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A review by 2treads
Dawn by Octavia E. Butler
challenging
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Mama Butler doesn't play when it comes to exploring complex themes and social constructs.
TW: attempted rape, violence, murder.
Octavia Butler just continues to stun with her explorative and intuitive examination of, not only the human condition, but what the fallout can be when we take our hubris too far.
Dawn is just another way in which she has chosen to interpret her understanding of the world as she saw it and existed within it. Mama Butler paid attention; she observed and experienced the ways in which humans interacted with each other, what our intelligence was used to accomplish and what possibilities our social hierarchies and dominance could possibly cause.
Lilith must now reckon with her current existence among this alien community who have had enough time to learn, if not understand the mentality, psychology, behaviour, social norms, and emotions of humans.
Their way of life, terms of assimilation, and expected outcome of repopulation of a restored Earth are foreign and unwelcome to Lilith. But if she is to survive and thrive, she must find a way in which she can come to terms with what is now her present reality.
It is very interesting to see Lilith's growing trepidation to the Oankali's interpretation and understanding of human physiology and interactions; as she begins to realize that in their execution of their mission to integrate and populate the stars, their actions are reminiscent of past cultures and empires on Earth that at one point or other were hegemonic and autocratic.
With each Butler book read, it is clear that she wanted to use her fictional worlds to question societal constructs, hierarchies, hegemonies, identities, the natural world, and beyond.
TW: attempted rape, violence, murder.
Octavia Butler just continues to stun with her explorative and intuitive examination of, not only the human condition, but what the fallout can be when we take our hubris too far.
Dawn is just another way in which she has chosen to interpret her understanding of the world as she saw it and existed within it. Mama Butler paid attention; she observed and experienced the ways in which humans interacted with each other, what our intelligence was used to accomplish and what possibilities our social hierarchies and dominance could possibly cause.
Lilith must now reckon with her current existence among this alien community who have had enough time to learn, if not understand the mentality, psychology, behaviour, social norms, and emotions of humans.
Their way of life, terms of assimilation, and expected outcome of repopulation of a restored Earth are foreign and unwelcome to Lilith. But if she is to survive and thrive, she must find a way in which she can come to terms with what is now her present reality.
It is very interesting to see Lilith's growing trepidation to the Oankali's interpretation and understanding of human physiology and interactions; as she begins to realize that in their execution of their mission to integrate and populate the stars, their actions are reminiscent of past cultures and empires on Earth that at one point or other were hegemonic and autocratic.
With each Butler book read, it is clear that she wanted to use her fictional worlds to question societal constructs, hierarchies, hegemonies, identities, the natural world, and beyond.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Rape, Racism, Xenophobia, Violence, and Murder