Lilith’s Brood: Dawn Discussion Questions
1. How does Butler define what it means to be “human” in Dawn? How does this definition compare with how humanity is defined in the other novels we have read?
2. The definition of family is an interesting concept in Dawn. Nikanj claims that Fukumoto and Oankali are family because “they have accepted him and he has accepted them. He has no other family, but he has them.” (101) On page 139, Lilith claims all humans that are Awaken without their families will now become a part of a greater community; therefore establishing a family among themselves. By the end of the novel, Nikanj reveals to Lilith that she is pregnant with Joseph’s child. Lilith is immediately disgusted and refers to her unborn child as “a thing. A monster.” (247) What does Lilith’s reaction to this biological child, and earlier discussions of Oankali/human communities, reflect about Butler’s interpretation of “family”? Why is this important in relation to Afrofuturism?
3. Is the relationship between the Oankali and humans, Lilith in particular, a symbiotic or parasitic relationship? Why do you think so?
4. What is the significance of the ooloi being a sexless creature? Why might Butler choose such a creature to act as a source of pleasure and reproduction?
No comments:
Post a Comment