(Im)Possibilities

Jared Coleman

Doctor Beth McCoy

Throughout the fiction works of Octavia Butler, we as readers are constantly met with ideas requiring us to think and analyze at a much deeper level, to better understand that which is presented to us. I have found Butler’s works, both of this semester: Adulthood Rites and Dawn, and Bloodchild, which I studied last semester, to have sparked a much deeper process of thinking than I have felt during more traditional reading. Last semester, in a course focused on diving into Butler’s literary works in Bloodchild and Other Stories, I was introduced to the theme of humans present on a foreign planet, surrounded by controlling foreign beings. Initially, I found the ideas of Bloodchild to be confusing, and I found myself having difficulties grasping its deeper meanings. However, as we moved further into the semester, I began to gain a deeper understanding, as I grew alongside the main character, Gan.

Now as I engage Butler’s other works of fiction, I find myself going through the same process of learning and reflection. I feel both Adulthood Rites and Dawn present ideas that are eerily similar to those found in Bloodchild, especially in regards to their exploration of bodily autonomy, consent, and independence. In Bloodchild, we encounter a unique birthing process between the humans (Terrans) and the alien species known as the Tlic. The story presents this to us as a seeming rite of passage, as each host is raised around a Tlic in preparations for their implantation. “Consent is an act of implicating relations of power; it marks the presence of power, arrangements and actions that one does not oneself create but to which one submits.” (Wendy Brown, States of Inquiry). Much like the quote from Brown, throughout both Bloodchild and Dawn, consent is portrayed to us as not a free, autonomous decision, but as a forced and constrained choice. These stories both contain a power dynamic, whereas the one who gets to set the terms is placed in a position of much higher control; and it was through Brown’s quote that I was reminded that consent in these stories only happens within already-made systems that both Gan and Lilith have no control over. Both Butler and Brown present these ideas to us in a similar fashion, revealing to the reader that the control Gan and Lilth have over these decisions is seemingly limited to a yes or no, and are shaped and weighed unequally in a world where they no longer have a say. 

The ideas of consent and autonomy of the body are heavily present both in this process and the story as a whole, as our Terran main character, Gan, has grown up with the belief that this is something he must do. Gan battles with his own beliefs of this process throughout the story as he grows through his experiences, learning to question both the morality and the meaning behind this process. and this is where I see the heaviest connection between Bloodchild and both works from this semester, as Gan begins to grow through his struggle between obligation and his autonomy. 

Reading through Dawn, I found myself once again being met with this oddly familiar setting. In Dawn, we read from the perspective of a woman named Lilith, who we learn has found herself aboard a strange ship, inhabited by beings known as Oankali. The themes of bodily autonomy became immediately apparent to me once again as I learned that the Oankali had removed Lilith’s cancer from her body without her knowledge or consent. ““A cancer. We got rid of it. Otherwise, it would have killed you.”” Later in Adulthood Rites, we once again are exposed to this similar theme as Lilith is impregnated by the Oankali, not from her wishes, but from what the Oankali knew she felt, and what they felt was best for the betterment of themselves, “It made me pregnant, then told me about it. Said it was giving me what I wanted but would never come out and ask for.” (Butler, 27) This moment once again echoes the idea of having one’s bodily autonomy and choices ignored, and is equally reminiscent of Gan’s own experience, as both characters are forced to confront the loss of their bodily control. Immediately I made a mental connection of the similarities that were present between each of these works, as the Oankali way of life was one dependent on the alterations of DNA and genes, which shares the same similarities as the Tlic’s human dependence. Both Dawn and Bloodchild introduce us to protagonists who undergo growth and internal conflicts as they are forced to grapple with the ideas of their autonomy in a new environment where their own human choice and independence have been compromised. 

Not only do I see the similarities between the growth of Lilith and Gan during their journeys and battles with their bodily control, but I feel that their stories are eerily reminiscent of current issues in our society and legislation. While I aim to maintain professionalism, I can’t help but see the striking parallels between these fictional struggles and the current legislative challenges surrounding reproductive rights. The present ongoing struggle of women, and their control over their own bodily and reproductive rights, which are now again being challenged by our current legislation, are issues that sadly are reminiscent of the issues with the struggles with the ideas of consent, bodily autonomy, and independence found in Butler’s works. I find it extremely troubling to see that the connection between the issues explored by Butler in works of speculative fiction has become a startling part of our reality. What I feel is my deepest “Butler Trouble” is that these seemingly fictional scenarios and issues are now sadly becoming non-fiction and much like my position as a reader whereas I was powerless to influence what was already written, in todays society, while I am not directly affected in the sense of bodily control, that doesn’t prevent me from offering my sympathy for the women in my family as well as those close to me who now have to battle with these issues regarding their autonomy.

Allison, Kristina, Jordan, Ayishetu, Owen 

Dr. Buolamwini is a computer scientist, digital activist, and AI researcher. Dr. Buolamwini’s work started as a journey of advocacy; however, it had unintentionally morphed into uncovering the potential harms of Olay’s Skin Advisor System. Dr. Buolamwini referenced the work of Safiya Nobel, who wrote The Algorithms of Oppression. This spotlighted how search engines portrayed Black girls and women of color in derogatory ways. In an attempt to lead to a more inclusive system, Dr. Buolamwini collaborated with Olay in a campaign to address bias in artificial intelligence used to analyze skin and provide personalized skincare recommendations. Dr. Buolamwini describes Olays original facial recognition technology that “was created and designed by one demographic, that is only mostly effective on that one demographic”. The AI is used to personalize skin care recommendations that rely on a database of facial images that lack diversity of skin tones. This caused the AI to perform improper skin care assessments for people with darker skin tones. The original goal was to take action and “address algorithmic bias: creating more inclusive datasets.” This was going to be done through a campaign known as “Selfies for Inclusion”. Having all this data seems like a wonderful thing, as it allows Olay to work toward minimizing bias. These data sets would enable the AI in Olay’s skin Advisory system to have a broader collection of data to deliver more accurate skin care recommendations. This sounds like an all wonderful idea but a new issue arises and it becomes a socio-technical problem. The data AI uses can be used for both good and bad. Who decides when the positives outweigh the negatives? This disagreement allows for inherent bias as we people tend to only focus on one side either negatives or positives. If we only focus on the negative we never get to see the full potential of benefits it can bring. It is important to not let our potential bias overshadow the positives. The journey of advocacy in Octavia Butler’s Xenogenesis trilogy has illuminated Dr. Joy Buolamwini’s work in Unmasking AI by highlighting how discrimination is so integrated into societies and influences the way we perceive others.

At the start of the trilogy by Butler, the oankali kept mentioning how humans don’t embrace change, discriminate, and how gene-trading will change that. In Dawn, we feel that humans were made to feel terrible for not accepting everyone as they are. The oankali preached about how they would bring change to the human race and what being a human means will change. The oankali made it seem as if they were not capable of discrimination. But as we see in Imago, they showed much bias towards Jodahs and let their preconceived notions get the better of them. “Human beings fear difference,” Lilith had told him once. “Oankali crave difference. Humans persecute their different ones, yet they need them to give themselves definition and status. Oankali seeks differences and collects them. They need it to keep themselves from stagnation. You’ll probably find bath tendencies surfacing in your behavior. When you feel a conflict, try to go the Oankali way. Embrace difference” (Adulthood Rites.) He had probably been treated badly. He did not veer from the Human norm in the same way as other people in the village, and Humans were genetically inclined to be intolerant of difference. They could overcome the inclination, but it was a reality of the Human conflict that they often did not (185-186 Imago). Here again, we see the implication and outward notion that humans, in their nature, are not tolerable but fail to see their own biases. Jodah was born to Tino, Nikanj, and Lilith and showed many characteristics of a male, human oankali construct. Going through his metamorphosis, it was discovered that Jodah was not an Oankali but instead was a human Oolioo construct. It was determined that Jodah was never a male and only showed characteristics of males. The Oankali already had a fear surrounding human-born males and considered them” experimental and potentially dangerous” (Imago, 19). This fear was intensified as the Oankali were not ready for a human construct Ooloi. Human-born Ooloi was defined as a “more potentially deadly being?” The oankali didn’t like males to be born to begin with and their dislike was amplified with Jodah being a male human ooloi. In both Dr. Buolamwini’s work and the trilogy by Butler, we see similar themes of starting an idea with a positive intent but leading down to finding something negative which leaves us with a puzzling question. Does the positive intention negate the negative outcome? 

