Bloodchild Gender Inequality in Society - 1462 Words

Bloodchild by Octavia Butler is seen as a story about the relationship between alien oppressors and a group oppressed humans. It has also been described as a love story between the human narrator and the chief alien. In her afterword, she describes â€Å"Bloodchild† as â€Å"a love story between two very different beings,† â€Å"a coming of age story† and a â€Å"pregnant man story.†(Hardy) However, when one comparing Butler’s â€Å"Bloodchild† to Simone De Beauvoir’s essay â€Å"The second sex†, similarities surrounding the social issues of gender inequality arise. The circumstances of the narrator mirror social issues affecting modern women. Bloodchild by Octavia Butler examines the dynamics of power between the sexes; by switching the gender roles in the†¦show more content†¦Ã¢â‚¬Å"The term masculine and feminine are used symmetrically only as a matter of form, as on legal papers†(De Beauvoir) The only differen ce between men and women is their reproductive organs. Therefore, the laws of the land should be fair and applicable to both sexes. Women are not always treated fairly in the work place, sometime they are seen as inferior and not able to work as hard. â€Å"Women form approximately 75 percent of the world’s part-time workforce and are often employed on short temporary contracts without health benefits, job security, or protection against job-related health problems.†(Darity) The lack of job security health benefits and job safety shows women are not valued as employees. The humans in â€Å"Bloodchild† were only valued because of their ability to reproduce which devalued them as individuals. They also had to make the ultimate sacrifice with their bodies, just as women that don’t have health care and job safety do. The humans are totally dominated by the Talic aliens and they have a slave like relationship. â€Å"Upon reading the story, one can see why sla very might come to mind, for Terrans like Gan must allow the more powerful Tlics to use their bodies, and Terran sacrifice leads to Tlic gain.†(Hardy) Even in modern times women are sold into theShow MoreRelatedOctavia Butler : A Literary Award1275 Words   |  6 PagesOften accompanying her mother to work, Butler witnessed the racial and economic indignities common to the African-American working poor, particularly women. Class, gender and racial inequalities would play a central role in her writing. Butler s most popular short story to date is Bloodchild. The frightening futuristic dilemma in Bloodchild involves humans who have had to escape to another planet for survival. Butler skillfully reverses the troupe of animal captivity and breeding to make humans the