In this essay we will be talking about the theme of racism. In the novel Lilith’s Brood by Octavia Butler there were two kinds of people. One group of people in this novel were an alien race known as the Oankali. The other group of people were our good friends, the humans. The Oankali people are able to read human DNA. Using this ability they can see that the human race will not change there ways on how the rule on earth. The Oankali are holding down the humans without giving them a chance to change their ways. This is racism at its core. In essence, your genetic build up is derived from your race. You get your genetics from your mother and father, and your genetics define your race as well. Based on this relationship between genetics and
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During the Civil Rights era the white people were taking away the rights of the African Americans due to their race. Also during this era, there were laws put in place that basically said that if you had any ancestors that were enslaved in America then you were not allowed having the same rights as the white people. Almost all African American’s had ancestors that were slaves so this way a for the white to suppress the African Americans. If you think about it, races and genetics go hand and hand here. Therefore, I believe that this was an allusion created by Butler.
Another form of racism that was presented in this book by both the Oankali and the humans was stereotyping. The Oankali stereotyped the humans as a species that are incapable of changing their ways on living based on their DNA. The Oankali are being …show more content…
It seemed like Aken had his strongest connections to humanity through Gabe and Tate Rinald. It also seems as if Aken sees them as his family in some ways. During one part of the story, humanity overcomes racism with the relationships that Aken built with Gabe and Tate. An example of this family bond is when Gabe stood his ground to stop and protect Aken during his metamorphosis. At this point Aken was completely helpless and one hundred percent vulnerable. We can assume that the towns people did not have good attentions when they wanted to to see Aken. They probably wanted to harm him, and possible even kill him due to the fact that he apart of the Oankali race. Also at the tail end of Aken’s metamorphosis Gabe saved his life by carrying him out of a burning house, which was set off by a raciest human that did not like the Oankali. Akin also saved Tate life before, which shows his emotional ties to Tate and Gabe. Tate had a deathly illness that was incurable by the human race at the time. So Aken being part Oankali stepped in and used has power that he had and saved Tate life. This to me resembles a family. One person helping another person, and taking care of the people you feel close to are excellent family traits that are shown here. During the hard times of the civil rights era you only had your family when you felt that you were in need, or break down due to the hardship of each day. These
During the Civil Rights era the white people were taking away the rights of the African Americans due to their race. Also during this era, there were laws put in place that basically said that if you had any ancestors that were enslaved in America then you were not allowed having the same rights as the white people. Almost all African American’s had ancestors that were slaves so this way a for the white to suppress the African Americans. If you think about it, races and genetics go hand and hand here. Therefore, I believe that this was an allusion created by Butler.
Another form of racism that was presented in this book by both the Oankali and the humans was stereotyping. The Oankali stereotyped the humans as a species that are incapable of changing their ways on living based on their DNA. The Oankali are being …show more content…
It seemed like Aken had his strongest connections to humanity through Gabe and Tate Rinald. It also seems as if Aken sees them as his family in some ways. During one part of the story, humanity overcomes racism with the relationships that Aken built with Gabe and Tate. An example of this family bond is when Gabe stood his ground to stop and protect Aken during his metamorphosis. At this point Aken was completely helpless and one hundred percent vulnerable. We can assume that the towns people did not have good attentions when they wanted to to see Aken. They probably wanted to harm him, and possible even kill him due to the fact that he apart of the Oankali race. Also at the tail end of Aken’s metamorphosis Gabe saved his life by carrying him out of a burning house, which was set off by a raciest human that did not like the Oankali. Akin also saved Tate life before, which shows his emotional ties to Tate and Gabe. Tate had a deathly illness that was incurable by the human race at the time. So Aken being part Oankali stepped in and used has power that he had and saved Tate life. This to me resembles a family. One person helping another person, and taking care of the people you feel close to are excellent family traits that are shown here. During the hard times of the civil rights era you only had your family when you felt that you were in need, or break down due to the hardship of each day. These