Butler’s work is based on the character Lilith. She is saved by an alien tribe called the Oankali who harbors her in their ship. The events described occur after the destruction of the earth by the humans, in a hypothetical, third world war. The humans annihilate each other with the Oankalis moving in to salvage whatever can be found in the planet, reforming it into a habitable place once again. For their service to the few humans left, the Oankali offer a deal to the humans to trade their genes with them for the restoration of the earth. There are two factions of humans those willing to collaborate with Oankali, and those unwilling to collaborate. The intent of the Oankali is to reproduce with the humans to form a hybrid that shall enable them gain some human features. Lilith is the woman who is at cross roads on whether to support the Oankali trade proposition, or help the other humans survive. The story progresses with the birth of Lilith’s son who helps the humans acquire a colony in mars where they can live and without the interference of the Oankali. The third sex of the Oankali has abilities to adopt male and female forms when in pursuit of human of the opposite sex.
Walter Michaels commences with the analysis of the clash of civilizations by Samuel P. Huntington. The analysis delves into the importance of culture to human civilization. The extension of the scope of culture to suggest it is the main basis as to which differences exist between humans and other species arises to show the steeped position culture takes in shaping human interactions. Huntington utilizes pig like creatures that eventually transform into trees to introduce the idea of aliens. The aliens in this scenario provide the otherness, the cultural difference that separates humans from these aliens. The end of the cold war and the demise of the Soviet Union as a global leader saw the end, as Michaels calls it, ideological hostilities. Ideological hostilities arise out of striving to live in a certain way, while still admitting to the underlying truth of common origin and identity. The end of ideological conflict ushers in the culturally motivated conflict, as Michael’s states, shall be the primary cause of conflict in the world.
The works highlighted in the preceding paragraphs touch on some common issues facing humanity presently. While the Michael’s piece touches on cultural differences explicitly, so does the Lilith’s brood espouse on the cultural differences causing antagonism between the humans and the Oankali. The level of non-tolerance shown by the Oankali to the humans, to the extent that they cannot co-exist with them in their adopted planet reflects the cultural antagonism predicted by Huntington. The act of the Oankalis sending human to a colony in mars shows the level of cultural intolerance that would arise out of a people not being antagonistic to each other, but by the sheer fact of the impossibility to harmoniously co-exist owing cultural differences.