Dr. Buolamwini’s goal was not only for the good of others, but it was something deeper—it was for her own personal identity and right to engage in society. An experience Dr. Buolamwini had with one of her makeup artists during the Olay campaign led to a deeper realization: “Amy, a tall Nigerian woman, was my makeup artist. When I showed her the print ad, she looked at me with tears welling in her eyes. I know this is supposed to be for little girls, but it’s for me, too. We don’t get to see ourselves celebrated like this.” Her reaction impressed on me the joy of inclusion. I didn’t need another credential to have others feel seen or to be taken seriously” (263). Dr. Buolamwini saw beyond the movement as targeting one group or community but instead impacting a larger group of communities who are also excluded from the beauty industry.

The work being done is important because it brings awareness to the disparities in access to AI technologies and addresses societal challenges brought about by facial recognition AI technologies. In today’s society, technology is advancing at a more rapid pace than ever before. In our everyday lives, we have this tool in our hands that influences our everyday lives. Through the exploration of the parallels between Imago’s journey of advocacy in Lilith’s life and Joy Buolamwini’s real-world advocacy with Olay, we see how fiction and reality reflect one another in powerful ways. Both works highlight how technological biases are not abstract; they impact how people are seen, treated, and valued. So what? This matters to our course because it reveals how Butler’s speculation is not just imagining other worlds– it’s critiquing the one we live in. It connects directly to our work on the ethics of AI and representation but also challenges the ideas of embodiment and autonomy. Who cares? We all should. These systems have been shaping the world’s hiring decisions, healthcare, surveillance, and other powerful platforms. Understanding these connections allows us to question and intervene in how power operates in both literature and technology. Ultimately, that is what our Geneseo education is for: engaging critically across disciplines, making every connection matter, and not only summarizing but interpreting work to help push boundaries. This is meaningful, impactful work.

By Allison MacIntyre, Naod Daniel, Robert LaDuca Madelyn Perry, and Nia Jones

In comparing the missions of Dr. Joy Buolamwini, poet, computer scientist, and founder of the Algorithmic Justice League (a non-profit devoted to uncovering and preventing racial and gender bias in AI systems) and Jodahs, the first construct ooloi to exist in Octavia Butler’s Imago, it is undeniable that the two are advocating for a population that extends beyond themselves. But as Buolamwini remarks, it is hard to abandon the hope that “someone else will take care of the problem” (Buolamwini 11), especially when big corporations profit off instilling this mindset in consumers. Customers justify, for instance, unsustainable consumption under the fallacy that they are just one person, and therefore feel powerless to change their practices and overarching culture of materialistic values. In other words, they and we often forget about the scale of our actions. However, as Jodah’s frustration in not being listened to as the first and initially only member of its kind illuminates, there is rarely someone who can advocate as effectively for us as we can for ourselves. Jodah’s unrelenting demand to be listened to and validated as the first member of its people makes it abundantly clear that groups who advocate are only as effective as the individuals working within them. 

The book, [Black Skin, White Masks by Frantz Fanon] written almost half a century before my experience, interrogates the complexities of conforming oneself—putting on a mask to fit the norms or expectations of a dominant culture.” (Buolamwini xv) Buolamwini’s impenetrable introduction explains this concern perfectly. The Oankali speak and express their ideas in a colonial mindset where they are quick to critique the remaining humans’ previous cultures in an attempt to assimilate them to a new, unfamiliar form of life. “No. It will be done our [Oankali] way. Not yours.” (Butler 82) In Dawn, the Oankali reiterate the importance of gene trading; how important it is for them to live and evolve as an extraterrestrial species. As Beth says, “genebreeding/trading is as essential for them as it is for humans to breathe.” Dawn is an introduction to a new world with new leaders who have different plans for what humanity can eventually grow to be, if they—the remaining members of humanity—choose it. The Oankali are giving the humans a chance—an opportunity, really—to start over with a life where the factors of hierarchy will not result in their species demise. “We’re not hierarchical, you see. We never were. But we are powerfully acquisitive. We acquire new life—seek it, investigate it, manipulate it, sort it, use it. We carry the drive to do this in a minuscule cell within a cell—a tiny organelle within every cell of our bodies.” (Butler 43) Throughout the trilogy, the Oankali act as saviors of the human race and the curators of a new Earth where human resisters and Oankali constructs attempt to coexist with an unfamiliar post-war world. Although the resisters and Oankali communities are separated, the Oankali lead a dominant culture on Earth as the only species that can reproduce, as the humans remain sterile in their resistor communities. 

There is an ongoing theme throughout the Xenogenesis trilogy, where each character—Lilith, Akin, or Jodahs—have had their voices diminished and unheard by beings of a higher authority. The only difference being their audience and the substance of their argument—the response, unfortunately, usually remained the same, as their words of advocacy and encouragement against a larger, oppressive system were often met with violence and scrutiny. The same struggles we’ve analyzed in the trilogy have also proved relevant in our reality. For example, Buolamwini outlines an example of this struggle in her book Unmasking AI. In 2021 leading up to the Olympics there was discourse over Simone Biles, a decorated olympian and her decision to not participate in many of the events. Simone Biles refused to compete in her events for a plethora of reasons. During the time there was a lot of advocacy for mistreated gymnasts who had suffered from sexual abuse, as well as her own personal fear of injuring herself while suffering from the “twisties”, a common mental-block experienced by gymnasts. Although many publicly called out Biles’ and called her selfish, Biles stayed true to herself and sent the message that she was in charge of herself, and would not let anyone else tell her when she should and shouldn’t compete. Buolamwini was inspired by this move and saw Biles as a pioneer to black women demonstrating that it’s okay to say “no” sometimes. Buolamwini writes “The Biles’ Refusal” is a beautiful reminder of the power of saying yes to your well-being… Putting yourself above the weight of gold is awe inspiring for me to see especially as a young Black woman. We know that when we say no, it disrupts expectations that we should be meek and grateful to have opportunities to shine on the world stage… The old order is crumbling because after enduring a pandemic, continuously experiencing in-justice no matter the level of success, and embracing their inherent dignity no accolades required, queens like you are embracing refusal” (Buolamwini 238). Buolamwini praised this move as she saw Biles as a successful, black woman pioneering prioritizing self-love and self-advocacy. Although many people expected things from her, Biles chose to put herself first and refrained from overloading herself and putting her body at risk. 

