Why not a girl?

In Lilith's Brood, we glimpse into the life of a woman who has been chosen to learn, lead, teach, and bridge the gulf between two species of creatures. She is forced to bear this horrible burden, despite her denouncing of the role, “Let me sleep again.... I’m no more what your people think than he was. Put me back. Find someone else!” (Butler p.102)

Eventually, she is reconciled to her role in her "trader" alien captors scheme of race mixing and hybrid breeding between the humans and themselves which included gene manipulations and ultimately a "Dinso group" which would be returned to Earth, "changing itself by taking part of humanity’s genetic heritage, spreading its own genes like a disease among unwilling humans…Dinso. " (Butler p. 64). Lilith herself id made pregnant several times, although at first her children are more human- like.

This leads me to the attitude in which this new hybrid race is created, which seems disturbing and initially confusing. To begin with, Lilith is first impregnated with female babies which are more human, yet they also less advanced and capable. Then, she is made pregnant with a male baby who is given much more advanced and integrated qualities and abilities.Lilith is certain that her son will be persecuted and despised because of his "less humanness" as well as the fact that he is a male. The Oanaki are anxious because he has been given more progressive and potentially dangerous abilities and qualities. They are weary because he is male, and human males have been troublesome and problematic in the past, so empowering one is a questionable step to take.

All around, the extra enhancing of a hybrid child whom is male seems to be a progression which is bound for trouble. The Oanaki repeatedly state the most destructive human flaw was one which promoted male dominance and superiority, so why are they encouraging this pattern by creating a superior hybrid child whom is male first? Why did they not choose to create a genetically superior female child? They have made it very clear that the most signifigant problems which have arisen with the humans have been due to males; so why make the first "super- enhanced" hybrid child a male? Obviously Butler is doing this with a motive, but it is yet to be revealed....!

posted on April 9, 2007 5:12 PM (PST)