Summary Of Dawn By Octavia E. Butler

Throughout the course of the class so far, some constant themes have revolved around the discovery of religious and personal identity, the struggle with oppression and feeling powerless, and embracing the differences that surround us on a path towards pluralism. Walidah Imarisha, co-editor of Octavia’s Brood: Science Fiction Stories from Social Justice Movements, spoke to a large group of students, mainly first years, and faculty about the central ideas Octavia E. Butler expressed in her book, Dawn. Butler used her main character in the story, Lilith, as a foundation for Butler’s past experiences. Butler, as well as Lilith, encountered a struggle with identity, oppression, and power. They also sought to embrace the differences of the people
It seems that a world without these problems is all just make believe. That being the mantra behind most science-fiction stories, “it’s all just a bunch of nonsense.” Many people don’t realize that books such as Dawn can be pertinent to current issues in the world today. Imarisha shared with us an interview with Butler about her influences towards writing the book. Butler mentioned a certain encounter with an individual who told her that black characters had no place in science-fiction writing. Not only that, her black characters happened to be white-washed on the front cover of her old edition. In one of our stories for class, Acts of Faith, by Eboo Patel, Patel tells his stories of his countless interactions with bullies growing up. Patel being born in India and of the Muslim faith, growing up in a predominantly white school district, one can only imagine the field-day his interrogators had with him on a regular basis. Racism, stereotyping, and prejudice clearly being a major problem for both Butler and Patel in their lives, but also in the lives of many in the world