Octavia Butler’s Dawn, the first in her Xenogenesis trilogy, is a strange novel. Like all good science fiction, however, it leverages that strangeness as an opportunity to explore fundamental questions about what it means to be human and how humanity responds to an uncertain future. Lilith Iyapo, one of the only survivors of a nuclear apocalypse on Earth, has been “rescued” by the Oankali aliens. Yet from the moment of her reawakening, Lilith questions the narrative of her alien saviors, asking what price must be paid for their generosity, pointing out that the refuge they offer is more akin to a prison cell, and that the “trade” they request–to mix genetically with humans–is a form of forced assimilation. Lilith is both intrigued by and uneasy with the Oankali, perhaps mirroring an uneasy ambivalence that the novel provokes in many of its readers. Written by a visionary Black feminist author, the novel is especially interested in questions about consent, autonomy, gender, agency, and free will in a world that feels little need to regard the primacy of such issues. But it offers neither Lilith nor the reader any easy answers.
Dawn is a challenging book. Published in 1987, and acting in part as a meditation on the threats of U.S.-U.S.S.R. competition, the novel examines the costs of maintaining hierarchies. In the process, Butler evokes histories of colonialism, racism, and imperialism, raising questions that are as much about the past and present as about the future. In a time of great precarity, when the decisions we make today will either prevent or accelerate ecological disaster in the near future, the novel’s challenge is prescient. Like Lilith, we are at a crossroads, and by discussing and debating her choices, we might be able to see the choices that we face with greater clarity.
Content Warning
Dawn contains both references to and scenes that feature sexual assault. Lilith and other characters repeatedly emphasize the importance of consent, a subject that seems irrelevant to the Oankali. Octavia Butler did not shy away from these issues; rather, she felt a need to address them directly. We want to highlight pages 105-106, 179-181, and 208-216 in particular as containing sensitive content. In addition, Dawn presents a critique of masculinity and heteronormativity; as it does so, it includes characters who hold to heteronormative views, and a derogatory slur, reported second-hand and related to homosexuality, is referenced on page 179. Lilith also contemplates suicide (p. 46) instead of remaining a captive of the Oankali. If you have concerns or questions, please reach out to Studio Coordinator Chris McVey at cmcvey@bu.edu.
Incoming Students Required Summer Reading
We ask our incoming first-year students to read Dawn during the summer as it will be part of the Studio Writing curriculum during fall semester.
A hard copy of the book will be handed out to students during our June Orientation breakfasts (see the “BU Orientation” section above). For students who are attending the August Orientation, we will be mailing books to you over the summer. More information about book mailings will be communicated via email.
Questions to Consider As You Read
The novel begins with Lilith’s rebirth. How does Lilith relate to her numerous “re-awakenings,” and how does the manner of her reawakening begin to shape her relationship with the Oankali, whom she describes as her “captors” rather than her saviors?
The Oankali describe themselves as “traders,” yet the humans with whom they trade are not able to consent fully to all of the exchanges the Oankali initiate. What do you think of the way the Oankali describe themselves?
Lilith often challenges the Oankali to be honest and direct, at one point declaring “I want to know the price of your people’s help” (15), and later noting “And you think destroying what was left of our cultures will make us better?…You destroyed what wasn’t yours…you completed an insane act” (36). How does the novel engage with themes of colonialism and imperialism?
Consider the role of language in the novel. To what extent do the Oankali rely on euphemism–intentionally or not–to justify their actions? How does Lilith respond?
At one point, Lilith insists that the Oankali “trade” is wrong and claims it would be better if the Oankali had let her die than be forced into interspecies genetic mixing (44-45). How do the Oankali respond, and why do you think Lilith agrees to continue working with them?
In several scenes, Nikanj describes a disjunction between humans’ bodily and intellectual responses to the ooloi, and assumes that the humans’ bodily responses represent their true desires. Where and how do Lilith and other characters present challenges to Nikanj’s assumptions? What questions arise for you in reading these scenes?
Early in the novel, we learn that Lilith wants to “catch an Oankali in a lie,” and later in the novel, the Oankali make some obvious mistakes that demonstrate their fallibility. Why does Lilith want to catch them in a lie, and why do you think Butler wants to emphasize that the Oankali are not always as in control as they appear to be?
What do you think of Nikanj and Lilith’s relationship? How does this relationship evolve or change as the novel progresses?
Lilith tells the rest of the humans that she will not allow rape within their group, but then she lets Nikanj have a sexual relationship with Joseph even though he says he cannot give it permission to do so. Discuss the role of consent, in both sexual and other contexts, throughout the novel (290).*
Paul Titus and Joseph Shing have trouble accepting that the ooloi are not male (99, 192), and Peter Van Weerden and Curt Loehr feel their own masculinity threatened by the way that ooloi intervene in heterosexual human pairings (218, 232). What does Lilith make of these responses to the ooloi? How do these moments fit into the novel’s broader interrogation of sex and gender binaries?
Why does Lilith agree to try to escape with the other humans even though she knows she is on a ship and can’t escape?
At the end of the novel, after healing Nikanj, Lilith declares, “I’m tired…I resign” (275), and the novel ends with the sentiment she wants to share with other humans who will be awakened: “Learn and run!” (283). What do you think of the novel’s ending? How has Lilith changed–or not–at the end of the novel?
*Question adapted from the Reading Group Guide included in our edition of the novel.
Additional Resources
The Huntington Library recently held the first major exhibition of Octavia Butler’s life and work. The webpage for the exhibition contains images of Butler’s “Notes on Writing,” and even a sketch of how she imagined the Oankali to appear. We invite you to explore this resource, which also offers a helpful overview of Butler’s prolific career.
Lynell George’s 2022 visual essay offers a rich introduction to Butler’s life, work, and renewed cultural importance. Also from 2022, Ibi Zoboi’s verse biography, Star Child: A Biographical Constellation of Octavia Estelle Butler, interweaves quotes from Butler with Zoboi’s own poetry to explore Butler’s early life. (Zoboi’s book is marketed for middle-grade readers so it’s a quick read that is enjoyable at any age.)
Continuing Students Optional Reading
We invite all of our continuing students to read this book over the summer and join us for our Summer Book Club discussions. While this text part of the Studio Writing curriculum during fall semester, it will also serve as an inspiration point for co-curricular & community events for the fall and spring semesters.
Studio instructors would like to offer an optional opportunity for students to share their thoughts on the novel in a summer book club meeting on Zoom on Tuesday, August 15th, from 4-5:30pm EST. We’ll facilitate an informal and open conversation about the novel, focusing especially on questions 2-6 as noted above. All students are welcome to attend.
Summer Reading
Summer Book Club