User:JulietW78/sandbox

Theorizing fear: Octavia Butler and the Realist Utopia

Summary

Claire P.Curtis argues that Octavia Butler, unlike Hobbes, she declines from using political authority in her stories. She does so by recognizing that the peace of civil society is illusionary, according to Curtis. Butler's writing is that of the belief in the equality of all people, especially women. The women of her stories face difficult circumstances, they are afraid and find try to find a way out of those circumstances without forming violent actions. Curtis explores the female protagonists from "Amnesty" and "The Book of Martha," both present recognition of the harsh conditions they live in. Noah from "Amnesty" struggles to bring peace to both humans and aliens, and as Curtis explains Butler uses Noah "to explore the meaning of 'security' in a world based on fear and uncertainty." Noah's fear is the capacity of the harm either group could do to each other.

Like Noah, the second female protagonist from "The Book of Martha," also wants to change the nature of hierarchy by reducing aggressive situations. Martha does not want the power to make this decision. It brings up the question of whether trying to change the world for the better is the right choice, but in the end Martha discovers that it's best to be cautious and measure the consequences. According to Curtis, Butler's stories arise questions on subordination, fears and the actual meaning of a secure life.

Quotes

• "The only way really to be able to move forward is through honest and open communication about the conditions under which we live. There is no sugar coating; there is no benevolent parent figure; there is no way out. "
• "Butler's monsters--as aliens or God in these stories--are all too real and, yet, also the least of our worries. Butler's stories argue that fear will bring us to a flame of mind ready to produce peace only if we give up the reassuring lie that someone is going to take care of us."
• "how do you live a life knowing that your own survival and surely your flourishing lie at the feet (but they do not have feet) of a being whose existence you probably abhor and fear? This is the metaphor that Butler gives for human living."

Digging Deep: Ailments of Difference in Octavia Butler's "The evening and the Morning and the Night."

Summary

Isaih Lavender implies that Octavia Butler's "The Evening and the Morning and the Night" is about more than just a type of genetic disorder, instead Butler focuses more on concerns of the sociocultural illness of racism. He states that if it wasn't just another science fiction story, Butler would have introduced the protagonist, which is Lynn, as a woman of color. Instead of having the reader guess what Lynn's race is, Butler would have made it clear where Lynn was from. Lavender concludes that this story is about racism and the effects on the characters. He also supports this idea of Butler's writings being about racism, by ellaborating on "Speech Sounds." Lavender compares those suffering from the genetic disease DGD, to victims of cultural racism. He argues that although Butler doesn't specifically write that her stories are based of racism, she still provides evidence that indicate discrimination.

Quotes

• "Butler explores race as a cultural construction rather than as a biological inevitability.Physical characteristics have been replaced by cultural ones as the focal point of discrimination." (69)
• "The subjunctive tension of the story is clearly racial; ending an inferior race is surely the stuff of science fiction."(66)
• "Diseases should not become social metaphors." (79)

Disparate Spirits Yet Kindred Souls: Octavia E. Butler, "Speech Sounds" and Me

Summary

The characters Octavia E. Butler created are mostly women that are built capable to achieve difficult obstacles, this is a common theme used in Butler's science fiction stories, according to Sandra Y. Govan. "Speech Sounds" is explored by Govan and how Butler created this story with her own experiences. Govan mentions how the story begins with a similar situation Butler went through. According to Govan, Rye, the protagonist of the story introduces us to Butler's personality. The character is portrayed as cautious and insightful, Govan points out Butler has the same characteristics. Govan further links Rye with Butler by describing them both to be teachers or mentors. The way Rye manages around her inability to speak, reminds Govan of how Butler strrugled through her chilhood with her own disabilities, but still was able to defend herself against the society she was living in.

Quotes

• "Each of these characters is a woman who acts, a woman who is decisive, in command. Each of these characters shows an ability to achieve difficult tasks despite her disabilty."
• "Butler's decision to extrapolate from a contemporary event , turning problem to story, is a quintessential science fictional technique."
• "People too often fear or to hate those who differ from them. For one reason or another, one group will deny the basic humanity of the other."

Amnesty

Summary

In this addition to Octavia Butler's science fiction stories, there is a relationship that showed symbiotic with humanity. The female protagonist, Noah, is actually tortured by both her kind and by the "other," or as in this story describes them as "the communities."

