In Octavia Butler’s Dawn, the novel explores the story of Lilith, a woman living amongst a group of “extraterrestrials” called the Onkali on a ship in space after Earth was destroyed by war. Butler is greatly successful in manipulating reader’s minds and challenging ideas readers may already hold. Throughout the novel, Butler addresses social hierarchy, gender roles, human nature, and much more. As one reads, it becomes evident that there are many concerning issues in the novel, many of which arise due to the thought-provoking nature of Butler’s writing. Over the course of the novel, one of the main issues Butler addresses is consent which usually pertains to humans as they live with the Onkali. Butler’s writing causes readers to wonder whether their living conditions and the happenings that accompany them are consensual. Throughout the novel, it becomes clear that events in the plot are cause for concern when considering consent.
As early as the first chapter of the story, it opens with Lilith being Awakened once more and held captive in a room with food and clothing however with no way to communicate with those holding her. As Lilith begins to take in her surroundings she notices a scar across her abdomen and states, “Opening and closing her jacket, her hand touched the long scar across her abdomen. She had acquired it somehow between her second and third Awakenings, and had examined it fearfully, wondering what had been done to her. What had she lost or gained, and why? And what else might be done? She did not own herself any longer. Even her flesh could be cut and stitched without her consent or knowledge”(5). Lilith expresses her fear and uncomfortability with the fact that her body had been changed or manipulated without her consent, in ways that she did not understand. As the story goes on, we come to learn that the Onkali had cut cancer out of her body and manipulated her genes so that she would no longer be at risk for cancer. Without this surgery, she would not have survived. Although it’s clear that it was crucial for Lilith’s survival that she had this procedure done, it leaves me feeling disturbed that changes were made to her body without her knowledge or consent.
Not only was she operated on without consent, but she was also held for two years in isolation rooms and two-hundred and fifty years in suspended animation without the Onkali ever explaining to her why she was being forced to be locked away (17). As the story progresses, this continues to be a recurring theme in which Lilith has questions and requests that the Onkali simply refuse to comply with. It certainly offers the question of what the Onkali consider consent and if they deem consent important at all.
As the story progresses Lilith becomes comfortable with the Onkali and Nikanj, the ooloi she meets and who becomes her mate. It becomes a major cause for concern when Lilith begins to form an emotional bond with the ooloi and thus begins a sexual relationship with her. With Lilith in a sexual relationship with Nikanj, she eventually meets Joseph as he awakens and they become mates as well. As Lilith and Joseph pair up, Lilith and Nikanj then bring Joseph into their relationship by neurologically stimulating him without ever asking if this is something he wants. The text states, “‘I don’t want him here again.’ ‘Nikanj isn’t male—and | doubt whether it really cares what either of us wants.’ ‘Don’t let him touch you! If you have a choice, keep away from him!’ The refusal to accept Nikanj’s sex frightened her because it reminded her of Paul Titus. She did not want to see Paul Titus in Joseph”(192). I find it immensely disturbing that these events took place without the consent or knowledge of Joesph. Even more so, Lilith finds it concerning that Joseph is not willing to accept or embrace what he experienced although he never chose to experience it to begin with.
Later in the story, Joseph is once again found to be lured in by the Onkali in a way that is certainly nonconsensual and unsettling. The actions that follow, once again show, how Butler can get readers thinking about what can be considered “right” and “wrong”. The text states, “‘Let go of me.’ It smoothed its tentacles again. ‘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 more comfortably against its body. Lilith saw that he had closed his eyes again, his face peaceful. Now he was ready to accept what he had wanted from the beginning”(215/216). Within this scene, it is clear that Joseph was put in a sexual situation that he was uncomfortable with. Interestingly, Onkali’s (and Lilith’s) view on the matter is that although Joseph verbalized his disapproval of the situation, his body truly wanted it therefore it was okay for Nikanj to ignore his words. I find it massively unnerving that the ooloi as well as Lilith denied Joseph of his consent due to what his body was telling Nikanj. Although his body may have wanted it, it is an individual’s right to deny something regardless of whether they want it or not. Butler certainly causes readers to think in setting up this scene and makes it evident that it is unfair to justify the sexual relationship that Joe became forced into.
Throughout the remainder of the novel, the other ooloi are shown to form relationships and pair up with the other humans Lilith awakened, as she was preparing them to be released back to Earth. As events occur such as humans attacking ooloi, humans hurting each other out of a lack of trust, and the uncertainty of the humans in regards to where they truly are and if they can trust each other, the ooloi are shown to frequently drug the humans into feelings calm or emotions they would not feel without the ooloi’s control. Butler writes, “Humans were kept drugged for days—drugged, and guarded, each individual or pair by an ooloi”(217). This once again brings up the issue of consent, being that human minds were manipulated without their knowledge or approval whether or not their body needed the manipulation. This brings forward the idea that the Onkali do not feel consent is said outright through verbalization, but through the feelings and sensations that one experiences. This proves the major difference between Onkali and humans and proves once again to be disturbing to readers that human choice is frequently ignored.
In Dawn Butler frequently puts readers in situations in which she challenges her mind against what is “normal” and“abnormal”. Something I have deemed to be most concerning within the novel is the idea of consent which is challenged between the Onkali and humans. As one reads, it becomes clear that both the Onkali and humans hold different definitions of consent however it is evident that other’s ideas of consent should be accepted and complied with. The behavior of the Onkali within Dawn leaves readers with the question of how this will manifest throughout the trilogy as humans return to Earth and begin life back on their home planet.