Fulcrum In The Fifth Season

Orogenes don’t have to be forced drink the Kool-Aid but that doesn’t stop the Fulcrum from being a cult. Lead by blind obedience and fear, they are not much different from religious groups that have gone astray. In the novel The Fifth Season, by N.K. Jemisin, the Fulcrum, blindly follows Guardians and higher Orogenes like sheep. Jemisin writes the Fulcrum with dark undertones that one could connect the Fulcrum to many cults throughout time. The Fulcrum is similar in terms of following in blind obedience, sex, and cruel treatment. In general, a cult is “a system of religious veneration of devotion directed toward a particular figure or object” which they follow with blind obedience. Furthermore, blind obedience is a long-standing psychological

In Jonestown, Jim Jones passed out cyanide-laced Kool-Aid once their heaven was infiltrated, killing 909 people including 246 children and those who refused, they were shot making the death toll 918 casualties. In the FLDS, Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, they have the “God Squad.” This God Squad is to keep people out and in of the church territories and any unwanted visitors are chased out by people in white trucks. In the Fulcrum, if an Orogene is out of place and cannot be controlled, they are sent to the node station or killed altogether. In the case of Syenite on the island of Meov, it did not matter how far she and Alabaster ran, the Guardians were able to find them. The resemblance is shockingly similar. This blind obedience continues inside the inner workings of the Fulcrum community in more intimate ways than just murder and

It is mentioned in the book when Alabaster mentions having many children and having no idea where they are in the world. They are expected to have sex until the female is pregnant, she has the baby and then none of them are likely to see each other again. Neither the father or the mother has a choice in the matter, it is their “assignment.” In this particular part of the novel upon Syenite and Alabaster’s first meeting, it was highly uncomfortable and neither wanted anything to do with the situation, especially Alabaster. This is similar to famous polygamist groups such as the FLDS and The Order with the lead men Daniel Kingston and Jeff Warren. However, in this case, the men have all the choice they desire. Daniel Kingston, for example, has 14 wives and a total of about 159 children (KingstonClan) and Warren Jeffs has 78 wives and 50 children between them stated an A&E special named “Warren Jeffs: Prophet of Evil.” In Mormon Polygamist groups, not to be confused with current Mormon Church of Latter-Day Saints who had outlawed Polygamy long ago, it was said that seven wives and beyond would grant you access to the Celestial Kingdom. These two men, who hold the highest power within their individual groups choose who they will marry, but for the woman, it is chosen for them who they will marry no matter how much older they are than the