Month: February 2025

Octavia Butler’s Xenogenesis series, Dawn and Adulthood Rites, presents an unsettling vision of human survival through the intervention of an alien species, the Oankali. While the Oankali claim to save humanity, their methods challenge fundamental concepts of autonomy, consent, and identity. As a reader, I find their genetic trade, their power over humans, and their manipulation of choice extremely disturbing. The Oankali’s presence forces me to question what it means to be human and whether survival is worth the loss of autonomy. By analyzing their physical ambiguity, their control over humans, and the ethical dilemmas of genetic modification, Butler’s work is disturbing in ways that extend beyond science fiction.

One of the first disturbing aspects of Butler’s fiction is the physical nature of the Oankali. Unlike many alien depictions in science fiction, Butler does not provide a clear visual image of them, leaving readers to struggle with their appearance. This creates an unsettling sense of the unknown. Lilith, the protagonist of Dawn, reacts viscerally to their alien features when she first meets Jdahya. She describes him as neither human nor animal. “Lilith glanced at the humanoid body, wondering how human- like it really was”. (Dawn, pg. 12). This vague yet suggestive description leaves much to my imagination, making the Oankali even more terrifying. The lack of clear imagery explains my discomfort surrounding their role in human survival. If their appearance is so foreign that it defies easy description, how can humans truly coexist with them? The Oankali’s physical ambiguity symbolizes the larger theme of unease throughout the series: they are not just aliens; they are a species whose very existence challenges human understanding and comfort.

The most unsettling aspect of Butler’s fiction is the power imbalance between the Oankali and the surviving humans. While they claim to give humans a choice in their future, it is obvious that humans are powerless to oppose. The Oankali justify their actions by insisting they are saving humanity, but their form of salvation comes at a cost: autonomy. When Lilith first wakes up on their ship, she is disoriented and has no control over her surroundings. The Oankali introduce themselves gradually, controlling how much she learns and manipulating her into cooperation. “That’s why you haven’t told me yet what your people want of us.” “Yes,” he admitted, alarming her. “Tell me!” Silence. “If you knew anything at all about the human imagination, you’d know you were doing exactly the wrong thing,” she said. “Once you’re able to leave this room with me, I’ll answer your questions,” he told her. ” (Dawn, pg. 26). The Oankali’s belief that their way of life is inevitable and non-negotiable. Even as they “inform” humans of their plans, they do not truly offer a choice and do not truly tell humans everything. This dynamic reminds me of real-world discussions of colonialism and coercion. The Oankali insist that humans must interbreed with them to survive, yet this “offer” is deceptive—humans never asked to be saved, and they are not given an alternative. Lilith struggles with this, asking, “What do you trade?” “Ourselves.” “You mean. . . each other? Slaves?” “No. We’ve never done that.” “What, then?” “Ourselves.”  “Your people will change. Your young will be more like us and ours more like you. Your hierarchical tendencies will be modified, and if we learn to regenerate limbs and reshape our bodies, we’ll share those abilities with you. That’s part of the trade. We’re overdue for it.” (Dawn, pg. 44). Butler forces me as a reader to question whether survival is truly worth it if it comes at the cost of autonomy. Another disturbing aspect of Butler’s fiction is the concept of gene-trading. The Oankali do not just save humans; they alter them, mixing their DNA to create hybrid offspring. I think the genetic manipulation introduces ethical dilemmas about identity and consent. In Dawn, Lilith learns that the Oankali will not allow humans to reproduce without genetic merging. Traditional human reproduction is seen as a “flaw” that the Oankali must correct. This is troubling because it removes one of the most fundamental aspects of human agency: the ability to decide how and with whom to reproduce. When Lilith argues against this, Nikanj tells her, “The ooloi will make changes in your reproductive cells before conception and they’ll control conception.” (Dawn, pg.45 ). The Oankali claim that genetic trade benefits all species involved, but their control over human DNA forces a change that we see many humans resist.

By Adulthood Rites, the consequences of this genetic trade become even more apparent. Human-Oankali hybrids, like Akin, exist in a liminal space between species. Akin, despite his human appearance, has Oankali traits such as a grey tongue and heightened sensory abilities. His very existence challenges the definition of humanity. “Akin isn’t quite Human,” she said. “What’s wrong with him?” “Not a thing.” “I mean . . . What’s different about him?”Internal differences. Rapid mental development. Perceptual differences.” (Adulthood Rites, pg. 23). Gene modification raises ethical questions that are still relevant today: What happens when science alters the fundamental aspects of what makes us human? Genetic engineering and modification are already controversial in the real world, and reading Butler’s fiction forces us to consider the long-term consequences of these changes. If humanity begins to engineer itself, who decides which traits are desirable? And what happens to those who resist? Akin, who is a child of both species, struggles with this question. He understands both human and Oankali perspectives, but he is neither fully one nor the other. His intelligence and abilities far exceed those of a normal human child, making him seem alien despite his outwardly human appearance. Similarly, the human resistance movement in Adulthood Rites shows the deep discomfort with these changes. Many humans refuse to accept Oankali hybrids, seeing them as an unnatural corruption of their species. The rejection emphasizes a fundamental fear—if humanity is no longer recognizable, does it still exist? Butler does not provide easy answers, instead forcing readers to grapple with these unsettling possibilities.

                                                                      Ai Inspire Essay

Artificial intelligence is the world’s newest exciting obsession. Whether you love it, or hate it, everyone is debating Artificial intelligence. Throughout our course we have participated in numerous discussions covering all there is to cover about Artificial intelligence. We have engaged in conversations examining the positives of Artificial intelligence, and we have discussed the negatives of Artificial intelligence. As a result of these conversations, I have been able to form a plethora of profound opinions. The issue is… I have strong feelings regarding both sides of the debate. Based on these discussions and my research, I conclude that if Artificial intelligence is produced and released in good faith, and is used responsibly by its users, then the innovation can be incredibly useful to humans all around the world. 