The Evening and the Morning and the Night

Summary

Through Lynn's story I asked myself different questions, many of them having to do with the society she was living in, and even began comparing it to the society we are living in today. We live in a world full of diseases, and deaths caused by diseases. It affects friends and families both emotionally and mentally. Butler explores many issues that people go through with Duryea - Gode disease (DGD). She introduces this disease and some of its immediate symptoms with Lynn's experiences with her out of control DGD relatives. Before Lynn being traumatized by her parents' death, she was already expected to get DGD. She began to show symptoms when she started to hurt herself and when she was in college she would alienate herself from others. Lynn also questions why she was even in college, all she knew was that society expected her to, and that she had been going to school her entire life. Butler could have used this to relate how Lynn is constantly trying to figure her life out, and how we sometimes wonder why we do certain things.

Quotes

• "The Duryea - Code Disease Foundation has spent millions telling the world that people like my father don't exist."
• "So they had trusted God and the promises of modern medicine and had a child. But how could I look at what had happened to them and trust anything?"
• "For long irrational minutes, I was convinced that somehow if I turned, I would see myself standing there, gray and old, growing small in the distance, vanishing.

Speech Sounds

Summary

As a human being, one can be put in many different situations. For Valerie Rye, she was in a place where she could not verbally communicate but when she found Obsidian, a man who understood her despite the lack of words, he too was taken from her. Rye was a very depressed and lonely character, but she represented Butler. The story begins with a situation Butler was once in when she witnessed a fight in a bus, that made her question humanity. Rye also asks herself the same question, why is the use of violence necessary? Rye just wanted to get home, she didn't want to get involved in such hopeless things. But she soon encountered Obsidian, a man who at first has difficulty trusting because in her society, it wasn't accustomed for people to trust each other. Butler described Rye to be depressed to represent how depressing it can be to live in a place with so much violence. Rye like Butler herself, gain hope again through friendship. When Rye trusted Obsidian she felt better and not so lonely anymore, then he was killed, but since she had already experienced trust and hope with him, it became easier when she met two children. They were able to communicate with each other and Rye had restored hope completely. Olivia Butler had also lost a friend, and at the same time she lost hope in the entire human species, but through writing Speech sounds she felt hope again.

Quotes

• " And in this world where the only likely common language was body language, being armed was often enough. She had rarely had to draw her gun or even display it."
• "People hardly had time to lay blame on the Soviets (though they were falling silent along with the rest of the world), on a new virus, a new pollutant, radiation, divine retribution"
• "She had been a teacher. A good one. She had been a protector, too, though only of herself. She had kept herself alive when she had no reason to live. If the illness let these children alone , she could keep them alive."

Citation Practice

Octavia Butler was shy as a child.

Bloodchild

Summary

At first, the story seems that it is about a family that is trying to stay safe in a place where there are creatures inhabiting their homes. Octavia Butler writes the story from the point of view of Gan, a boy who has grown close to T'Gatoi. T'Gatoi was a female creature that was in control of the Preserve in which this family lives in. As I continued to read more into the story I began to notice that it was actually this family of humans that have inhabited this world of extraterrestrial creatures, that behave like some type of insect. As Gan and T'Gatoi had to help a man give birth, that's right, a man. Gan realized all the disturbing information he had to know in order to grow and make important decisions himself very soon. I say very soon because T'Gatoi had eggs of her own and was already planning to implant the on Gan. Gan and T'Gatoi relationship made me think if someday it would be possible for humans to encounter another species, and if it would be possible that the first reaction of humans would not be to shoot. I especially considered it when I read the part where Gan held the riffle up and T'Gatoi tried taking it away from him. I believe Octavia Butler wrote this scenario because it is most common for different species to feel the natural instinct of protecting themselves. In this case, Gan and T'Gatoi both trusted each other and were fairly close, but when a weapon was in place, they both were unsure of whether or not to trust each other's judgement.

As I read Butler's afterword of "Bloodchild," it became clearer that she was purposely challenging the reader to imagine the possiblity of humans ever having to deal with another world that isn't our own. She also mentions that she meant for her story to be about something women these days probably still question today, especially for nine months, they wonder what it would be like if it were the men that had to deal with preganancy. Butler wrote this story where GAn chooses to become pregnant of T'Gatoi, because he really cared about her. Overall, Octavia Butler's "Bloodchild" story is a wonderful and very unique piece of work, that is also very well organized. I agree with her in the idea that afterwords are far much more exciting than the usual introductions. It made me excited to actually figure out what was going on and where, her writing made me open my imagination to so many possibilities.

Quotes

• "She had made sure I knew the truth as soon as I was old enough to understand it."
• "It was an honor, my mother said, that such a person had chosen to come into the family . My mother was at her most formal and severe when she was lying."
• "Her people wanted more of us made available. Only she and her political faction stood between us and the hordes who did not understand