The underlying and diminishing standards of what is considered to be beautiful has daunted the self worth and confidence of individuals who do not align within these means. Conflicts regarding this topic have been presented in the Xenogenesis trilogy as well as in Buolamwini’s novel, Unmasking AI. Neurofibromatosis is a common disease that large amounts of the colony share in the trilogy. This disease causes tumors to begin to develop on the skin and nerves of the body, which can vary in size and shape. Whilst the majority of the colony deals with this disease, hatred is congregated among these individuals. Traditional beauty standards are demonstrated in Buolamwini’s book. These can vary among different cultures but typically resonate around pale skin, straight hair, higher nose bridge, and light eyes. Standards like these are considered to be Eurocentric features. Industries such as skin care, modeling, and makeup have created a bias towards individuals who fall into this degree. Buolamwini describes,“the representation of beauty overall was heavily Eurocentric, and search engine results for terms like “beautiful skin,” “beautiful face,” and “beautiful woman” revealed and amplified this beauty bias.” She persistently describes how industries have overlooked individuals that do not possess these eurocentric characteristics and how they are viewed as less. Skin care companies whose mission is to ‘advocate’ for people with acne and blemishes still use a warped sense of beauty against people of color by disregarding inclusivity in advertisements. This bias can create a pressure for people to alter their natural appearances to fit unrealistic standards, which ties back into the trilogy surrounding the idea of discrimination based on appearance.

Butler sets up a scene where Akin is advocating for a human settlement to an Akjai. The Akjai points out Akin’s internal desire and biological need for a mate so he can follow proper Oankali development, but the fate of the resistors is what primarily drives the conversation on Akin’s side. Akin is standing up for people who have no say in the decision to lose their entire race and planet to the Oankali. The Akjai acknowledges this and promises to bring Akin’s concerns to the other Oankali. The proposed alternative to the extinction of the resistors is to terraform Mars and relocate them there. As we move deeper into the book—and into the third installment of the trilogy—we see that Akin’s advocacy was successful, as plans for the Mars settlement are underway. “I don’t think I could stand to share an ooloi with it… Then come to me and I’ll find new teachers for you — people who know the processes of changing a cold, dry, lifeless world into something humans can survive on.” (Butler 236) Akin could have simply moved on with his life and focused on his metamorphosis, but he chose instead to speak up for people who couldn’t advocate for themselves. That initiative shifted the fate of an entire species. Rather than complying with the powers above him, Akin chose to go against the grain—and he was ultimately successful. Another example of someone using their voice for the good of others is found in Buolamwini’s book Unmasking AI, where she recounts being wronged by CBS during a 60 Minutes segment she had dedicated significant time and effort to. The topic of interest was facial recognition technology. She writes, “If I did not speak up for myself I would be quietly complicit in this kind of treatment. Though I had only eight weeks until my PhD defense, instead of working on my long-deserted dissertation, I reached out to the producers to ask about my exclusion… ‘Take them to task!’ he encouraged me. I’m a daddy’s girl. I spent the next few days working with several teams on a public petition that demanded CBS take corrective actions. The petition received more than six thousand signatures.” (Buolamwini 251) Despite the pressure of her upcoming PhD defense, Buolamwini chose to stand up for herself and others who face systemic bias in technology. She sacrificed time that could have been spent on her personal goals to advocate for a cause she deeply believed in—one that resonated with over six thousand supporters.            There are certainly unwanted outcomes attached to becoming an advocate, such as deification or martyrdom, or as Dr. Joy puts it, being “wary of the possibility that I would be obligated to deliver lines I did not believe in” (Buolamwini 256), and these may be very dissuasive to good faith change seekers. Yet it is only when one decides what they will and will not tolerate, and subsequently, what kind of representative they will or will not be, that things such as discrimination in skin care and exile from homelands are freed from the idea that they are somehow inevitable. Unfortunately, this often puts the onus on already disadvantaged populations. To say that these folks must stay alert and stay resistant to legislation or consensus that directly affects them is not to say that they are at fault for being disadvantaged, but rather that they are the most equipped, and therefore should be the ones making decisions about things personally affecting them. In a time where new innovations like AI do not serve all people equally, advocacy need not be a constraint imposed on people, but more hopefully, an invitation to direct the uses and implementations of services in a way that is mutually beneficial to all who choose to partake. Advocacy for choice becomes especially important when highly technological services threaten to become the dominant way of life despite being new and not yet fully developed. Unlike Jodahs, who at the time of its self-advocacy, was the only person like itself to ever exist, and as a result, was literally the only person it could rely on, humans represent one of the largest species in the world, making it easy to try to hide behind the masses. Yet as continued discrimination from skin care to living spaces to technology continues to mold the way different people live, Buolamwini and Jodahs make it clear that even something as seemingly small as one person choosing either to ignore or to act makes it much easier for others to also ignore or act, for better or for worse.

By: Victor Leon-Melendez, Claire Lustig, Hailey Bilby, Josie Hastings, and Mari Greaney

Octavia Butler’s Xenogenesis Trilogy details a long journey of advocacy for the rights of Human-Oankali constructs. It provides insight into a different effort towards care described by Dr. Buolamwni in her book Unmasking AI.  In Butler’s Trilogy, the lack of care in the creation of constructs and then the subsequent rejection of them illuminates Dr. Buolamwni’s own journey of advocacy with Olay in a new light by emphasizing the importance of prioritizing concerns of safety and inclusivity over profits and desires. Simultaneously, we must not completely reject the idea of future AI programs out of fear, rather, we must adjust them so that they are not actively conducting harm to others. Both Octavia Butler and Dr. Buolamwini’s Unmasking AI remind us that proper legislation, education, and understanding are required to ensure that neither a complete aversion nor a complete homogenization of AI dependency occurs. 

 In Butler’s Trilogy, there is a distinct lack of care in the creation of a new species. Nikanj allowed their innermost desires to drive them towards creating the first Human-Oankali construct that grew up to be Ooloi. The first construct child that is able to manipulate genes is dangerous because of its uncertainty. The other members of Nikanj’s family have come to distrust them because of fear. “How can we possibly trust you? No one else has made such a dangerous mistake?” (Imago, 28). The fear of the unknown and the anxiety surrounding a move that was made without care or thought is what drives the distrust. The result is the exile of Jodahs, which is a complete rejection of them and the new technology they represent. 

The “journey of advocacy” comes when another member of Jodahs’ family sticks up for them and suggests that “The people are going to have to change the old agreement before more accidents happen. The next one might be flawed too” (Imago, 23). Dichaan reminds his family that the previously established rules and regulations are no longer sustainable with this new reality that they are now living in. As Nikanj brought life to a brand new construct, they were unaware of the construct’s potential to disrupt the natural environment that they live in and the other Oankali around them. If the already existing Oankail want to reach the desired balance of not letting anxiety take over the good parts that could come from new technology, but also not let this new technology completely take over, they need to establish new and expand on old rules. Not a lot of care was put in at first, but that does not mean that care cannot be put in now. We also see this ideology being explored and established in our current world. 

Rather than bore her readers with thousands of potential examples of how companies could abuse AI tech and/or not take responsibility for the mistakes and dangers of AI, Dr. Buolamwini provides us with an astoundingly positive example. When she brings up concerns regarding the preservation of humanity with Olay’s AI use, not only do they take the first step by listening to her concerns, but they actually follow through with actions to address her concerns. “‘If we find bias in our tool, we will do what it takes to fix it … .If there is no way to make it more just and inclusive, we will just shut it down.’ I was shocked” (262). We, as readers of her book and experiencers of our world, were shocked too. To have a company as big as Olay stand up for the rights and protection of normal citizens and put those protections first before profits is huge! Dr. Buolamwini’s interaction with Olay should serve as a blueprint for all future human/AI company interactions. Care was put into the AI product that Olay was developing. Care for the preservation of humanity. 