            One of the selling points of Artificial intelligence is its capability to engage in human-like conversations with users. If the people responsible for coding the Ai chat bots ensure the use of extreme safeguards and unbiased programming then it can have a profound impact on those who need creative direction, help problem solving, or even just want to practice their conversational skills. A few months ago, my brother displayed to me an example of positive ai chatbot use. My brother Tim (25) needed to choose between two job opportunities he had been offered. In the face of this difficult decision, he needed assistance displaying all his information and making the correct choice for himself. In the hopes that if he considered all the positives and negatives of each position then he would be more likely to choose the best offer he plugged the opportunities into an Ai chatbot. Upon having Artificial Intelligence generate him a pro and con list for each opportunity and carefully examining them, he chose to go through with the option that he concluded would provide him with the most career fulfilment. Recently I received a text from him that stated, “so glad I stuck with Wizards”. This real-life example demonstrates that in the face of major life decisions, Artificial Intelligence can be an incredibly useful tool. The idea that Artificial Intelligence can be a helpful tool for decision making is backed up in a research essay about Ai by Amber Ellis. In Ellis’s essay titled “The Benefits of Ai” they use the evidence, “These models are no longer just about automating tasks — they are versatile support tools that people can tap into for brainstorming, practicing tough conversations, or even seeking emotional support,” (Gonsalves, et. al.). The quote demonstrates the recent advancements made in Ai that allow users to utilize Ai for human-like support such as therapy and decision making. If these advancements have been tested/safeguarded before they are released to its users, then it can positively raise Ai to the next level. The requirement of these safeguards is to ensure that people such as the elderly or youth are not taken advantage of by the algorithms.

            A reason Artificial Intelligence is so desirable to people working white collar jobs is that it can take many of their responsibilities off their plate. For example, those working in office environments who must work with a great number of documents and spreadsheets can use ai to animate some of their tasks. This use of ai allows them more freedom and flexibility to use their time on other tasks. Danielle Abril demonstrates this in her article “Meet the ‘super users’ who tap AI to get ahead at work”. Abril writes “Erkut uses AI every day to learn complex Excel formulas to build spreadsheets that can take polls and track and analyze customer service calls. He uses it for brainstorming, editing and creating custom graphics, something he said he didn’t have the confidence to do on his own. He saves about 15 hours a week, which has allowed him to volunteer for other projects”. Erkut’s testimony about his Ai use inspires the idea that Artificial Intelligence can have profound effects on office workers by allowing them hours of their time back. It was observed that many of these workers used their newfound free time to engage in volunteering and to bring creative ideas to fruition that they may not have had time for before their Ai use.  It is important to note that even those who consider themselves “super users” of ai always fact check their information and data. Abril writes “Most super users say they fact-check anything AI spits out”. This is essential practice for anyone who chooses to use artificial intelligence, especially in an academic or professional environment. Users must fact check all Ai produced data and info to protect themselves from being susceptible to misinformation. Failure to double-check information could be incredibly dangerous to the academic experience and to  the success of companies.

            Upon researching the positives of Artificial Intelligence, it was illuminated to me that Ai can be very useful in the context of people of color who seek skin-care. A company named VisualDx states “Through the AI image search, understand how lesions and rashes can best be described. This allows the clinician to better build their differential diagnosis to support the patient in the care journey.” This use of Ai allows this company to better represent those who have been famously marginalized by the dermatology industry. The dermatology industry has time and again failed to represent people with darker skin tones which has resulted in people of color having worse effects than Caucasian people. The VisualDx mission statement notes, “For too long, patients with pigmented skin have been marginalized and faced worse outcomes than their peers with lighter skin colors”. This demonstrates the importance of this company continuing to use Ai to help represent the marginalized. It is unfair for people with lighter skin tones to observe better skin care help than people with darker pigments. However, this company upholds the responsibility to its users to only use their photographs in ways that the user has consented to.

             Ultimately, all those involved with artificial intelligence hold a lot of responsibility. Those who are involved with the processes such as teaching, programming, coding, and releasing ai must be responsible in several ways. Their ai holds a lot of power over its users, therefore the creators must repeatedly test their algorithm, program in safeguards that protect the user, and ensure the validity of the information produced by the ai. Those who chose to use the ai also hold responsibility. They are giving the ai a lot of power and must remember that before using the software, it is essential that you learn about the specific type of ai that you’re using and consider its abilities and restrictions before choosing to put their faith into it. If these responsibilities are met, artificial intelligence can be incredibly beneficial in allowing its users more free time for creative expression, volunteering, and problem solving.

Octavia Butler’s novel Dawn and her fiction writing style in general have presented many topics and discussions that can be viewed as disturbing, troubling, or unsettling. Two main themes that I view as disconcerting are consent, and the lack of humanity. For this discussion I am going to relate all of my opinions as to elements in the trilogy, Dawn. Dawn as whole contains multiple examples of upsetting features that can disturb readers based on their own views. These two themes in particular are impactful, and reoccurring in the novel as their are brought up in multiple instances.

Consent. Various examples are presented in the novel regarding the topic. These examples also include issues involving positions of power. Consent is an ethical issue that needs be developed and understood from the base level. When you or others have problems regarding consent it can involve or affect relationships, respect and even decision making. There are also many subdivisions of consent that need to be understood and are all contained in the novel. I will be discussing three different subdivisions in this essay.

My first subdivision, which is what I will be calling them, is manipulation. Manipulation is the ability to negatively influence an individual for one’s benefit, which can involve psychological or physical advances. In Dawn the Oankali and Ooli use multiple types of manipulation against the humans. I understand their version and view of consent is possibly different than what humans view as consent but I believe proper communication is necessary in understanding the differences. Psychological manipulation is popular among the Oankali and others. This is confirmed at the very beginning of the novel as Lilith is constantly isolated, for multiple and long periods of time. Lilith describes how she feels when it is stated, “It could not matter while she was confined this way, kept helpless, alone and ignorant.”(Butler 3) She is secluded without anybody near her to communicate with, she is undeniably vulnerable. The Oankali are responsible for this, also causing harm to her psychological state. Another form of manipulation that is used is sexual manipulation. Throughout the novel, the Oankali and Ooli have the ability to control and affect the humans desires, changing them to how they want them. The last form of manipulation I will cover is deception. An example of this could be when the Oankali do not express their true intention or plans to the humans that they are acquainted with. The humans are kept in the dark about the Oankali’s interests and involvement. I personally believe that these forms of manipulation are disturbing and can be negatively perceived by individuals who have directly or indirectly experienced similar instances.

