler predicts that in the future human trafficking will become a widespread norm as the nation deteriorates. Unfortunately, the reality of widespread human trafficking has already been realized both in the United States and globally. Human trafficking has become a widespread global problem where people are exploited through forced labor, slavery, organ harvesting and various forms of sexual exploitation. Preventing trafficking and rescuing victims from the trade requires a lot more than intervention from any one single government. It requires a multinational front that utilizes policies, global law enforcement, and multiple government agencies geared toward the prevention of trafficking, the prosecution of criminals and recovery of the victims.

“Bloodchild” is a story that pushes the limits of humankind, creating blurry interpretations of good and evil that challenges everyday societal norms. Octavia Butler takes a traditional action-filled story and twists it into an unexpected and intensified tale. Through this heightened piece of work, the most compelling argument can be found from the structure of the narrative itself. From the first-person narrative, readers are able to receive first hand perspective in which no omniscience of any sort can be detected. Readers can acquire the character’s actions, thoughts, and interpretation of the things that happen to them. “Bloodchild” is a story of an alien planet where the Terrans are enslaved by an alien race called the Tlic. Gan, the protagonist, has been promised as a host for the alien embryos in which the story will later reveal a deeper meaning underlining the sacrifice.

“God is Power—infinite, irresistible, inexorable, indifferent. And yet, God is Pliable—trickster, teacher, chaos, clay. God exists to be shaped. God is Change.” (Butler 25). In Parable of the Sower Octavia Butler introduces the concept of religion through her characters specifically Lauren. In a society that is crumbling, religion is seemed to be the only thing striving. The idea that although society could be falling apart many of the characters either cling to their beliefs, or shy away from them. Laurens creation of “Earthseed” proves that in a failing society, the concept of religion somehow still survives.

In “Only Daughter,” published in Glamour magazine in 1990, Sandra Cisneros talks about how it’s like for her to be the only daughter in a Mexican-American family of six sons. She talks about some of the struggles she faces. Sandra is a writer. A writer who wants her dad to be curious about her writing. He never bothers to ask what she’s writing. When they’d ask her father how many children's he has, he’d respond with “I have seven sons.” The mention of only sons, not a daugher. This proved to her he was only proud of his sons but not her. According to him she’d also have to go to college but only to find a husband. A man who will take her out of poorness. Since, according to Sandra that's why her dad thought college was important for her. He didn't care about her major. Sandra Cisneros is a writer who didn’t have the attention she was meant to receive. Towards the end she finally gets the attention she desired. She translated one of her pieces into Spanish, the only language her dad could read. That's how it gained the attention of her father. When her dad finally reads her story, it fills her with joy. At first she didn't get any attention from her dad at all, because she’s a girl. Sandra Cisneros makes a great argument on her life being full of loneliness. Although, she only talks about her perspective on things. In this article she only talks about her side of the story, and her side only. Sandra talks about how her life was as being the only girl out of seven children.

In William Faulkner’s “A Rose for Emily” the story is revolved around the character Emily Grierson. The story is told by the townspeople where Emily lives. These people are attending her funeral and pitching in memories and tales they remember from Emily’s life. It is through the collective voices and opinions of the crowd that the reader is able to interpret Emily’s struggles. With Emily Grierson’s choices the reader can tell that she is a dependant woman, with psychotic tendencies, and does not take the thought of change and rejection lightly.

The poem “The Mother” written by Gwendolyn Brooks in 1945, is a poem that focuses on the immeasurable losses a woman experiences after having an abortion. The poems free verse style has a mournful tone that captures the vast emotions a mother goes through trying to cope with the choices she has made. The author writes each stanza of the poem using a different style, and point of view, with subtle metaphors to express the speaker’s deep struggle as she copes with her abortions. The poem begins with, “Abortions will not let you forget” (Brooks 1), the first line of the poem uses personification to capture your attention. The title of the poem has the reader’s mindset centered around motherhood, but the author’s expertise with the opening line, immediately shifts your view to the actual theme of the poem. In this first line the speaker is telling you directly, you will never forget having an abortion. Brooks utilizes the speaker of the poem, to convey that this mother is pleading for forgiveness from the children she chose not to have.