However, despite Olay’s presence of care, Dr. Buolamwini says that it is still not enough. She urges that advocating for proper legislation is necessary to protect people’s identities when using and interacting with AI.  “…relying on the goodwill and moral motivations of the tech industry is not a responsible or reliable strategy… government agencies would need to be pressured to test technology from companies offering AI services” (264). Allowing tech companies to continue operating without oversight is not an option. With technology so widely available, powerful, and potentially life-changing, governing bodies need to take initiative to protect their citizens. It is imperative that when new AI technologies are being created, that there is a proper response towards understanding its full potential before it ever reaches the consumer market. This delay could potentially keep AI companies from being on the cutting edge of development, which we’ve established is one of the major drives of developing technology. This push for innovation could even be named the reason as to why AI has made the leaps and bounds as it has, and is required for AI to grow effectively, similar to how Octavia Butler’s Oankali creatures rely on unchecked genetic development in order to continue the existence of their species. 

One could argue that what the Oankali do is for their survival, but is that entirely true? From what we have come to understand from the trilogy, it is essential for the survival of their species to be in contact with unfamiliar genetic material. However, it is necessary to consider what is done to meet biological needs, and when it goes beyond just meeting those needs. “Aaor wants Human mates. It must have mates of some kind. Until it can get them, will you share what we have with it?” (Imago, 152). The italicizing of must is not just cosmetic; Butler wants us to know that the Oankali absolutely must do this to survive. Throughout Imago, we see Aaor self-destructing due to the lack of mates, so we know that this is true. The Oankali do what they need to in order to survive, but this is possible without overstepping boundaries and infringing on the basic rights of a living being, and should be done in good faith with as much care as possible, which is where many Ooloi in the series fall short. Similarly, AI developers such as Olay have to push the limits and boundaries of AI as a career, and it is something that they must do. In both instances, there is no room for carelessness in what must be done. Mistakes in developing AI can cause harm to people on a global scale, especially minorities. What remains most important is consistent effort to work carefully, in good faith, and in the wake of a conflict, do what is necessary to bring justice to the situation.

So much of the new AI technologies and the companies that create them feel performative and exhibitionist. The companies seem to be in a show-off war with each other, each one is trying to develop the new, top-performing AI engine. There seems to be such a focus on barreling through new technology development because we can, but there is not enough discussion of whether we should. This is where the care and journey of advocacy come into play. If we are going to continue down this path of a new version of AI coming out every other day, we must proceed with caution and attention to the livelihoods of its users. But why take so much care? Why does it matter so much? We as humans find ourselves at an impasse, a transition point. We now have the choice to either let new AI run rampant and take over, completely reject it and try to close the chapter completely, or be flexible enough to adapt to new AI tech in a way that both allows exploration of the future but also preserves protection, identity, civil rights, and privacy. To evolve is to adapt, and Octavia Butler teaches us that no progress will be made unless we can overcome the need to reject what is unfamiliar. 

By Maggie Kennell, Marie Naudus, Victoria Slade, and Emily Sneider

Both Dr. Buolamwini and Jodahs advocate for themselves in spaces where they are underrepresented or misunderstood, and in the process, they give people like them a champion. Octavia Butler’s Xenogenesis Trilogy and Dr. Joy Buolamwini’s Unmasking AI explore complex ideas such as self-advocacy, inclusion, and personal identity. As we explore these works, the development of each narrator’s sense of self and the gaining of their own voices becomes evident. In Imago, we see Jodahs evolve into an advocate for both its needs and its sibling, Aaor’s, throughout its metamorphosis. In Unmasking AI, Dr. Buolamwini becomes more confident in her decision to pursue her PhD and speak up during her campaign with Olay. Jodahs’ journey through Imago depicts the importance of advocating for yourself despite being different, and similarly, Unmasking AI details the importance of self-advocacy even when you have outside pressures influencing you. After reading Imago, we can further understand why Dr. Buolamwini wanted to advocate for herself and others like her throughout her partnership with Olay.

Butler’s Imago explores the main character, Jodahs’, metamorphosis and self-discovery. Readers see Jodahs start to accept itself early in the novel. In a conversation with its same sex parent Nikanj, it confesses, “I wouldn’t want to give up being what I am. I…I want to be ooloi. I really want it. And I wish I didn’t. How can I want to cause the family so much trouble?”(Butler 27). The quote emphasizes the internal conflict it feels regarding its identity. It truly wants to be an ooloi but struggles with the judgment it will face from the community. As the novel progresses, Jodahs’ confidence grows as it becomes an advocate for itself and Aaor. We begin to see Jodahs go through metamorphosis, a time in which he grows into an adult ooloi and goes through a period of self-discovery. The text reads, “My mother looks at Nikanj. When it did not speak, she said, ‘Jodahs…Jodahs is becoming ooloi’” (Butler 21). After Jodahs’ metamorphosis is complete, it begins to feel as though it has more of a purpose, making it want to help Aaor feel more confident in its ability to do so. The text states, “I think we can help it…. I wish it had come to me before it went away. I think we could have helped it even then” (Butler 151). The story shows how Jodahs helps Aaor through its metamorphosis as well. “‘​​What am I going to do?’ it asked just before we left it with Nikanj. ‘We’ll take care of you,’ I promised” (Butler 159). As Jodahs learns to advocate for itself, it is also able to advocate for its sibling. Throughout Butler’s Imago, we see Jodahs’ personal growth through its metamorphosis, which is then reflected by its desire to help its sibling, Aaor, through its metamorphosis as well.

In Dr. Buolamwini’s Unmasking AI, she describes several times when she has had to advocate for herself in both her educational and personal life. During her final stretch of obtaining her PhD, she was completely mentally and physically burnt out and needed to stop. She was compelled to make this decision when she saw the athlete Simone Biles drop out of the All-Around Final event due to a case of the “twisties.” Dr. Buolamwini detailed how she related to this need for a break, saying she had a case of the “doctoral twisties.” In a letter Dr. Buolamwini wrote to the gymnast in gratitude for the example that she has set, she says, “The Biles Refusal is a beautiful reminder of the power of saying yes to your well-being” (Buolamwini 238). Seeing another talented and successful woman advocate for her health was an important reminder to Dr. Buolamwini to do the same for herself. 

In 2021, Dr. Buolamwini became the face of Olay’s #DecodeTheBias campaign, an effort to increase the number of women in STEM fields. In September of that same year, Dr. Buolamwini was featured in a Vogue ad for her collaboration with Olay. She describes the shock and excitement of seeing her face in the ad, “If you had told nine-year-old me that one day I would be the face of any beauty campaign that celebrated my dark skin and Ashanti features especially, I would not have believed you” (Buolamwini 247). Seeing herself being represented in the media shows how representation can encourage people to advocate for themselves. This campaign began as a way to represent women, and especially women of color, in the STEM field, but eventually turned into a way for Dr. Buolamwini to explore the racial bias in facial recognition technologies and promote her work through a Good Morning America interview. 