The second subdivision, power. A general hierarchy over lower presenting individuals by someone of a higher status. Power will also be divided into three different topics for the purpose of this discussion. Dependence is the first type of power. The Oankali have power over the human because the humans are dependent on them. The humans rely on the Oankali for their well-being, as they control most of their resources. Refusing their assistance could mean death. The next form of power is the imbalance of power that is constantly presented. Referring back to resources, the Oankali have complete control over the humans living situations, environment, food, and health, to an extent. Another imbalance of power is the Oankali removing the human’s ability to reproduce, whilst still being able to reproduce themselves. The last form of power I will discuss is framing and boundaries. The Oankali have the ability to set these boundaries as the humans cannot, and only present the humans with specific framework.

The third and final subdivision of consent, relationships. Relationships is a large factor when considering the humans and Oankali. Relationships is very important regarding consent. Lilith and Nikanj is an example of a relationship in the novel. What is disturbing about this relationship is the lack of proper communication between the two. Lilith became emotionally attached to Nikanj which could be due to her lack of control in the environment she is in. Without the proper communication, Nikanj also genetically modifies Lilith’s body. Another relationship in the novel is Lilith and the other humans. Many of the other human view Lilith as a “traitor”. Lilith is also know to hold a higher position that the other human, kind of being able to look over them. These kinds of negative relationships could be viewed as unhealthy or in other words unnerving. Communication and consent is important when developing new relationships with other humans or creatures when referring to Nikanj.

All of these “subdivisions” that were mentioned combine to create the significant disturbing theme of consent that is discussed in Octavia Butler’s literary works.

Lack of human kind. This theme is going to be more brief as I believe the other theme hold more impact, and people probably think of that one more often when reading Octavia Butler literature. Lack of human kind can be disturbing for many reasons. The loss of culture and society is one. With the loss of the culture of humans there will also be a decrease in connection between the humans. The humans have nothing they can relate to each other about regarding their backgrounds or cultures. Another issue is human reproduction. The humans were already stripped of their ability to reproduce, there are less human being to do so anyway. Human knowledge would also be lost.

These themes have impacted each of the characters in Dawn either positively or negatively depending on the on the context. I might have been too brief or unclear with some of my statements but what is clear is that there are most definitely disturbing topics presented in Octavia Butler’s literature.

In Octavia Butler’s novel Dawn, we are given a lens into a future where humanity has been brought to the brink of extinction, only to be saved by an alien species known as the Oankali. The Oankali tell the main character, Lilith, that they know everything about humanity. Although the Oankali can understand and manipulate human genes, their claims of knowing everything about humanity are deeply flawed. To put it simply, the Oankali do not understand the concept of consent. Although consent, down to its basic terms, is giving permission, humans have the unique capability of being able to reject urges that lead to action. The best way I can describe this is using traffic laws: if traffic is slow and I really want to speed, I have a choice. Although I have this urge to speed, I often do not act upon it because I would prefer not to get a speeding ticket. The Oankali seem to only focus on that specific urge and will enact upon it, no matter the response or consequence, as the feelings justify action. The Oankali will see that urge and use it to justify their actions. 

Nikanj is a key character who uses a human’s internal urges to justify its actions. Nikanj pushes the boundaries of consent to its absolute limits, seducing Lilith’s partner, Joseph, into a dynamic that blurs the line between choice and coercion. “‘And you have a choice.’ He understood now. ‘No!’ … ‘I’d rather have the real thing!’… Nikanj supplied softly. ‘And yet I pleased you… Your body knows how real it was. Your interpretations were illusion. The sensations were entirely real’ “ (Butler 171-172).  The Oankali do not engage in sex like humans; rather, they have tentacles that are able to create similar sensations, an urge of pleasure. It is incredibly important to note that the Oankali are able to do this with a simple touch on the shoulder. Nikanj implies that Joseph has a choice, and it is quite clear that Joseph does not want this experience and would rather do the “real thing”. Joseph views this as Nikanj violating his boundaries. Nikanj is able to read Joseph’s body, and recognizes that it was bringing him pleasure.  “ ‘You said I could choose… ‘You see. Your body has made a different choice.’ He struggled violently for several seconds, then stopped. ‘Why are you doing this?’ he demanded. … ‘Be grateful, Joe. I’m not going to let go of you.’ Lilith saw Joseph’s body stiffen, struggle, then relax, and she knew Nikanj had read him correctly. He neither struggled nor argued as Nikanj positioned him’ “ (Butler 173-174). Nikanj sees that Joe is experiencing this urge of pleasure, and although his body’s physical response is to outright reject this feeling, Nikanj uses his internal reactions to justify herself. At this moment, it is very easy to argue that Nikanj violated consent. Butler is really testing my ability to share empathy in this scene but I believe it is important to understand one’s actions, and reactions. On one hand we have Joseph who, against his will, is forced to experience something he explicitly does not want, but is overridden by Nikanj’s ability to interpret his physical response. On the other hand we have Nikanj, who does not perceive their acts as harmful, as she is offering Joe something beneficial and pleasurable, and through time, Joseph no longer begins to resist.  I feel there is enough evidence to understand why Nikanj violated Joe’s consent, but is there enough knowledge to justify it? Absolutely not. 

