Response Paper 3: Wild Seed
Power dynamics is essential in understanding myth as most mythological stories depict power dynamics not only in the stories themselves – in their context, in their characters, and their story cycles – but also in the message being portrayed by the story and even by the background of the author who writes the story.
For example, in Wild Seed, the author Olivia Butler is a female African author and this in itself tells something about power dynamics or the shift thereof. This is as highlighted by Thaler who pointed out that myth-making and science fiction used to be a white genre (Thaler 2) where the world has become very familiar with the likes of Greek mythology (Thaler 4) but may have heard nothing about the myths of Africa. It was only with the emergence of Black Atlantic (Thaler 8) that stories of African origin started to get heard. In addition, the science fiction genre used to be considered the men’s turf where women writing about such stories would be considered quite unacceptable. However, with the emergence of Black Atlantic, female African writers have started being recognized as science fiction or Black Atlantic speculative fiction writers (Thaler 14, Dubey 31, and Weever de 2). Moreover, the role of mythological heroes used to be assigned solely to male characters, but the emergence of Black Atlantic also sees the emergence of female protagonists who cope with women-related issues such as resistance against patriarchal structures; the struggle for acceptance as a female leader; lesbianism; rape; incest; and childbirth (Thaler 14).
In the book itself, the power dynamics between Doro and Anyanwu helps the reader get a better understanding of the mythological story. Not only is power dynamics depicted in the main characters’ gender, it is also depicted in their strength – in this case, their mythical powers.
“Why should I make you the eleventh? Because you will kill me if I refuse? Is that how men get wives in your homeland—by threatening murder?” (Butler 13)
Power dynamics is also depicted in the main characters’ children where Anyanwu’s children were mortal and did not possess any special powers whereas Doro’s children had special abilities. Doro also asserted his power over Anyanwu by promising her that he could give her children who wouldn’t die.
"If you come with me, I think someday, I can show you children you will never have to bury [. . .]. It is the fault of their fathers that they die. Let me give you children who will live!" (Butler 15)
Still, power dynamics is depicted in Doro’s and Anyanwu’s economic status in that the community led by Doro in Wheately is more progressive than the one led by Anyanwu in Africa. As Doro and Anyanwu were leaving Africa, “Anyanwu led him through the compound door, and they began the long trek over a maze of footpaths so narrow that they could walk only in single file between the tall trees” (Butler 17). Upon arriving at Wheately, Anyanwu asks,
“"Where are the farms to feed so many?"
"Beyond the city. We will see farms on our way upriver. Also, many of
the houses have their own gardens.” (Butler 64)
The Family Story Pattern
Yet another way in which power dynamics is depicted is in the family story patterns of Wild Seed where both Doro and Anyanwu want to care for and preserve their families. Anyanwu does so as a way of affirming to herself that she is a good mother in which she takes great pride in.
"How many of your children lived to adulthood, Anyanwu?"
"Every one," she said proudly. "They were all strong and well and had no
forbidden things wrong with them." (Butler 18)
Anyanwu cares so much for her family that she is willing to sacrifice herself for their sake.
"You will not trouble my children," she said.
[. . .]
"I am here," she said in the same quiet voice. "You have me." (Butler 18)
Doro also cares about his family but not in the same parental way that Anyanwu does for hers. Doro also takes pride in his children, especially because of their special powers.
"The very best of my sons," he said proudly. "Isaac doing what he was born to do. He brought us through the storm—faster than any ship was ever intended to move." (Butler 49)
“Also, I care about my son. I would not want Isaac making a marked man of himself—marked in his own eyes as well as the eyes of others.” (Butler 66)
However, Doro mostly wants to grow his family in order to build or form a superior race.” He was building a people for himself, and he was feeding well” (Butler 72). He also does this through incest, that is, by mating his children together, based on their special abilities. Thaler (30) likens this to Lot and his children where Lot’s daughters decided to have intercourse with him in order to preserve his lineage. This can also be likened to the family pattern in the story of Noah’s ark where Genesis 6:18-20 states:
But I will establish my covenant with you, and you will enter the ark —you and your sons and your wife and your sons’ wives with you. You are to bring into the ark two of all living creatures, male and female, to keep them alive with you. Two of every kind of bird, of every kind of animal and of every kind of creature that moves along the ground will come to you to be kept alive. (biblegateway.com, “Genesis 5”)
It is then obvious that, just as in the Old Testament stories, the family is seen as a symbol f power and as a means of survival. In Lot’s story, the event surrounding the story was the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. As such, being the father of the new human race would provide Lot with the prestige and power that would come with being the father and possibly the leader of the new children who would be born. In the same manner, the survival of Noah’s family also symbolized power for Noah and his children as the new human race would spring from them.