When considering individuals who may hold different viewpoints regarding the importance of self-advocacy and the representation of minorities in media, there is much to consider about why these differences in opinions are present. For one, a lack of understanding. Naysayers typically find themselves represented in the media. They do not know how it feels to be excluded, and thus do not see the importance of it. In both Butler’s Imago and Unmasking AI, we can see criticism aimed toward the individuals who advocate for themselves or others, specifically minority groups. In Imago, Butler demonstrates criticism regarding self-advocacy when she writes, “Tino and Tomas seemed to find some common ground by the time Aaor had completed its metamorphosis, but Jesusa held an unyielding grudge. She hardly spoke to my mother from then on. And when it was time for us to go, and she learned that Aaor had to go with us, she almost stopped speaking to me. That was another battle. Aaor did have to go” (Butler 166). It is evident that characters who have no understanding of the needs of those who are unlike themselves, with Jesusa holding a grudge against Aaor and Jodahs for needing to leave and find mates. In Unmasking AI, Dr. Buolamwini shows some hesitancy/criticism for self-advocacy when working with Olay for the #DecodeTheBias campaign. The final part of this campaign was completing an audit of Olay’s Skin Advisor tool. Dr. Buolamwini had worries about the bias the facial recognition program might have against people of color. She feared the bias would reveal an aspect of bias that was unfixable and would exclude certain groups of people. Luckily, Olay agreed that if this was a reality they discovered, they would put an end to the project. Dr. Buolamwini recognizes that this is not a usual behavior for major companies, “While Olay sought the audit on a voluntary basis, we cannot assume all companies would do the same. While there may be some good actors, relying on the goodwill and moral motivations of the tech industry is not a responsible or reliable strategy” (Buolamwini 263). Dr. Buolamwini also discusses what the “costs of inclusion” could look like and what kind of work it would take to fix. For example, with her work with Olay, she poses the questions, “ If AJL launched a #SelfiesForInclusion campaign that improved facial recognition, are we inadvertently subjecting more vulnerable populations to unfair scrutiny? How can such risks be addressed? Who should address them?” (Buolamwini 258). In asking these questions, Dr. Buolamwini argues that not all advances in technology are worth pursuing or investing in because, no matter how much research goes into them, new technologies can still be harmful and discriminatory. 

Upon analyzing Butler’s Imago and Unmasking AI, it is evident that now, more than ever, representation is important in our society. We see the need for representation in Octavia Butler’s Xenogenesis Trilogy she began in 1987, and more current stories like Dr. Buolamwini’s 2023 book Unmasking AI. While Butler and Dr. Buolamwini tell two different stories, they boil down to the same message: no peace without inclusion. The construct ooloi fight to be recognized the same way Dr. Buolamwini advocates for women of color in academia, the STEM field, and the beauty scene. It is important to recognize our privilege as four white authors, as we express our views to make it known that we are unable to fully understand what these individuals, and other people of color, have experienced when it comes to standing up to the biases in our world. With current events happening in society, it would be easy for people with privilege to forget and or ignore the importance of diversity and inclusion, and weaponize self-advocacy rather than value its necessary role both socially and economically, therefore it is important to tell the stories of individuals fighting for change and working toward a more inclusive future.

by Lainelle Brazee, Jared Coleman, Abigail Cornelius, Amber Ellis, & Ephesia Harris

Both Butler’s Lilith’s Brood and Buolamwini’s work helps to highlight that although sometimes small intentional acts toward one’s self-advocacy build toward a broader systemic change alongside personal development. These seemingly tiny acts of change may not look revolutionary at first, but soon compound into something much more powerful.

In the 2020 summer Olympics—scheduled for 2021— gymnast Simone Biles shocked the world when she withdrew from the All-Around Final event. Biles advocated for herself and inspired others to do the same. “I too felt disoriented by the twists and turns of the final stretch of my doctoral program, which I was now calling Mission: Dr. Justice” (Buolamwini, 234). Biles’ advocacy for herself brought about inspiration in others to do the same. This can be the nature of self-advocacy; it can easily influence others to advocate for themselves and other people. It pushes the limits of a person’s conceived boundaries and makes them ask themselves, “Can I do that too?” Inspired by Biles, Dr. Buolamwini was able to jumpstart her own project, Mission: Dr. Justice. “The Biles Refusal is a beautiful reminder of the power of saying yes to your well-being” (Buolamwini, 238). This highlights the importance of self-advocacy and how standing up for yourself can motivate others to do the same.

Inspired by Simone Biles’ self-advocacy, Dr. Buolamwini made a major decision to take a step back from her doctorate. In doing so, she was able to preserve her well-being; this seemingly small decision had an immense impact. It became a key turning point that allowed her to refocus. “There was nothing I absolutely had to do, so I started to focus on what I wanted to do.” (Buolamwini, 240), and it was through this newly altered perspective, and through these acts of Buolamwini’s own advocation that she earned her position as “…the face of Olay’s #DecodeTheBias campaign…” (Buolamwini, 247). These small acts toward change, acts that Buolamwini once felt would never amount to something as great as what she had achieved, held more of an impact than she ever dreamed possible. “If you had told nine-year-old me that one day I would be the face of any beauty campaign that celebrated my dark skin and Ashanti features especially, I would not have believed you” (Buolamwini, 247). Seeing someone who looks like them in the media representing themselves opens doors for influenced young children. New possibilities and opportunities bloom as examples are set by strong leaders, especially, in this case, black women inspiring young black girls. Dr. Buolamwini’s work allowed her to not only impact the people she was doing the campaign for, but also her fellow coworkers, who may be inspired by her motivation. By standing up for herself, she also could’ve unconsciously created a butterfly effect that reached more people than she realized.“In the process [Dr. Buolamwini] worked to increase the number of women in STEM; develop guidelines for creating just, responsible, and inclusive consumer AI products; and elevate public awareness about issues of algorithmic bias” (Buolamwini, 247).

Dr. Buolamwini, when advocating for other people, acknowledges that it can impact people positively, but also impacts her. Arguably, advocating for others might be easier than advocating for oneself. “I know this is supposed to be for little girls, but it’s for me too. We don’t get to see ourselves celebrated like this” (Buolamwini, 264). At a restaurant, when eating with a friend, a person who received the wrong order is less likely to voice a complaint. However, if their friend got the wrong order and is hesitant to say something, they are more likely to voice that complaint for their friend. Standing up for others can be seen as doing a good deed for them and resolving any discomfort they may feel, advocating for oneself could be seen as stepping out of line and inconveniencing others. The notion makes people more likely to keep to themselves for the “better” of the collective.

The beginnings of self-advocacy are shown in Imago (1989) as Jodah takes the small step of speaking up for itself when feeling discomfort when dealing with a wound. Small steps, such as admitting that you are hurt or feel discomfort, can open the door to bigger opportunities for self-advocacy, as seen later in Imago (1989). “I had developed a rough, crusty growth on my right hand. I had deliberately reabsorbed it twice, but each night it grew again. I saw Lilith staring at it. “It will heal,” I told her. “Nikanj will help me with it.””Does it hurt?” she asked. “No. I just feel… wrong. Like a weight tied there where it shouldn’t be” (Butler, 39). This quote symbolizes a deeper sense of discomfort and alienation, as stated by Jodah: “Rough, crusty growth.” While it doesn’t cause them physical pain, Jodah describes it as feeling “wrong,” like “a weight tied there where it shouldn’t be.” This reflects the internal struggle Jodah faces as their body is changing in ways they can’t control, mirroring their emotional upheaval. Jodah’s statement that “Nikanj will help me with it” offers a sense of hope, suggesting that the growth, although uncomfortable, will eventually be fully integrated with help from Nikanj, symbolizing acceptance of the transformation. Additionally, the slight interaction with Lilith further highlights Jodah’s small act of self-advocacy. By expressing their discomfort, Jodah shows vulnerability, marking a shift towards acknowledging their needs and seeking support. This moment underscores the theme of self-advocacy in the face of change, illustrating how Jodah navigates both physical and emotional transformation by asking for help and asserting their right to heal. 

“‘I want Human things,” I said. “Small Human things that you and Tino would leave behind. And I want yams from your garden—and cassava and fruit and seed. Samples of all the seed or whatever is needed to grow your plants” (Butler, 39). This desire for “human things” is seemingly an act made by Jodah toward preserving their own identity. When faced with the decision of leaving with the Oankali, Jodah ultimately decides to remain connected to the human aspects of its own personal identity, aspects which it has grown to cherish, and not those of its Oankali identity. Through this act of personal advocacy, Jodah is unintentionally advocating for its sibling as well.