 This misunderstanding of consent becomes a recurring theme in Dawn. Toward the end of the novel, Lilith is informed by Nikanj that she is not returning to Earth with the rest of the humans. Instead, Lilith will remain with the Oankali. Although Lilith has done everything the Oankali asked, they still believe that she is unsafe, at risk around other humans. On top of all this Nikanj deems Lilith ‘ready’. “Is it an unclean thing that we want, Lilith?” “Yes!” “Is it an unclean thing that I have made you pregnant?”…“You… what?” “I have made you pregnant with Joseph’s child. I wouldn’t have done it so soon, but I wanted to use his seed, … There’s a limit to how long I can keep sperm alive.’…It was speaking as casually as though discussing the weather. …You said-““I said not until you were ready.” “I’m not ready! I’ll never be ready!” “You’re ready now to have Joseph’s child. Joseph’s daughter… The child will be yours and Joseph’s, Ajahas’ and Dichaan’s… I’ve mixed it, shaped it (Butler 224-225) ” In an attempt to calm Lilith, Nikanj deems Lilith ready, and places a daughter inside of her. Nikanj justifies this as a benefit by insisting this baby will give her a sense of belonging and give her a stronger connection to the Oankali. On top of that, the daughter isn’t just Lilith and Joseph’s baby, it is a combination of both human and Oankali. There are so many things about this that disturbs me. To start Lilith did everything the Oankali asked, and she was not allowed to return to Earth. Then Nikanj informs her that a baby has been placed inside with Joe’s seed and has been modified to have traits of the Oankali. This violates consent because Lilith never asked to have this child placed inside of her OR asked to have the child modified. On top of all that this baby is not human, as it is a combination of human and Oankali which deeply disturbs Lilith. Butler tests my empathy again. In defense of Nikanj, she did not let Lilith go back to Earth because there was a risk of her being harmed by those who viewed her as a traitor. The Oankali sacrifices her autonomy for her own protection. Furthermore, the Oankali truly believe that by giving Lilith this baby, it will help her adjust and feel more connected to this new life. By giving these baby modifications, the baby will have a unique blend of human and Oankali traits, making it better suited for survival in the new world. Why wouldn’t you want your child to have the best chance of survival? The Oankali see these as benefits and there is no wrong to what they are doing. Does that make what they do right? No. Does it let us get a glimpse into why the Oankali do the things they do? Yes. 

I think it is fair to say that the Oankali see consent much differently than humans. Depending on the perspective we are looking from, consent may be viewed as being violated, and to others it may not. Being able to look at different perspectives allows us to gain a better understanding of both Lilith, and the Oankali.

Having read Octavia Butler’s work before, I felt ready to step into her universe and understand the ideas Butler presents in the “Lilith’s Brood” trilogy. I also tried to remember Dr. McCoy’s PSA about Butler’s intentional traps: Butler purposefully creates situations that WE as humans may find similar to things that have gone wrong in our history. She does this to trigger our senses that something is wrong and we shouldn’t be okay with what is happening. While I read, I didn’t feel like the Oankali were out to get Lilith or the humans. It seemed to me that, based on the rules Butler set up for this world, the Oankali did what they thought was right for the humans. They didn’t, or couldn’t, consider what the humans desired, and they simply took the most efficient route and gave them what they wanted in a “good-faith” attempt to fulfill the humans’ unconscious needs. While I do consider my classmates’ feelings of suspicion about the Oankali’s intentions I’ve heard during our class discussions about Dawn, I had a hard time feeling fearful or doubtful of the Oankali throughout the book. 

Something that did, however, trouble me at the beginning of the novel was the image of Lilith and Jdahya’s first encounter. When the narrator detailed how Lilith slept on the floor beside the bed so she wouldn’t see Jdahya at all, or how she hid in the bathroom away from him, I felt that I would have had to do the same thing to sleep at all that night. I would’ve had an issue trying to interact with or touch the Oankali, especially if I thought about Lilith’s description. “She found herself still unable to take even one more step toward him. ‘Oh god,’ she whispered. And the hair–the whatever-it-was–moved…Medusa. Some of the ‘hair’ writhed independently, a nest of snakes startled, driven in all directions” (Butler 13). That archetypal mistrust of snakes is hard to overcome and provided me with the first troublesome aspect of Lilith’s story.

A part of the novel that concerned me more while reading was the pushback Lilith received while trying to “mother” the humans into being ready to return to Earth. I never wavered in my trust towards Lilith while reading the novel. I felt that for the most part, Lilith did what she thought was “right” concerning whatever situation she was in. When Nikanj began growing its sensory arms for example, “Nikanj lay down again and seemed to tremble…She neither knew nor cared what was wrong with it. She left it where it was and went out to get food…Angrily, she reopened the food compartments, took out extra food and went back in to Nikanj…She had not been able to leave Nikanj trembling in its bed while she enjoyed her greater freedom” (Butler 115). Lilith stayed with Nikanj and couldn’t bring herself to leave it while it went through “puberty”. I felt that Lilith’s actions throughout the rest of the novel reflected her intrinsic desire to care for others. 

That reasoning is why I felt unsettled when humans such as Tate, Gabriel, Curt, and Peter seemed to turn their backs on Lilith so quickly. While reading I was only able to experience the book through Lilith’s perspective, so it was exceedingly difficult to imagine myself in any other character’s position. It felt like Lilith was shoved into the position of Awakening humans and training them to return to Earth. I was upset that she faced so much resistance from her own species after begrudgingly living with the Oankali for so long. While the idea of consent between humans and Ooloi is a valid concern many people have while reading this book, I couldn’t imagine why violence was the go-to solution for Lilith’s doubters. I felt like I was experiencing the same emotions as Lilith while reading the novel, and I wanted the story to work in her favor.

I could not understand why the humans’ instinct was to separate from each other, break off into “teams,” and turn their training into a kind of fight. Whether the fight was between them and Lilith, or them and the Oankali, it didn’t seem to matter. Fear of the unknown was what united the humans. All they knew for sure was that the Earth had become uninhabitable. Why would they try to assume anything else other than what they know? I can understand why the “kill or be killed” survival method is necessary in some life-or-death situations, but I’m not sure this was one of them. While reading I tried to determine what might be best for any group of humans to do in a humans vs. aliens “war” situation. Most often I thought camaraderie would be a crucial component for survival, so I couldn’t understand why many characters didn’t naturally gravitate towards that.

