Octavia Butler Bloodchild Sparknotes

In every corner of the world, power dynamics play an important role. Relationships between the wealthy and the poor, the intelligent and the stupid, the king and the peasant, all run on one individual holding more power than the other. Oftentimes, these power dynamics can be far more nuanced and complex than they originally seemed. Individuals with less power may appear to worship the grounds of their superiors when in actuality they resent them. In Octavia Butler’s “Bloodchild”, the complex relationship between Gan’s mother, Lien, and the Tlic, specifically T’Gatoi, reveals a nuanced dynamic of loyalty and sacrifice. The distinct language used by Butler depicts Lien’s strong loyalty and allegiance to T’Gatoi while simultaneously conveying

A mother would much rather deny herself the enjoyment of the egg and endure personal discomfort than jeopardize her family's welfare. The act of “delivering” the grubs, is a ridiculously painful and exhausting experience and Lien is preparing for her son to build up his strength now. Lien also feels defeated knowing what her son will experience soon enough and is unable to hide her frustrations. When T’Gatoi chooses to have Lien warm her instead of Gan, T’Gatoi notices how thin Lien has become and forces her to eat more of the egg. At this time, T’Gatoi also becomes frustrated with Lien and stings her to ease her body which causes Lien to behave in an intoxicated manner. In her drunken state, Lien remarks that Gan is still hers and “nothing can buy him from [her]” (Butler, 19). This passage is a strong indicator of what is to come that day for Gan. Alluding to the impending insemination of her son, knowing it will occur that evening, Lien intends to assert her place in Gan’s life above

in such a hurry to be old” (Butler, 17). Lien does not wish to be kept in the masked cage she is in for longer than necessary and embraces aging. In the same sense, Lien chooses not to eat more of the egg because of what it stands for. In this world, the Terrans are considered less significant than the Tlic, but are manipulated into believing that there is a fair trade of sorts. The Tlic provides the Terrans with sterile eggs that give them the gift of longevity and vigor in exchange for using Terran bodies as hosts for fertilized Tlic eggs. Therefore, by refusing to enjoy eggs, Lien is silently showing that she does not agree with this arrangement and is unhappy. By sticking to her morals and choosing not to eat the egg, Lien intends to show that she is not complacent in their situation and will not take the bribery of eggs in exchange for her son’s happily. This claim is backed up when Lein asks T’Gatoi if she truly believes Lein would sell her son for eggs, or for a long life (Butler,