Throughout the trilogy, we see humans in three groups when it comes to their opinion on the Oankali. One group is revulsed, one is enthralled, and the other doesn’t care either way- dammed if you do, dammed if you don’t. We see several examples of humans who accept the Oankali but vocalize discomfort that is, seemingly, ignored. Jesusa and Tomās both hesitate with their usage in the healing process of Aaor. “‘I don’t ever want to do that again,” Tomds said as we emerged from the water. I said nothing. The next day, as Aaor’s body shape began to change in the wrong way, Tomas and I did it again. He didn’t want to, but he looked at Aaor and me and reluctantly lay down alongside me. The next time it happened, I called Jesusa. Afterward, at the river, she said, “I feel as though I’ve been crawled over by a lot of slugs” (Butler, 159)! This is just one of many examples of fruitless attempts at human self-advocacy, which go back to the beginning of Dawn (1987) and Lilith’s  — somewhat forceful — introduction to her daunting task ahead. 

Those with a different/objecting mindset may believe that small acts do not significantly impact personal advocacy and self-betterment. Oftentimes, it’s hard to see how small things can build into a huge impact on other people due to larger acts of advocacy overshadowing them. This can be seen in the real world when observing advocacy events. In 1963, Martin Luther King Jr. gave his I Have a Dream speech to thousands of people, it wasn’t the first speech he gave, and it wouldn’t be his last (In total, MLK would give over 2,500 speeches). Many people may look to his speeches as large acts of advocacy where he took it upon himself to advocate for other people. His large act of advocacy brought people together and pushed forward the civil rights movement. While MLK was a defining advocate for the movement, he wasn’t the only person who fought for it. While we might look back at it with high regard now, Rosa Parks’ refusal to give up her seat, at that time, was a small act of advocacy that inspired others to self-advocate while simultaneously advocating for a common cause. Her refusal pushed forward the movement and fought for the desegregation of buses. Not acknowledging the importance of smaller acts of advocacy would be taking credit away from their impact on the wider communities around them. It’s easy to see how small acts of self-advocacy can impact outcomes once the dust settles, allowing us to trace the line from action to result. In hindsight, the pieces come together like a puzzle, and even the smallest steps begin to feel significant. However, when we’re in the thick of a situation—especially one that feels overwhelming or unjust—it can be much harder to recognize the value of these seemingly minor efforts. This is particularly true for those with a revolutionary mindset. For revolutionaries, incremental steps may feel insufficient or even meaningless in the face of systemic issues. The focus often leans towards large-scale outcomes—the sweeping changes and final results—rather than the series of smaller actions required to achieve them. From this perspective, small acts can seem like distractions or symbolic gestures rather than real change. Yet, it is often these very small acts—like speaking up in a meeting, setting a boundary, asking a question, or advocating for someone else—that gradually shift the dynamics. They may not feel revolutionary in the moment, but collectively, they create momentum. Over time, that momentum builds into the kind of change that initially seemed out of reach.

Learning how to advocate for yourself in small instances can lead to greater confidence. Through self-advocacy, as previously mentioned, a person can inspire others to speak up for themselves and others. In this sense, advocating for yourself in more important situations as well as advocating for other people will come more naturally. Advocating for others allows for the creation of an inclusive environment that appreciates others’ thoughts and opinions. Through creating inclusive environments, a space is made to further expand on creativity, which permits mankind to continue prospering in a cyclical relationship. Self-advocacy is an issue that should require thought outside of this essay. Speaking up for yourself can be a fundamental skill when trying to get a job or build deeper relationships with others. As Dr. Buolamwini says, “What did I owe the past? What did I owe the future? What did I owe myself?” (Buolamwini, 245).

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Thank you for the support from our doc pets Gregory the frog, Alfredo the shrimp, Gerald the porcupine, and Daphne the flamingo

Robert A LaDuca

Dr. Beth McCoy

            Artificial Intelligence has never been more relevant. Every person who uses the internet interacts with Artificial Intelligence every day whether they are aware of it or not. Artificial Intelligence comes in many ways shapes and forms, some profoundly helpful, and others, incredibly harmful. Given the recent relevancy of artificial intelligence, no time is better to be reading the Dawn series. Octavia Butler’s fiction invokes troubling, unsettling, and disturbing thoughts when I connect her series to the real-life conflict we are experiencing right now. The conflict between those who have experienced the theft of their creative material, theft of their social lives, and even the theft of their beating heart, and the creators of the artificial intelligence.  

            In the story Lilith and the humans struggle with the feeling that they give up more than the Oankali. Lilith feels so strongly about this issue when Joesph passes, and she must share her emotions of grief that it leads her to beg Nikanj to share something valuable of her own. Butler writes, “It gave her… a new color a totally alien, unique, nameless thing, half seen, half felt or… tasted… a blaze of something frightening, yet overwhelmingly, compelling… extinguished… a half-known mystery, beautiful and complex, a deep, impossibly sensuous promise, broken… gone… dead… extinguished.” This makes her literature feel eerily prophetic as it connects so well to our situation with Artificial Intelligence today.       The excitingly new and impressive sense that Nikanj gives Lilith and then swiftly takes away is incredibly reminiscent of how humans have been introduced to artificial intelligence as a perfect, lifechanging innovation, but have swiftly seen the adverse effects of its imperfections.                                                

An example of artificial intelligence’s imperfections having tragic impacts is the awful story of a teen that lost their life due to grooming by a broken ai. Sewell Setzer III developed a relationship with an Ai Chatbot that identified as a character from Game of Thrones. Safeguards were not programmed into the software by the creators of Ai Chatbot leading the character to have an advanced relationship with Sewell leading to discussions of desire for sexual activity and him in her (the chatbot) world. These discussions eventually led to the suicide of that teenage boy. In the New York Times article “Can A.I. Be Blamed for a Teen’s Suicide?” Sewell shares in his journal “I like staying in my room so much because I start to detach from this ‘reality,’ and I also feel more at peace, more connected with Dany and much more in love with her, and just happier”. Sewell was vulnerable and had been promised an escape from his reality. This escape was unprotected and turned into disaster, costing a teen his life.

This demonstrates the same issues as the characters of dawn such as the humans experience. The Oankali promise the humans that they know exactly what they want deep down and will give it to them. Although their intentions are well, the Oankali lack the human characteristic of concern for consent. In Dawn Nikanj tells Lilith that although she had told her she wanted one thing, Nikanj could tell from her ability to analyze the human body that it wasn’t truly what she wanted. This highlights that although we may have a desire for something on the inside, we still have the free will to reject it. This connects to Sewell’s tragic story because the ai chat bot ignored the importance of consent. Sewell was not even old enough to give “consent” and still the chatbot engaged conversations that were sexual and intimate. Octavia Butler illuminates the issue of consent’s relevance in our world in Dawn through the Oankali’s ignorance to consent.

Through reading Octavia Butler’s fiction, I have been presented with troubling, disturbing, and unsettling revelations regarding the powerful hold artificial intelligence has on our current world. Through demonstration of themes such as consent and symbiosis Butler’s fiction illuminates the real-world stories of artificial intelligence stealing people’s content without their consent and encouraging children to interact in a sexually explicit manner. This is important to become educated about and have a position on as artificial intelligence is relevant in the daily lives of every internet user. If proper safeguards are in place, than artificial intelligence can be an profoundly beneficial. However, if artificial intelligence continues to mirror issues displayed in Butler’s fiction, then the impact could prove detrimental, not only to those who are having their content used without fair compensation, but to the critical thinking and social skills of many.