It made me remember what Nikanj tells Lilith about the human race, “‘You are intelligent,’ he said. ‘That’s the newer of the two characteristics and the one you might have put to work to save yourselves. You are potentially one of the most intelligent species we’ve found’…‘What’s the second characteristic?’ ‘You are hierarchical. That’s the older and more entrenched characteristic…when human intelligence did not even acknowledge it as a problem, but took pride in it or did not notice it at all…That was like ignoring cancer” (Butler 41).  If I assumed the humans in Butler’s novel have the same “fight-or-flight” response as we do, then I could argue that many humans in “Part IV: The Training Floor” were wrestling between the two. I could also claim that there is another option in the “fight-or-flight” response. That third option would be: to understand. I believe that Lilith pushes past the initial fight or flight response and tries to understand why the Oankali act the way they do, even if she can’t fully do so. Many other humans, however, don’t take any time to think about why the Oankali do anything. They see a threat immediately and want to take action to dispose of it.

Octavia Butler’s Dawn puts the reader in a compromising position where they question the validity of the Oankali’s relationship with the human body and mind. The unsettling relationship between the Oankali, Lilith, and other humans on the ship reminded me of a course I was a teaching assistant for with Dr. McCoy in Fall 2023—ENGL 111: Literature, Medicine, and Racism. In this course, we regularly discussed topics of good faith versus bad faith decisions, consent, racism, systems of power, and–of course–Octavia Butler. As a class, we read popular fiction pieces such as Home by Toni Morrison, Zone One by Colson Whitehead, and Clay’s Ark by Octavia Butler and we connected these pieces to Medical Apartheid by Harriet Washington. Medical Apartheid is a historical non-fiction book that follows the dark history of medical experimentation on Black Americans from the Colonial times into the present. Washington goes into deep, disturbing detail of the medical abuse and mistreatment of Black bodies that are now embedded into our medical systems. 

These experiments were often conducted without the full consent of the person being experimented on. The relationship between the Oankali and the humans is not an equal one, but it resembles that of a slave/master companionship. On the surface, the Oankali are a nomadic, gene-trading extraterrestrial species who have saved the human species from their own demise. The Oankali play the role of the masters, the oppressors, the colonizers. The human race plays the role of the enslaved, the oppressed. Jdayha explains to Lilith that the Oankali need to trade in order to survive. Jdayha, in particular, dances around Lilith’s questions surrounding the topic of the Oankali’s “trade” with other species and how it works, what is required, etcetera. I do not doubt that the Oankali need to trade in order to survive as a species, but I do not believe that they are being 100% truthful in how they communicate that information to Lilith and other humans on the ship, which is frightening. 

The dialogue between Oankali and Lilith is filled with half-truths, assumptions, and other narratives that do not give Lilith proper autonomy over her own decisions. “In a very real sense, she was an experimental animal. Not a pet. What could Nikanj do for an experimental animal? Protest tearfully (?) when she was sacrificed at the end of the experiment? But, no, it was not that kind of experiment. She was intended to live and reproduce, not to die. Experimental animal, parent to breeding program? Human biologists had done that before the war—used a few captive members of an endangered animal species to breed more for the wild population. Was that what she was headed for?” (Butler 67). The Oankali have an ulterior motive to their gene-trading activities. They saved humanity from itself, and the remaining human population, though fearful of the extraterrestrial race, are indebted to the Oankali. 

The humans are then expected to share their genetic information in order to help both the humans and the Oankali to evolve their species. Although this will lead to the survival of both species, it strikes an insidious and eerie forms of control, power dynamics, and repulsion between the two species. Thus, causing other humans (Curt, Peter, Tate, Leah, etc.) to question the validity of the Oankali and Lilith, who is caught in the crossfire of the Oankali’s elaborate trading system. When Nikanj impregnates Lilith without her acknowledgement, he makes an example out of Lilith to the remaining human population, who may soon serve the same purpose as Lilith.

Dawn is a thought-provoking novel that questions human nature and behavior, power dynamics, control, and identity. Butler is fearless in implementing themes of power. Butler’s writing is eerily reminiscent of what is occurring today. There are discussions of altering the historical curriculum of Black history in schools nationwide, especially in Florida. Certain aspects of Black history will be rewritten in attempts to control narratives regarding race, white supremacy, and oppression. Florida is the first state to celebrate that students will be learning that the enslaved benefited from slavery because it “taught them useful skills.” To which I thought: what makes the Oankali any different from the legislators who are putting these standards into place? The restrictions on African American history in Florida schools is about having power and control over knowledge. Limiting these teachings aims to control a narrative and introduce a new and untrue belief about the past and its current and future impacts. The Oankali, in similar fashion, control the fate of humanity and aim to modify human genes to create a hybrid species. They view humanity as something that needs to be “fixed” in order to survive, their intervention is their way of controlling humanity’s history and identity based on the belief that their current state is flawed.

Although the Oankali do not directly express this, I believe that they have a desire to reshape and control the human population’s history and identity. The Oankali act as an example of outsiders intervening to ‘fix’ the human race and altering their history and identities because they are too flawed to exist in their current form. To further this point, Jdayha tells Lilith that the human body is ‘flawed’ and ‘mismatched,’ “Your bodies are fatally flawed… You have a mismatched pair of genetic characteristics. Either alone would have been useful, would have aided the survival of your species. But the two together are lethal. It was only a matter of time before they destroyed you.” (Butler 40). The Oankali control the fate of humanity in their hands by modifying human genes and creating a hybrid species. The Oankali’s belief that humanity needs to be reshaped reflects their view of humanity’s inability to exist peacefully with one another without external interference. 

The Oankali see which humans are fit to be Awakened, they refuse to let humans read or write, and Nikanj impregnates Lilith without her knowledge OR consent. The Oankali give many excuses throughout the text to defend their questionable teaching methods, “You’ll Awaken a small group of humans, all English-speaking, and help them learn to deal with us. You’ll teach them the survival skills we teach you. Your people will all be from what you would call civilized societies. Now they’ll have to learn to live in forests, build their own shelters, and raise their own food all without machines or outside help.” (Butler 34). It seems that the human race upon this ship are at the beckon call of the Oankali, and they are useless without them. The human race has no authority over their own bodies, what happens with it, and how it will be used to benefit the Oankali is not up to them. 