On another note, it can be seen that incest was allowed – probably even encouraged – in the Old Testament whereas it was presented as a form of abomination, at least on the part of Anyanwu, in Wild Seed (Butler 9).
Incest might have also been justified in the Old Testament since there was no other choice, given that only kinsmen remained on earth and if they were not to procreate then that might have been the end of the human race. With Doro and his children, however, the reasons can be considered very selfish in that Doro wants it for himself – to make sure he always has company and entertainment (Butler 72) and that his lineage survives.
In this sense also, Doro plays god where he sees himself as responsible for the creation and procreation of his people. He again exercises his power over his people, as fear of him makes them obey him unquestioningly.
“How is it here? Do sons lie with their mothers also? Do sisters and brothers lie down together?"
"Woman, if I command it, they lie down together gladly." (Butler 83)
As well, Wild Seed depicts the power dynamics between parent and child where Isaac unquestioningly obeys his father, Doro.
"I never see them," he had answered. "They are his children. I sire them in his name. He sees that they and their mothers are well cared for." (Butler 143)
Even Nweke, Doro’s daughter by Anyanwu, follows him unconditionally (Thaler 30-31).
The same obedience can be seen in the Old Testament story of Abraham and Isaac where in Genesis 22:1-19, God commanded Abraham to sacrifice his son and Abraham unquestioningly obeyed (biblegateway. com, “Genesis 22”).
However, the difference lies in that in the Old Testament, Abraham was aware that sacrificing his son would be harmful for Isaac, but he chose to obey God anyway. In Wild Seed, most of Doro’s children see nothing wrong with the things that Doro commands them to do and blindly obeys, without any thought of whether they are being harmed in the process or not. As well, God was merely testing Abraham in the Old Testament and didn’t really mean Abraham or Isaac ay harm. Doro, on the other hand, is aware of how some of his children resent the orders he gives them but chooses to ignore their concerns.
Analysis of a Mythical Feature
A mythical feature in Wild Seed that depicts power dynamics is the ability of Anyanwu to transform into an animal such as the leopard (Butler 10) and the dolphin (Butler 57). In Wild Seed, Olivia Butler portrays the animals as strong and powerful creatures (Butler 10). However, in the real world, animals are seen as somewhat inferior to human beings. They are often abused and mistreated in that they are brought out of their natural habitats and caged. They are also hunted for their skin and meat. However, although they are being abused by humans, this doesn’t mean that they are less than the powerful and beautiful creatures that they are, as being killed or held captive doesn’t change who they are.
This can be compared to the predicament of women in society where women are abused and used and their freedom suppressed. This is why so many authors use the shapeshifter archetype with their heroines where the heroine has the ability to transform into an animal. By becoming an animal, the heroine is able to do things that she can’t as a woman. Examples of these are the expressions of sexual desire and other overpowering emotions, as well as evasion of the sexual advances of men (Dubey 33). As well, just like the animals, women do not lose their identity, their strength and their beauty despite being subjected to such oppression.
Works Cited
Butler, Octavia E. Wild Seed. Garden City, NY: Doubleday & Company Inc., 1980. Print.
Dubey, Madhu. “Becoming Animal in Black Women’s Science Fiction.” Afro-Future Females:
Black Writers Chart Science Fiction’s Newest New-Wave Trajectory. Ed. Marleen S.
Barr. Columbus, OH: Ohio State University Press, 2008. 31-51. Print.
“Genesis 5:32-10:1 (New International Version).” biblegateway.com. Biblica, Inc., 2011. Web. 5
June 2012 < http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Genesis+5%3A32- 10%3A1&version=NIV>.
“ Genesis 22 (New International Version).” biblegateway.com. Biblica, Inc., 2011. Web. 5
June 2012 < ttp://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Genesis+22&version=NIV>.
Thaler, Ingrid. Black Atlantic Speculative Fictions: Octavia E. Butler, Jewelle Gomez, and Nalo
Hopkinson (Routledge Research in Atlantic Studies). New York, NY: Routledge, 2010.
Print.
Weever, Jacqueline de. Mythmaking and Metaphor in Black Women's Fiction. Hampshire,
England: Palgrave Macmillan, 1992. Print.