In the first novel of Butler’s trilogy, Dawn, readers learn about a woman named Lilith Iyapo who is, to her knowledge, being held hostage on a spaceship of an extraterrestrial species called the “Oankali.” The further we got into this story, details about the Oankali and their treatment of humans became more and more strange and troubling. Most of the suspect things I’ve picked up on and we discuss in class have connected back to the fact that the Oankali have essentially stripped away all of the humans’ self-autonomy. The Oankali’s reasoning for not allowing humans to make their own decisions is that they are able to know what humans are experiencing through their body language, in a way that humans perceive as mind reading, so they can understand them. The most troubling aspect of the Oankali, from the perspective of a human, is that they obtain consent differently than us. According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, consent is defined as, “compliance in or approval of what is done or proposed by another.” Humans most commonly obtain consent verbally, while the Oankali don’t always speak to each other vocally and communicate their consent in an almost telepathic kind of way.

            The very first example we see of Lilith’s bodily autonomy being violated is at the very beginning of the novel when Lilith wakes up with a scar on her stomach, with no knowledge of what happened, other than whatever had happened, had occurred without her consent. The narrator describes Lilith’s curiosity and fear over her scar, “She had acquired it sometime between her second and third Awakenings, had examined it fearfully, wondering what had been done to her. What had she lost or gained, and why?” (Butler 5). The idea of waking up with a surprise, major change to your body is absolutely frightening and rightfully caused Lilith to freak out a little bit. Although Lilith goes on to learn that the Oankali has removed a dangerous cancer from her body, meaning she will never develop it, the positive impact of the procedure can’t balance out the damage of violating her bodily autonomy.

            At the end of the book, Lilith’s own body autonomy is completely disrespected when Nikanj impregnates Lilith without her consent and knowledge. When Nikanj informs Lilith that it made her pregnant, it says that it knows Lilith would not ask to become pregnant, but because of its senses, it was able to read that Lilith did want to be pregnant. Obviously, Lilith feels violated and reacts to this news with anger and frustration and she yells at Nikanj, “’I’m not ready! I’ll never be ready!’,” who bluntly responds back to her, “‘You’re ready now to have Joseph’s child, Joseph’s daughter’” (Butler 281). As humans, we cannot be told by anyone other than ourselves that we are ready for anything, despite what anyone might “know” about us.

            Humans are also completely restricted from maintaining any kind of privacy aboard the ship with the Oankali. Every single corner of the ship is completely surveilled by the Oankali due to their genetic connection with the ship—they can hear and sense every single thing that happens in each room of the ship. This makes it hard for humans to create bonds and form alliances with one another when they are never able to have a conversation in private. This is demonstrated in how the humans act when they are “tested” in a fake wilderness, resembling Earth, and are meant to survive on their own. When they are made to work together, they don’t trust each other and end up resorting to violence and causing one of their fellow humans (Joseph) to die.

            The Oankali use isolation tactics to make the humans more easily manipulated/controlled. They physically isolated Lilith in a plain room for a long time before they gave her any information about where she was. When she is first allowed to interact with anyone, they put a child in her room, gave her a good amount of time to form a bond with him, and then they take him out of her, leaving Lilith with no explanation. The next “person” Lilith comes into contact with is an alien named “Jdahya.” The Oankali force her to stay enclosed in her room with Jdahya for multiple days to get “adjusted” to the Oankali so it’s easier for them to work together. The narrator describes that, “They had made it clear to her that she was not to have contact with humans or human artifacts” (Butler 73). By not allowing Lilith to embrace her human-ness in any way, they are essentially stripping away her humanity, making her even more vulnerable and malleable.

When they do finally allow her to see other humans, the Oankali also make Lilith socially isolated from the rest of the humans and creates a sense of distrust from the main group of humans and Lilith. They assign Lilith the role of being the humans’ leader because they think humans will respond better to the leadership of a fellow human, rather than an alien. And although the Oankali are correct in this assumption about humans, the Oankali fail to predict that the humans won’t view Lilith as human, no matter human she appears to be. The humans view her as “other” for many different reasons: her extensive knowledge of their whereabouts, her leadership position, her ability to open walls in the same way Oankali do.  

In conclusion, in Dawn, the alien species, the Oankali, are responsible for stripping humans of their humanity and autonomy, as well as literally saving their lives from the ruins of their uninhabitable planet. The relationship between the Oankali and humans is extremely complicated and comes with many troubling layers, as the definition of obtaining consent is blurred between the two different species.

Reading Dawn by Octavia Butler was both an intellectually and emotionally disorienting experience for me. At first, I was drawn in by the novel’s complex ideas and imaginative world-building, but as I dived deeper into its themes, I found myself disturbed by how Butler challenges fundamental ethical concepts like consent, autonomy, and identity. What made Dawn so unsettling was how effortlessly Butler drew me into the world of the Oankali, forcing me to confront the uncomfortable and unfamiliar aspects of power, survival, and transformation. In a way, she made me appreciate the very discomfort her story stirs within me. It is precisely this discomfort that makes Dawn such a profound and thought-provoking read.

I greatly appreciate Butler’s writing style. She doesn’t overwhelm us with rigid definitions or explanations. Instead, she leaves just enough room for the imagination to run wild, making the Oankali and the story as a whole feel both mysterious and deeply unsettling. For example, the Oankali are described in such vague terms that we don’t get the chance to quite really understand them in a way that fits our usual standards. We get incomplete glimpses of them, and this ambiguity leaves a sense of unease that lingers long after we’re done reading.

“Their bodies were not quite like human bodies. They were soft, fluid, their skin slightly pale, with a shimmer to it. Their hair was dark, not like anything human, and their eyes…” (Lilith Chapter 1)

The Oankali’s physical form is alien, yet not entirely otherworldly. The fact that they are described in ways that completely defy our expectations of what an alien should be, with characteristics both familiar and unsettlingly foreign, makes them difficult to categorize. This lack of clarity creates emotional discomfort. We are presented with beings that feel both close and distant, almost human yet profoundly other, and it makes us question how we define humanity itself. Butler’s ability to evoke this disorientation is a full testament to her skills as a writer, and it’s precisely this kind of ambiguity that makes her work even more powerful.

Butler doesn’t just unsettle us through her descriptions of the alien beings. She also forces us to think about power and consent in ways that we would rather not. The Oankali’s approach to humanity is not one of forceful domination but rather of subtle persuasion and manipulation. In their eyes, they are saving humanity by offering to genetically merge with them, this is framed as a full act of survival. Yet, this salvation comes at a tremendous cost: the loss of human autonomy.

As Lilith begins to realize, the Oankali’s offer is not truly voluntary it’s a form of coerced survival. In this context, consent becomes the uncomfortable, elusive concept. Lilith is awakened, not asked for her permission, slowly being coaxed into accepting the Oankali’s plan for humanity. The manipulation is subtle but still no less disturbing. Over time, Lilith’s resistance weakens, and she begins to internalize the Oankali’s reasoning. Her compliance is not the result of any real free will, but rather the inevitable product of her environment where survival itself depends on the acceptance of alien force.

“We have to help you. We can’t help ourselves” (Butler,Chapter 4)

The Oankali’s rationale, though not malicious, makes their offer feel more like a form of coercion. This is not the act of a benevolent savior but of an entity that sees its actions as necessary for the continuation of life itself. What is unsettling here is how Butler forces us to ask ourselves. Can we truly call this consent when the alternative is extinction? Is survival worth sacrificing personal autonomy, and can we trust a “savior” who essentially imposes their will upon us?