Upon reaching the end of Octavia Butler’s, Dawn, I couldn’t help but feel disappointed. I wanted more but I can’t quite place what that more would look like. Throughout the book my eyebrows would scrunch and I’d click my tongue as I read things that bothered me but decided that I wouldn’t dwell on them too much in the moment. Finishing the book however brought it all back to the surface and I must say that the thing that bothered me the most was the lack of consent. Dawn introduces an alien species called the Oankali and they have rescued humans from an apocalyptic earth. While it seems like just a nice gesture on the surface the Oankali need the human’s to survive through gene trading. Throughout the book the Oankali make decisions for the humans and personally believe they are always acting through what they think is best/what they identify as humans deeper desires. However, humans are complicated and we define giving consent as a verbal agreement, no matter what someone might be feeling internally. Through this essay I want to explore why certain scenes from Dawn troubled me and how consent plays a role in it.

The first scene from Dawn that really threw me off was in the chapter Family, in Family Lilith, Dawn’s main character, is desperate for human interaction and is given the opportunity to meet a man named Paul Titus. After speaking with Paul Titus, getting into a bit of an argument, and then getting physically, on the verge of passing out, Paul Titus tells her, “They said I could do it with you,” (Family P.g 9). If Lilith didn’t fully process those words originally, when she wakes up Nikanj, an Oankali, tells her, “”His family thought you should have mated with him,” it said. “They knew you wouldn’t stay with him permanently, but they believed you would share sex with him at least once.”,” (Family P.g 10). That conversation happened, a conversation that excluded Lilith and she wasn’t informed of it until afterwards. When I was reading this section of the book it almost felt like Lilith was being treated like an object without will, kind of like her opinion didn’t matter. Would it have been okay if everything went smoothly and then Lilith was told? I wouldn’t say it would be. Making a decision on someone’s behalf without discussing it with them takes away their right to make choices for themselves, or what I’d argue, takes away their humanity. Humans are born with the ability to make choices for themselves and is inherently something we do all the time, so taking that away, for me, is like stripping someone of something that makes them human.

The second scene from Dawn that bothered me was in the chapter Nursery. In this chapter Lilith gains a human mate named Joseph who then undergoes “surgery”, done by Nikanj in order to make him stronger and harder to kill. During this surgery however Joseph isn’t fully conscious, though the book describes it more as him being conscious just not in control of his body. Nikanj invites Lilith to lay with Nikanj and Joseph and the three have the Oankali equivalent of Sex. While it’s in their minds mostly Nikanj allows them to feel pleasure and the issue I take all of this is that Joseph never verbally gives consent. It is said in the book that the Oankali don’t give verbal consent for things and everything is more based on feelings, that isn’t the way that humans operate. The Oankali are said to deeply understand the complexities of humans, and Nikanj shows this when it says, “”He’ll be angry-and frightened and eager for the next time and determined to see that there won’t be a next time. I’ve told you, I know this one.”,” (Nursery P.g 7). I felt so boogled by the fact that Nikanj could say this but then not realize why maybe it shouldn’t have done what it did. It’s frustrating and extremely uncomfortable to read.

The last part of Dawn that really bothered me was in the final chapter, The Training Floor. In this chapter we find out that Lilith is pregnant and for background, the reader is told that Lilith can not get pregnant until she is ready. This gives the impression that Lilith would have a say in whether or not she’d be pregnant, but she doesn’t. Lilith is distraught by this and actively voices her protest that she isn’t ready. Nikanj however tells her, “”And you are ready to be her mother. You could never have said so. Just as Joseph could never have invited me into his bed-no matter how much he wanted me there. Nothing about you but your words reject this child.”,” (The Training Floor P.g 9). Everything about this feels so sinister and like it’s actively decided to ignore any consent that Lilith or any human could give. It’s deeply unsettling and when I was reading it I had to stop and reread it again to make sure I read it correctly.

After reading Dawn I thought about how much of this book made me question where humans stand. As a society we agree on a select set of values and rules, and to have another species come in and ignore it all makes me want to be angry but they’re just operating on their own values and rules. I think the Oankali are treating humans like Oankali to a certain extent, applying what they think to humans. They acknowledge that humans are different and yet they can’t fully accept that they may be upset by having their ability to consent taken away.

To start things off, Dawn by Octavia Butler is the first book in a long time that has captured my attention. This genre style feels right up my alley, and in the first book of this trilogy, I draw many connections to one of my favorite shows, The 100. After finishing this read, I was left with many questions—some general, like how vast this universe is and how widespread the Oankali race is, and some specific, like what will become of Lilith’s offspring and what the true intentions of the Oankali are. During group discussions, a perspective was brought up that the Oankali are “colonizing” what is left of the human race, and that’s something that lingered in my mind as I was reading. What throws me off is the interbreeding between humans and Oankali and how Joseph’s autonomy over his own body was disregarded toward the end of the book. To me, at this point in the trilogy, the Oankali have the power over the humans.

It feels as if the Oankali have an agenda, and humans are just part of their experiment. I understand that the “trade” must happen for their race to survive, but it feels off to call it a trade when only one side makes the offer. The Oankali dictate the terms of the exchange: “Join us, mix with us, or your species will go extinct.” For this reason, the power dynamic between the two races troubles me, and it makes me feel as though humans are just pawns in the Oankali’s larger goal, thrown breadcrumbs to gain their trust. While they offer longer life, disease resistance, and stability, they strip away human autonomy and cultural identity, ensuring that humanity, as it once existed, will cease to be. They neutered humans without their consent, which is insane. The power dynamic felt like humans were livestock and the Oankali were the ranchers. I remember in the book, someone said to Lilith that her child would be more Oankali than human. So, they saved humanity only to end it anyway? They aren’t ending it in the typical alien takeover style, but instead, they’re breeding it out of existence.

