Entry 4-Bloodchild

        The whole procedure was wrong, alien. I wouldn't have thought anything about her could seem alien to me.          pg 17

       The word "alien" in this passage takes on a meaning that mocks the meaning that our society has given it. In the world that we live in, something that is alien can be defined by a creature with "three meters of body", at least "six or seven limbs" and the ability to sting narcotic fluid into humans. However, in the scientifically fictional world created by Octavia Butler, all of these features are typical of the most successful creatures on the planet. And, in an ironic twist, the very idea of this alien being "alien", or in other words shockingly unfamiliar, is an idea that is itself alien to the main character of this story, a human adolescent named Gan. And in a way, the new meaning given to this word is only the tip of the iceberg. There are more redefined social conventions in this story than in any other context I have seen. Notions of race are questioned by this entirely new species, the Tlic, now dominating the Terrans who we recognize as all of humanity, suddenly "not much more than convenient, big, warm-blooded animals" (9). The notions of gender that are considered prominent in our culture are now redefined by the opinions that the Tlic (as the dominant species) have regarding the importance of each gender to their own needs. Even the socially constructed unit of "family" has been tampered with, as the Tlic create a new dynamic in order to integrate themselves into units that combine their reproductive needs with the familial notions necessary for the humans to accept them. Finally, the entire process of birth that humans consider normal and natural, and is indeed necessary to our continued existence, is juxtaposed in this story with a different process of birth. All of the new social conventions that the Tlic have adapted, in some way or another, revolved around this somewhat parasitic relationship that is necessary to the survival of the Tlic race.
     There are so many ways to approach each of these redefinitions of our very cultural understanding. But in the interest of keeping the big picture in mind, the question that all of these adaptations bring to my mind is twofold. What is necessary to completely redefine the outlook of a civilization, in the way that the above quote shows a shift in the perception of what is normal? I believe that this text suggests that the power base defines the culture, just as one might say the winners write history. The second question that arises is why social norms and notions of common sense exist in the first place? In this case, the familial relationship between the Tlic and their human families is created in order to put the needs of the Tlic in terms that humans understand. As we see, this relationship causes an emotional connection to emerge between these couples, which makes the acceptance of this painful and unwarranted process possible. But the question remains, is this emotional response something that has been designed in order to facilitate the essential process of reproduction? And even if these emotions are fabricated, does it matter?
       Are social conventions in general necessary to our existence? Probably not. But they serve an important function in our culture, nonetheless. They give us structure, an understood purpose, that leads to our happiness and fulfillment. So maybe social problems don't emerge because of our need for structure, but rather when our society becomes too rigid to accept change and adaptation to circumstances that create tension. Because if some day we're going to be invaded by aliens who can easily choose to dominate us and turn us into "little more than convenient, big animals", I believe that adaptation is favorable to suppression. Survival of the fittest, baby.