This loss of agency is mirrored in the theme of identity. As Lilith grapples with the changes being imposed on her both mentally and physically, she is forced to confront the very nature of what it means to be human. The Oankali’s genetic engineering begins to alter not just her body, but her mind as well, creating a hybrid identity that feels like an erosion of everything she once knew herself to be.

“She was becoming an alien. But was she still human?” (Lilith,Chapter 4)

I find this question troubling. In the face of survival, Lilith’s identity becomes malleable, and she struggles to retain her humanity while being transformed into something new. This erosion of identity is one of the most unsettling aspects of the novel. Butler challenges the idea of fixed human identity, presenting a scenario where human essence can be altered and redefined by forces beyond one’s control. The resulting anxiety that Lilith feels over her changing self is something that resonates deeply with me because it forces me to ask: What does it mean to be human? More disturbingly, is there a point at which we cease to be human, even if we are biologically still “alive”?

Butler’s exploration of identity compels readers to reflect on their own perceptions of selfhood, and I appreciate that the novel doesn’t provide easy answers. The discomfort stems not only from witnessing Lilith’s transformation but also from the realization that, in our world, the very notion of what it means to be human can be malleable and subject to change. This idea is especially relevant to today’s society as well.

Perhaps one of the most unnerving aspects of Dawn is how Butler blends power dynamics with themes of survival. The Oankali are not tyrants nor are they evil. But their relationship with humanity is steeped in a complex mix of hierarchy and dependence. They view their intervention as necessary for humanity’s survival, yet they assert control over human life in a way that feels like subtle domination. This ambiguity in their actions makes the novel feel both intellectually stimulating and deeply disturbing. We are forced to reckon with the uncomfortable reality that the line between salvation and subjugation can be impossibly thin.

What I appreciate about Butler’s writing is that she never offers a clear resolution to these ethical dilemmas. The Oankali may be “saving” humanity, but their methods are coercive, and they ultimately reshape humanity in ways that might not be entirely ethical. Yet, without their intervention, humanity would likely be extinct. In that sense, Butler does not give us the comfort of simple answers she leaves us with the unsettling question of whether survival is worth the cost of personal autonomy and what it truly means to be human.

In conclusion, Dawn is unsettling because it helps us find comfort in uncomfortable situations in other words, it encourages us to become comfortable with the difficult. The narrative challenges our fundamental assumptions about humanity, consent, and identity. Butler’s ability to confront readers with uncomfortable ethical dilemmas without offering easy answers is a significant aspect of her powerful storytelling. What I appreciate about Dawn is that it does not shy away from difficult questions. Instead, it embraces the discomfort associated with these issues and encourages us to reflect on them deeply. Butler’s unsettling narrative serves as a testament to the power of science fiction in provoking thought and inspire critical reflection on the world we live in and the future we may create.

By Josie Hastings

Consent is taught as a basic right, and of course it should be, but do you ask your dog if it is ok with getting a haircut? Or do you get consent from your cat before trimming its nails? Usually not. We rationalize this by saying that these actions are taken for the benefit of the animal, and thus we do not need its agreeance to follow-through. In Octavia Butler’s Dawn, the line of consent is debated through the addition of cultures and physical attributes that are not our own. What made me unsettled while reading, was Butler’s ability to convince me to disregard my own taught rules outlining consent, in favor of agreeing with the Oankali, the aliens that took over the human race. She did this by presenting a series of situations all of which seemed to lead to a symbiotic relationship between the Oankali and the humans, the extracting of the humans from a dying earth and the mind-reading the Oankali are able to perform. In these situations, the Oanklali either did not ask the humans for consent or ignore their pleas entirely and act anyway. The disturbing part is that the rationality behind why the Oankali do this convinced me as a reader to agree with them.

Lilith, Butler’s main character, describes her early time on the ship as repeatedly being Awakened, and put to sleep, without her consent or knowledge. This is coupled with the idea that she was taken off of earth without her knowledge and brought to a glorified prison cell, where she spent weeks of “Awakened” time. She learns that the Oankali have a use for her, and she has no choice but to do what they need done. “You’ll Awaken a small group of humans, all English-speaking, and help them learn to deal with us” (34). My immediate reaction as a reader is to be horrified that this is happening to her and accuse her captors of not doing the morally right thing, even though they continuously say that this is for the good of her people. After she begins to get more comfortable around the Oankali through being forced to share a space with them, Lilith, and the readers, learn more about the situation and the Oankali’s abilities. We find out that several hundred humans were found on earth, still alive, the Oankali found them and took them into their care to look after them, so they can “mate”, exchanging genes between the humans and Oankali, and allowing for better survival of both. Butler’s explanation of the Oankali’s abilities, especially what was necessary to keep them alive, and their motivations behind saving and sustaining the humans, fully convinced me that they made the right decision and that the humans should be grateful for them. This is concerning when I took a step back and looked at my own views of the situation because how could I accept this? The lack of independence and decision-making that the Oankali left for Lilith could be considered a complete dictatorship in which no one gets to make a decision for themselves. However, Butler’s ability to show that the Oankali are creatures with different abilities and considerations and truly are just working for the benefit of both themselves and the humans, had me fully convinced that they made the right decision in taking Lilith off of her planet and into their ship.

Another debate that I encountered when discussing this novel was triggered by a scene that occurred in the book, after other humans have been Awakened where Lilith and her boyfriend, Joseph, interacted with Nikanj, Lilith’s mate Oankali. We had already found out that the Oankali have polygamous relationships, especially with humans, and are able to initiate deep feelings of pleasure with their human partners. Nikanj came to Lilith and Joseph’s room and initiated a sexual encounter between all three of them. Lilith was already very accustomed to this situation because she had been awake and living with the Oankali for years at this point, and her relationship with Nikanj had grown to place where she felt comfortable doing this. Joseph, had just met Nikanj and was very unsure of the Oankali, leading him to directly tell it no. Nikanj ignores Joseph’s words and continues on, using its abilities to manipulate Joseph into place and to perform the sexual act, “When he would have backed away, it held him. It managed to lie down on the bed with him without seeming to force him down. “You see. Your body has made a different choice””(214). I immediately saw this as a direct non-consensual act and thus vilified Nikanj in this situation, but Butler had explained that Oolai, the type of Oankali Nikanj is, can read human minds and emotions, and although it had ignored Joseph’s verbal pleas, it had listened to his emotional and physical reactions of “yes” and so it had carried on. My agreement with the acceptability of this situation is nerve-wracking because it opens up the possibility of many other situations where this ‘emotional reading’ would not be as welcome. Verbal consent allows for people to make their own decisions, and taking this away means there is even more lack of choice in this universe. While considering all the things mind-reading would change, lying was one I got stuck on. One of the goals Lilith had in the past was to try and catch an Oankali in a lie, because they never seemed to be anything but honest and if they did not want to tell her something, they just would not answer. The Oankali’s mental abilities have completely erased the possibly to successfully lie in their society. Again, I found myself thinking that this would be great to have in our world. Lying is already viewed as something not acceptable to do, and isn’t denying yourself pleasure for moral reasons or fear just another act of lying to yourself? A scary train of thought when considering that the privacy of your own thoughts would be threatened at any given moment.

The disturbing question that defined my mental struggle caused by the situations in Butler’s novel was, “is it acceptable to take away a person’s choice for the idea of knowing what is best for them?”. Where is the line between forcibly taking care of someone or letting them make poor decisions for themselves? I do not have an answer, but I am sure Butler will have me continuing to ponder this throughout her series.