In our group discussion, we began to think of host bodies and parasites as ambiguous binaries. The categories of each became unclear as we tried to put humans, technology, and other aspects of life in relation to the Terran and Tilc people in Bloodchild. 

Bloodchild Observations

Analysis of power between creatures and humans

Power within family, creatures and how it affected the role of the mother

relationships between beings; human, animal and Tlic (species)

Relationship between Gian and his brother, T’Gatoi, and his sister

Usage of eggs to carry on species and the desire for the humans to be breeders

Butler’s discussion of male pregnancy

The dependency of both species on each other and the rituals to preserve humans

How did the flesh eating bacteria originate?

T’Gatoi and the role of love/ care/ bonds because that was her second home, what happened to her first home?

The role of the eggs and the sedation/ desensitization of species in human life

From: m.aghazarian, smile, marina, hilary_brashear

Interpretation: Commentary on complications of interdependent relationships. Role of technology outside of a binary and how it brings a personal aspect into these relationships between humans and technology. Metaphor for relationship between humans and technology (in story humans represent technology; the creatures represent us).

-          Not slave/master relationship, but interdependency. Gan has affection for T’Gatoi even though pain is involved. More complicated relationship than master/slave.

Aspects of bloodchild that struck most to us were the ideas of unnaturalness, family and interdependence between both the T'lic and the Terran humans.

Observations:

Aliens usually choose human males to be “hosts” of their young.

Very complex relationship between humans and aliens (are they slaves? Are they mates?)

Sterile eggs are intoxicants (as well as alien stingers)

Gan chooses to honor bond between the species and chooses to accept the risk involved with impregnation

Interpretation:

Although Butler does not intend to write a story of slavery, the “pregnant man” story exposes gender issues of inequality and subjugation. 

Observations:

rubikscube: it was disturbing but that made it interesting. I noticed that Lomas had brown flesh, which surprised me because that wasn't how I had pictured him. In thinking about what the Tlic and the Terran actually are, we assume the Tlic are bugs but we didn't have a clear picture of the "humans." This reminded me of Twilight because of the reaction to human blood. Right from the beginning I thought of Kafka's Metamorphosis: is he a bug, is he not a bug? I don't know how relevant this is. 

1. Gan was selected from birth that he was made to bear young

2. The sister was less grossed out because she was raised from birth with the idea that she will have something alive inside of her.

3. He thinks of her as an aunt, protecter, family member.

In this story, Human are treated as an incubator technology, which equalizes males and female roles because both now serve the same purpose and play the same role.

 Observations for Bloodchild

1) Human men are the incubators for the eggs

2) Eggs can either act as a 'drug' when eaten or can be implanted to impregnate men

3) T'Gatoi chooses the host/man for her eggs 

In class we talked about the philosopher Richard Rorty, who was an American philosopher who had a childhood fascination with orchids and was also passionate about social justice. His goals for college were to find a framework for how these two could be related, but he couldn’t find one. Paul discussed how Richard spent the rest of his life focusing on the fact that there is no fixed truth or reality, which is why he could not find a fixed framework for these two subjects. Some passions just may not mix perfectly together or there may not be a reason for liking two very different things. What I find interesting is that rather than pursuing either of these passions, Richard focused his life on trying to figure out the meaning behind it. In this case, the pursuit o