Introduction to Feminism in “Bloodchild”
Feminism in “Bloodchild” does not seem a far-fetched idea. Although the feminist approach has reached its peak in bringing transformation in a patriarchal society through a demand for political and social rights for women, the thinking about the reversal of the naturally-given roles is emerging as a new aspect of this perspective. Perhaps, Octavia Butler represents this thinking that man should also go through the trials and tribulations of bearing children. However, as it seems impossible in the face of natural hurdles and the physical makeup of the bodies of both man as well as man, she has selected the fantasy genre in which it is easy to assign this role to different characters and deduce results.
Feminism in “Bloodchild”
Feminism in “Bloodchild” shows that she throws her earthly human beings on some extrasolar planet where they live in, the Preserve, a space reserved for them by the strange local creatures she names the Tlic, while the earthly human beings as the Terran. The local Tlic named T’Gatoi develops a love for Do Gan who is far younger than her, for she is of his mother’s age. She plans to have her children from Do Gan, who hates this sort of birth, yet he acquiesces to her commands when she says that it would be Xuan Hoa, his sister. To save her sister, he consents to her love when the story ends, but his consent throws fresh light on the feministic perspective in that men seem to agree to the demands of women. This means that Octavia Butler has used fantasy to make unfamiliar topics familiar. She has, in fact, reversed gender roles in “Bloodchild”, putting the question of human evolution and childbearing in the forefront as feministic features.
Gender in “Bloodchild”
Octavia has reversed the roles of genders as Gan is going to bear children of T’Gatoi – a new type of feminism in “Bloodchild.” However, this new feminine perspective has been set on some other planet and the new children are injected through eggs by this strange creature who also feeds human beings through eggs. It happens that T’Gatoi takes fancy to Do Gan and makes an arrangement with the family in that she would save them from the other Tlic and that they would let her make love with Gan to bear her children. However, this is a strange role that Do Gan hates to adopt. He, though, at some point gives his full consent and also sleeps with T’ Gatoi who sometimes becomes very angry and kicks him with any of her six legs. He has seen an unfortunate man Bram Lomas impregnated by another Tlic and cut up by T’Gatoi to take out maggots, or children of these creatures. That is where she asks him to slaughter an achti but Do Gan feels terrified at which he tells, “She knocked me across the room” with her tail. This is where this reversal takes place. He himself feels it when he thinks that he “ignored her warning” (Butler 6). However, even if it is done, it is T’Gatoi who is doing the job, while Do Gan is a passive onlooker, a reversal of roles that he has taken for granted. He does not do anything but sees when she cuts through Lomas to take out maggots that another Tlic has implanted in him. He is presenting a role model for him to do the same for T’Gatoi. This is a new feminine perspective that Butler wants the readers to see that it could happen in the near or far future. However, though it is a fantasy, this has taken place in the world where now women are working after giving birth to children, while there are dad-at-home men who are quite common in western society. This means that male becomes passive when females take an active role and do most of the jobs. However, as it cannot take place in reality, she has reserved these roles in a fantasy story to see what happens. This is how we trace feminism in “Bloodchild”.
Gestation in “Bloodchild”
The second perspective that she presents before her readers regarding feminism in “Bloodchild” is about gestation. Women have the ability to become pregnant and produce the next generation. What happens if this role is reversed? Although it has already been shown, she is of the view that with the power to give birth, women also hold physical and political powers though these areas are reserved for men. In fact, women have a natural bent of mind to keep progeny alive. T’Gatoi has this natural inclination that she wants her progeny to survive and human beings are fit for maggots born “from Terran bodies [which are] larger as well as more numerous”, a clear hint to physical health that women prefer for fertility (9). In fact, she has also removed love and romance from her gender roles to give priority to only gestation. The eggs that Tlic creatures feed to others seem to opiate exactly like a sexual act in which women become almost intoxicated. That is why his elder brother when he comes to meet him tells him that “You’re just her property” (11). However, the cutting by T’Gatoi of Lomas is a hint to cesarean sections now quite common that women have to undergo to give birth to children. It means that this could be reversed to give a new feminine perspective on whether men still love women, or that they would be as much consenting as women in the child-bearing trial, an entirely new way of projecting feminism in “Bloodchild”.
Childbearing in “Bloodchild”
In fact, childbearing is a feminist feature that is reversed in this story in that men even can’t bear their own children. The love and hate relationship that seems quite repulsive to the reader of this story is just a metaphor used to demonstrate differences between men and women and in their natures. In fact, practically this is impossible that a man could be bearing children impregnated by a woman. However, there is a symbiotic relationship between these two genders, because both have to live together for survival, as is shown by the anger of T’Gatoi when Gan refuses to host her children. She says it is because she wants “To provide the next generation of host animals” (13). T’ Gatoi knows that if she does not do this, her next generation would not be able to survive. It is also that there is a disparity between these two creatures, but Do Gan family can only survive by living in the Preserve and they cannot live there without T’Gatoi as she tells him, “We wait long years for you and teach you and join our families to yours” only to take care of progeny that is survival (15). She has done much for the family, the reason that Gan’s mother is also happy with this relationship. She rather coaxes him to sleep with her as she knows that without this they would not be able to survive on this planet. That is why there is somewhat love between Gan and T’Gatoi but this does not seem convincing. The reason is that sometimes even men and women do not love each other or only make love for the survival of their future generations. The objective of Butler about projecting feminism in “Bloodchild” seems to show that this dissimilarity does not bridge as this is natural.
Conclusion
In short, the story has been written from a feministic perspective in new dimensions to show that this could happen or not happen. However, it is clear that in societies such couples are found having reversed the roles except for the role of childbearing. Therefore, it is but natural that she has reversed to see how grotesque it may seem to others. It could be that this is a forewarning from her that if these roles are reversed, the result may be sterility as the Tlic creature is suffering from “One fertile female in every lot” a bleak reference to this sterility. However, despite all these foreshadowings, it seems that Octavia Butler has demonstrated that it could happen with severe results for mankind as this is unnatural, the reason that this maggot bearing seems a repulsive job. It could be the same that childbearing from a man seems repulsive and the feministic assertion has reached a limit where it should explore the next aspects and see what consequences it may have for the next generation.
Works Cited
Butler, Octavia. “Bloodchild.” Online Literature. n. d. Web. Accessed 05 March 2016
Relevant Questions about Feminism in “Bloodchild”
- How does feminism in “Bloodchild” by Octavia Butler influence the dynamics of power and control within the unique reproductive relationship between the Terrans and the Tlics?
- In what ways does Octavia Butler’s exploration of feminism in “Bloodchild” challenge traditional gender roles and expectations, especially in the context of Gan’s role in the partnership with T’Gatoi?
- How does the theme of feminism in “Bloodchild” connect to broader discussions about bodily autonomy and agency, particularly regarding the choices and sacrifices made by the Terran characters in the story?
