Blood Child Octavia Butler 5 points

 1. What is your reaction to the text you just read?

    I was confused the whole time. I could understand that there were two different races and one was being used as incubators but I couldn't tell what the other race was and all the names got super confusing. The story sporadically went from scene to scene and it was hard for me to keep up with it. Also, the structure of the narrative didn't really help at all, it left me behind just as much as the dialogue did. The main character had an odd connection with T'Gatoi, which was the alien who lives with them. The boy is mated to her, which I felt was a little odd because she is like three times his mother's age. I decided to read an explanation after I had finished the short story and I understood it more. I definitely like the concept but I think that the narrative could have been written so much better.

2. What connections did you make with the story? Discuss what elements of the story with which you were able to connect?
 
   I think one of the main themes that I took away is that as you mature to adulthood, you understand fully what life brings, all the risks and decisions you have to make. Some which you don't know the full weight of until it's right in front of you. It can be scary, just as Gan got scared, and you have to decide which road to take. For some people, it can be too much and overwhelming and it can drive them to do awful things. Being able to face your decisions and take into account how your reaction to events have effects on the people closest to you is a very important life lesson. Gan could have easily let his sister take his responsibility but he realized what that would have meant and decided to bear the alien eggs on his own. 
 

3. What changes would you make to adapt this story into another medium? What medium would you choose; what changes would you make?

    I would either turn it into a graphic novel. I think that the graphic style could really capture the essence of these centipede-like aliens. The changes I would have made would definitely make the story more detailed because I got so lost. Obviously, the art would speak for most of the physical details and emotions though. Just being able to see Gan's emotions as he goes through a traumatic coming of age experience would really open up the story.

4. Are there elements of this work that you would consider afto-futurist?
    
    As I read further into the genre and what it stands for, I think this story represents a society where one race is always on the bottom and is considered almost as expendable. Expected to be grateful for protection by offering their bodies as hosts. They are completely caged in this society as the relationship between these two races is more of ruler and subject. Exploring African-American experiences, I think this story still applies to society today where people of color are still being marginalized. 

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