September 16, 2016 - 17:46
Slipping through the Lens of Bloodchild
Butler’s Bloodchild created a story depicting the relationship between two vastly different species, the Terrans and Tlic. After years of conflict and tensions, these two species had finally reached a method of co-existence. The Tlic allowed Terrans to live protected in preserves as long as the Terrans allowed themselves to be hosts for the Tlic’s eggs. However, despite their co-existance, tension and mistrust continued to exist between the two species. These tensions stemmed from a clash of different values, which inevitably influence the thoughts and beliefs of the individuals of both species.
In this story, slippage was utilized as a method in which unspoken species-specific values were revealed to the audience. It allowed the readers to witness a side of both species that was not directly indicated, but undoubtedly important to the reasons why tensions continued to run high. It also revealed a disturbing truth about those who are caught between the vastly different beliefs held between differing species.
The first type of slippage in Bloodchild revealed the unspoken values of both species; values that were kept silent in order to preserve the already fragile interspecies relationship between the Terrans and the Tlic. Specifically, the slips of the Gan’s mother and T’Gatoi, a Terran and Tlic respectively, revealed the buried beliefs of both species.
In the case of Gan’s mother, she slipped when she was drunk off of the sterile egg T’Gatoi had given her. She spoke of topics considered taboo, boldly stating in her intoxicated state about her negative thoughts towards T’Gatoi’s choice to use Gan as her host. During this slip, Gan’s mother represented how many Terrans were secretly unsettled and uncomfortable with their status of animal hosts for the Tlic’s eggs. In contrast, T’Gatoi revealed the values of the Tlics when she told Gan that she needs to implant her egg into “someone that night” (Bulter), implying how there was little importance in who her host actually was. In her desperate strive to lay her eggs, T’Gatoi slipped in revealing about how she valued her children and her own species over Gan and the Terrans.
The slips of both Gan’s mother and Gatoi had revealed both their innermost beliefs and consequently the beliefs of both of their species. However, it took an abnormal state of mind for either of them to confess these beliefs: with Gan’s mother being intoxicated and T’Gatoi rushing to lay her eggs. This state of mind was necessary in order to invoke these slip because both knew that the relationship between the Terrans and the Tlic was necessary to both species’ survival.
The second type of slipping in Bloodchild represented the chaos that resulted from the contrasting natures between the two species. This type of slippage was seen through Gan, a child caught between the two values of Terrans and Tlic. As a child born to a Terran family, Gan had two familial figures that held a distaste of Tlic hosting their eggs in the Terrans: his brother and his mother. However, in contrast to this Gan has been exposed to T’Gatoi his entire life. He had been shown that being a host equaled being spoiled and valued. These contrasting influences resulted in an unhealthy state of mind for Gan, especially with dealing with T’Gatoi.
This unhealthy mental state emerged during times when Gan should have felt anger or hatred toward T’Gatoi. Instead, he tended to feel unnatural affection for T’Gatoi despite her actions toward him. A prominent example of this was during the scene when T’Gatoi was implanting her egg into Gan. During this event of forced invasion, Gan had accidently injured T’Gatoi. Despite being essentially raped by T’Gatoi, Gan still felt instant remorse and whispered “I’m sorry” (Butler) to T’Gatoi. Even with the emotional and physical abuse Gan had experienced, he still felt a deep attachment to T’Gatoi.
These two types of slippage reveal hidden messages of Butler’s Bloodchild. The first type of slippage reveals how the ideals of individuals and communities are often suppressed in order to reach a more important goal. In contrast to this message, however, the other type of slippage in Bloodchild indicates how tension only births more tension. In face of two contrasting ideals, Gan’s mental stability was sacrificed. Both of these types of slippages reveal a deeper message about the dangers of forcing change onto society. Despite the need for certain changes, if one rushes progress tensions will undoubtedly arise. These tensions grow and only give way to more chaos and destruction. Ultimately, it is shown that forcing and rushing change will only result in the pain and ruin of society itself.
Bibliography
Butler, Octavia E. "Bloodchild and Other Stories." Washington Post. The Washington Post, n.d. Web. 15 Sept. 2016.