Octavia Butler’s science fiction novel, Dawn, takes readers into a seemingly foreign world embedded with issues that mirror problems on Earth. Butler’s fiction artfully emphasizes scripts (as Dr. McCoy calls them) that run in the human mind. One of the major scripts/ plot points in the novel is that the Oankali are always watching; the humans have no privacy. For this post, I want to focus on the idea of surveillance. I think that now, more than ever, we must have conversations about the lack of privacy we are experiencing. Can Lilith and the Oankali help us understand our own world?
During the early pages of Dawn, readers start to understand that Lilith is always being watched. Lilith first suspects this when she is paired with Sharad; she is fairly sure it was some kind of experiment to see how they interact. Yet, there is no confirmation as there are no typical cameras. While meeting Jdahya for the first time her suspicions are confirmed. Lilith asks Jdahya about Sharad but it does not know. Suddenly, her questions are answered by an anonymous voice, “Why should one more anonymous voice telling her everything was fine reassure her?” (Butler). So what does this mean for Lilith? She begins to understand that privacy is a concept of the past. She will no longer be able to keep secrets. I think that this raises questions about autonomy, do we have the rights to our bodies if we are constantly being watched?
As a reader, I felt trapped. My initial reaction was hatred and disgust for the Oankali. How could anyone be okay with this? However, in the next chapter, Butler tells us how surveillance can be used for good. The Oankali were able to detect Lilith’s cancer and successfully remove it. At this point I started to side with the Oankali– they are heroes after all. Consent is a huge issue here. I want to keep my focus on surveillance. As the novel progresses I found myself swinging back and forth between liking and disliking the Oankali. I think this is what Butler wanted; she shows the pros and cons of surveillance while leaving the final consensus up to the reader. Another example of a lack of privacy comes later in the novel. Joseph claims that he does not want to have sex with Nikanj, yet Nikanj insists otherwise. Although Joseph’s mind does not want it, his body does. Nikanj knows this and forces Joseph to do it anyway. Again, I want to acknowledge the consent issue without diving into it. I think we are conditioned to think that the Oankali know best. Joseph initially did not want this, but it brought him a lot of pleasure; this made it a little easier for readers to look past the issue at hand.
I did some research on cookies; as in “accept all cookies.” Almost every website a user visits poses the cookie question– will you accept all the cookies with the promise of the website running smoother, or will you reject them and potentially have it lag? Most users, afraid of slow internet speed, willingly accept. But wait, what are cookies? Will rejecting them cause the website to lag? In short, no. Here is what I’ve learned: there are essential and non-essential cookies. To start, a cookie is a file that collects data. The websites store these files on your computer. This file tracks and remembers information about you and your preferences. Essential cookies enhance a virtual experience; they remember your username and password, keep track of your shopping cart items, and remember your language preferences. Non-essential cookies track and collect a user’s data for their benefit. With this knowledge, they can alter their website to maximize functionality and venue as well as tailor advertisements to each user. Cookies can be a good thing– they can make the internet easier and a more enjoyable experience. Most people use cookies daily. I use cookies when I open my Geneseo Gmail account. If I did not let it “remember me” I would have to type in my username, password, and authentication code every single time I logged in.
I think that understanding Dawn can help us comprehend our lack of surveillance and privacy. I think that a lack of privacy is inevitable, we might as well embrace some of the benefits. On the ship, Lilith has accepted that she is always under surveillance. She can use this knowledge to her benefit. She can talk in the open and know that she is being heard. She understands that if her life is in danger an Oankali will save her. Yes, she has lost a lot, but she gains a sense of security. Cookies can be similar– they guarantee ease but at what cost? Given the state of our country now we are very similar to the humans on the ship. We have no secrets. We cannot hide anything. As a reader in 2025, I think that the ship can be compared to a modern website. The ship’s “cookies” are so advanced that they understand exactly what is going on in the human mind. A few weeks ago I was telling my track coach that I got Tayogo headphones for Christmas. They are waterproof and have both Bluetooth and MP3 player modes. While we stood talking about my new headphones, his iPhone was in his pocket. That night I got a text from him. He had seen 3 advertisements on different social media platforms for Tayogo headphones since our earlier conversation. I think what might be the most astonishing is that this wasn’t even over text. A full in-person conversation that his phone has heard. Big Brother is always watching.