Contrary to what one might think when comparing Octavia Butler’s Dawn and the film District 9 they share more than just solely being in the alien science fiction genre. Though they indeed differ in many ways, both focus on themes regarding manipulation, alienation and xenophobia, consequently leading the protagonist to experience cognitive dissonance and subsequent reflection upon one’s sense of self-identity. Both protagonists, Lilith and Wikus, after experiencing alien genetic mutation exhibit mental stress regarding the duality of conflicting notions about their former self and accepting the reality of their new identity. Focusing on specific individual examples in Dawn and then in District 9 relating to these themes and afterward detailing
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Under the control of an unconcerned and manipulative South African government agency ironically named Multi-National United the aliens are quarantined into District 9 living in poverty and slum-like conditions. District 9 in many ways showcases the same underlying traits that were fundamental to the conflicts of the apartheid era as throughout the film there is a very strong us versus them mentality of the humans towards the extraterrestrials. Furthermore, we can interpret how the humans refer to the aliens as "Prawns" equating them to bottom feeders of the ocean while instilling this further to the public by feeding them cat food. Additionally, the aliens are also marked on their heads with "Property of MNU” similar to how the Nazi 's tattooed identification numbers on their prisoners, which also promotes the xenophobia and notion that the aliens are nothing more than an inanimate object that needs to be contained, essentially “de-humanizing” them to the community. Which enforces MNU’s goal to further instill the differences between the two species so the public will to be repulsed by the prawn in order to obtain the aliens technology and military weapons without civic outcry. The main protagonist however Wikus, blurs the lines in his transformation from an MNU officer a human, to a prawn. Escaping from being part of military …show more content…
In Dawn humans are the both rescued and the victims to the aliens, while in district 9 we are the ones forcibly ruling the refugee aliens. Though both focus on interspecies sex, in Dawn the aliens are forcing the humans into a breeding trade; while in District 9 the government is experimenting behind closed doors with gene mutation as they want to form a hybrid human-prawn so they can use the alien DNA that is necessary for the weapons to work. This shows the level of manipulation that both the Oankali have over the humans and the MNU have over the aliens. However, regarding District 9 it is clear the intentions of the film were to vindicate government and that the alien’s primitive lifestyle was merely a prejudicial perception of the public as they were truly the more advanced and sophisticated society. In Dawn the lines between good and bad intentions between the humans and the aliens are much more blurred as Butler introduces more complex characterizations. The humans are portrayed as violent, xenophobic and aggressive while the aliens do not respect human rights and consistently use manipulative tactics; but on the other hand the aliens are a more peaceful unified society with the notion of renewing the human
Under the control of an unconcerned and manipulative South African government agency ironically named Multi-National United the aliens are quarantined into District 9 living in poverty and slum-like conditions. District 9 in many ways showcases the same underlying traits that were fundamental to the conflicts of the apartheid era as throughout the film there is a very strong us versus them mentality of the humans towards the extraterrestrials. Furthermore, we can interpret how the humans refer to the aliens as "Prawns" equating them to bottom feeders of the ocean while instilling this further to the public by feeding them cat food. Additionally, the aliens are also marked on their heads with "Property of MNU” similar to how the Nazi 's tattooed identification numbers on their prisoners, which also promotes the xenophobia and notion that the aliens are nothing more than an inanimate object that needs to be contained, essentially “de-humanizing” them to the community. Which enforces MNU’s goal to further instill the differences between the two species so the public will to be repulsed by the prawn in order to obtain the aliens technology and military weapons without civic outcry. The main protagonist however Wikus, blurs the lines in his transformation from an MNU officer a human, to a prawn. Escaping from being part of military …show more content…
In Dawn humans are the both rescued and the victims to the aliens, while in district 9 we are the ones forcibly ruling the refugee aliens. Though both focus on interspecies sex, in Dawn the aliens are forcing the humans into a breeding trade; while in District 9 the government is experimenting behind closed doors with gene mutation as they want to form a hybrid human-prawn so they can use the alien DNA that is necessary for the weapons to work. This shows the level of manipulation that both the Oankali have over the humans and the MNU have over the aliens. However, regarding District 9 it is clear the intentions of the film were to vindicate government and that the alien’s primitive lifestyle was merely a prejudicial perception of the public as they were truly the more advanced and sophisticated society. In Dawn the lines between good and bad intentions between the humans and the aliens are much more blurred as Butler introduces more complex characterizations. The humans are portrayed as violent, xenophobic and aggressive while the aliens do not respect human rights and consistently use manipulative tactics; but on the other hand the aliens are a more peaceful unified society with the notion of renewing the human