Consent is a major factor in human society, and for the Oankali to claim they know what humans want more than humans know for themselves is absurd to me. Their vast knowledge doesn’t give them the right to bypass consent. The Oankali are extremely intelligent, yet they fail to understand human emotion. They operate on a deeply biological and evolutionary level, prioritizing survival and genetic trade over individual desires. While they study humans closely and recognize their emotions, they often dismiss or override them when they conflict with their own goals. Returning to my point that humans are pawns in the Oankali mission, I feel Paul Titus and Joseph were used by Octavia Butler to represent both ends of human resistance to the Oankali. Paul grew up with the Oankali and feels lost because he doesn’t fully belong to them or to other humans. This makes him frustrated and even violent, especially toward Lilith, because he blames the Oankali for taking away his chance at a normal human life. Joseph, on the other hand, meets the Oankali as an adult and fights to maintain control over his body and choices. Paul wants to connect with other humans but has been changed too much to do so, while Joseph refuses to change but is too weak to fight back. In the end, both suffer because of the Oankali—Paul loses his sense of identity, and Joseph loses his life. So, those who stay with the Oankali end up losing their sense of identity, while those who resist end up dying and having their genetic material taken anyway. Niceeeee.

The last thing disturbing me in the book right now is the interbreeding between the Oankali and humans. First, I have so many questions that need answering: How many other species have these trades been done with? Are the Oankali just a combination of all these species? Is there diversification among the different Oankali ships in the universe? I ask this because I wonder if humans will eventually lose everything, including what it means to be human. An Oankali-human hybrid… I’m not sure if that sits right with me. But in this position, it wouldn’t even matter what humans want, as seen with Lilith’s pregnancy—a decision made by Nikanj.

    In Dawn, the Oankali’s actions raise unsettling questions about autonomy, consent, and the true cost of survival. While they claim to offer a trade for humanity’s future, it feels more like a forced transformation, where humans lose their identity and agency. The interbreeding and disregard for personal choice leave humans as pawns in the Oankali’s plan. The story reflects a deeper power struggle, where resistance leads to death, and submission erases what makes humans human. The Oankali’s actions, though rooted in survival, ultimately dehumanize those they seek to save, creating a morally complex and troubling situation.

Octavia Butler’s speculative sci-fi novel Dawn is a fantastical, wildly entertaining, and deeply philosophical piece of writing. Butler has mastered the art of asking only the best and hardest questions of humanity. But there are dozens of aspects of Butler’s work that are troublesome and deeply disturbing. I would honestly be concerned if someone read this text and didn’t feel uncomfortable by any of it. The questions Butler asks of us in her writing wouldn’t be so profound if the narrative in which she set them up wasn’t unsettling in any way. Her technique is just as important as her content. While preparing to write this, I found it hard to pick just one topic to discuss, there was just so much to think about. I was troubled by many of the themes brought up in Dawn; surveillance, consent, isolation, etc. But after re-reading, debating over and over in my head, and talking to my peers there was one thing that I kept coming back to… The Oankali’s lie and why Butler chose to write about it in the way she did. 

Throughout the novel, Lilith is always looking to “catch the Oankali in a lie”. Up until this moment, it’s assumed by both Lilith and the reader that the Oankali never lied to her. There was certainly deception, half-truths, and censorship of information but there were never any outright lies. But then right at the end, there it was, a lie. A blatant, screaming inescapable lie. The Oankali told Lilith again and again that she was going back to Earth, and when the time came they didn’t send her. When reading the passage where Nikanj reveals to Lilith that the Oankali have sent the very humans she awakened and trained to Earth without her and worse they did it behind her back without telling or warning her my heart ached for Lilith. The poor thing has endured so much tragedy, her family has died, she has survived a nuclear winter, she was subjected to isolation and sexual violence, and her lover Joseph was murdered. But to me, this lie (or rather the revelation that it was a lie) was by far the biggest heartbreak of the entire book. The Oankali betrayed Lilith in the biggest and nastiest way possible. The idea of going back to Earth, escaping the Oankali, connecting with humanity again, and having a fresh start was the only thing that kept Lilith going. She had countless doubts about the morals of the Oankali but she always came back to the fact that they said they would bring her home. I can only imagine the anguish and grief that Lilith would have felt with this new information that she would not in fact be going home. If I were Lilith I don’t think I would have survived it. The realization that I would never go back to Earth would destroy me. Also, the realization that these beings who I put all my trust in and swore would never lie to me did in fact lie would probably drive me to insanity. 

The way that Butler chose to write about this event only raised more questions for me. Out of a 283 page novel, this lie is only revealed on the 278th page and really only discussed for about a page and a half. After reading the last page and then subsequently realizing that it was indeed the last page, I found myself wanting more and frantically flipping through the back of the book scrounging around for more information. If this revelation of the lie that the Oankali have continued to tell Lilith was as devastating as I thought it was, why didn’t Butler spend more time on it? This seems like a vital event of Lilith’s actions and thought processes as a person so wouldn’t Butler want to write lots about such an important event? I think my scrounging was what actually provided me with one possible answer. This is what Bulter wants us to feel. The sudden confusion, frustration and panic that sets in after the audience learns that the Oankali have been lying this entire time with only six pages left was absolutely intentional. This is how Lilith feels. Lilith feels the exact emotions that the readers do for the exact same reasons. The Oankali have dropped this absolutely massive bomb on Lilith and left her to rush through the acceptance process alone. Just like the readers, Lilith is not given any time to come to terms with the realization that it has all been a lie. She is hurried along to another problem the Oankali are requiring her to solve. 

Another answer to why Butler left the biggest tragedy of the book for the last couple of pages I actually learned from my Horror Film Studies class. We’ve been talking about the impact of indirect horror, subtlety, and letting the audience guess what is happening beyond what the camera is showing. Perhaps this is what Builder is trying to get at. We as readers don’t see much of how Lilith reacts to the realization that she has been lied to. We see her initial response of shock and confusion but we don’t get much more than that. What I’ve learned from my Film Studies class is that true terror comes from what the audience makes up in their mind when they are not given direct answers. Dawn doesn’t give us answers about Lilith’s reaction, so readers are forced to make something up in their heads based on their own individual interpretations of the text. This is where the real disturbance of the Oankali’s lie can start to creep in. A reader could imagine Lilith’s reaction going any which way, from violent, to peaceful, to ignoring it, or to fighting back. The majority of the trouble comes not from what Butler gives us, but what she doesn’t give us. 

Of course, with all of this comes the fact that Dawn is only the first book of a trilogy. I think a definite reason that Butler did not explore the Oankali’s life very much in this book is because she planned to discuss it more in the following books. She left us as readers very much on a cliffhanger and jonesing for more. She needed her readers to want to read the next installment and of course, we wouldn’t do that if all of our questions were answered immediately. All good things come to those who wait. 

by Lainelle Brazee

Would you choose to die of cancer knowingly and in full consciousness or would you choose to be healed, self-indebted for eternity at the cost of autonomy? How would you feel if this choice was made for you, without any input or consideration of your thoughts or feelings? In Dawn, Octavia Butler untucks just enough of the tarp so we can see what’s under it with a glance in its direction, the corner of plastic fluttering madly in the wind. The Oankali offer humanity a ‘choice’ to escape extinction: at the cost of self-determination. While picking away at human autonomy like the nail beds of an anxious teenager, genetic manipulation, hybridization, and sterilization are services insisted to be in humanity’s best interest.  

Something I indignantly discovered upon reading the novel was the tendency for the Oankali to alter humans without their full consent, or any consent at all! When Lilith awakens at the beginning of the novel, she finds an unexplained scar across her abdomen, which is evidence of an unknown procedure performed on her in her unconscious state. This immediate violation sets the tone for the Oankali’s approach to humanity: they act in what they believe is the human’s best interest with disregard for real choice. Their sterilization of all humans until they (the Oankali, not the human of course) decide otherwise underscores their control. Even as they value (repeatedly) to claim consent, they assume it rather than seek it. Perhaps they don’t know the difference, and as we talked about in class, mental blocks don’t apply to the Oankali. Just because, for example, Joseph clearly had apprehensions about sleeping with Nikanji, those weren’t enough of a reason to halt the process because his body wanted it. I think we as humans don’t just do things because our body wants/needs to, we think about things and potential consequences first. The Ooloi and the Oankali both seem to lack this ability, or they choose to ignore it. I’m not sure which. Even though the Onkali aren’t great at consent, they do help. Preventing genetic disorders and curing diseases is helpful, Lilith, for example, no longer has cancer. However, the underlying costs make their interventions feel disturbingly akin to colonialism- and slavery. 

The Oankali’s insistence that humans must be participants in their genetic hybridization process is even more terrifying. They view this as inevitable and necessary (it is important to note that without this process the Oankali will die), but in the process, they strip humanity of our own choice in shaping the future. This echoes the historical justifications (thanks Octavia) of colonial powers, who imposed their own definitions of progress and civilization upon those that were subjugated. Butler’s narrative forces us to question whether survival under such conditions is any different than enslavement. 

A small part of me is annoyed at Butler for untucking the tarp. I’d like to read without guilt, thank you very much (however, this doesn’t outweigh my fear of ignorance). But of course, she lays these traps knowing we’ll fall into them willfully, even eagerly. We were warned before we even opened the book by Dr. McCoy, and I have spent a fair amount of time wondering if it’s better or worse that we knew of these traps’ existence beforehand. We would have fallen into them either way, but if we know about them beforehand we can be more mindful of our thinking process and recognize the ruts our minds pull into, not because they’re correct, but because they’re convenient. Even though Butler passed almost twenty years ago, I feel as if her writing is so incredibly transcendent. She knows that although what’s under the tarp isn’t easy to see, it’s imperative that we see it rather than live our lives in blissful ignorance. She must have been so incredibly intelligent and observant (we can see that from the hysteria Parable of the Sower has caused thirty years after its publication) to be able to not only pinpoint problems but write them down, tactfully integrating them into stories as narrowly disguised traps for the observant reader to fall into. It’s also admirable that you could read her work while staying on the surface level. It’s definitely not recommended, but it’s entirely possible. 

Are humans really doomed to destroy ourselves? Butler (loudly) suggests that humanity’s combination of intelligence and hierarchical thinking makes us inherently self-destructive. This view presents a grim assessment of human nature. Butler seems to remove herself from the rest of us while implying that left to our own devices, humans will always fall into endless circles of war and destruction. The Oankali see themselves as ‘saving’ humanity from this fate, but the methods they choose to employ are arguably coercive. Are the Oankali truly serving humanity, or are they replacing one form of destruction with another? I have come back to this question again and again while reading the novel. I honestly don’t know if an answer exists. I don’t know if one is supposed to. Lilith also seems to struggle inherently with this question. She’s forced to accept the Oankali change to ensure humanity’s survival, as are the other humans who have been Awakened. The bleak perspective of the Oankali (of Butler in disguise?) suggests humans’ incapability to change without external forces. Free will and destiny come into play here, left blowing in the wind like the corner of the tarp for us as we read to ponder. 

It also hasn’t escaped me that as Lilith becomes more integrated with the Oankali, the more she adapts to them, the less human she feels. Butler’s painful nudging in our ribs leads us to notice the broader metaphor unsheathed as the tarp falls away; cultural assimilation and the fear of losing heritage under an overwhelming foreign influence sounds pretty similar to Lilith’s situation. The loss of human-ness can also be related to the way people are treated, a problem that has existed for as long as people have. I don’t think the Oankali caused this lessening self-identity as a human on purpose, or maliciously. Just their existence forces humanity into a sort of hybrid model, not alien but not wholly human. The loss of autonomy once again comes into play here not just externally but biologically, as humans become something fundamentally different (through unconsenting procedures consisting of forced genetic alterations). 

Butler forces us again and again to be uncomfortable, and for that solely I don’t think is reason enough to dispute her or feel tricked. By facing harsh realities through the fantasy world of the Oankali, we see that survival under oppression isn’t a victory. Just simply surviving is not a win. It’s just a different form of defeat. We, along with Lilith, are forced to look into what is left, the fragments of what it means to be human, questioning if survival without choice even counts as survival at all. With lots left to be desired and seen, Butler walks away with the corner of the plastic tarp fluttering madly in the wind, departing with the coveted key that unlocks the question of whether it’s better to look or to live in ignorance.