Iliana Chavez 

WR39B

RA Explanatory Draft

Who? Author: Octavia Butler

Where? Year: 1984 Science Fiction, Horror Fiction

What? Message: In this short story, two interdependent species (Tlic and Terrans) (Worm like creatures/Humans)are presented to us and Butler discusses how each of them benefit or depend on one another. The humans in “BloodChild” are deprived of their humanity and diminished to a role. 

How?: Butler is conveying his message by including rhetoric devices such as ethos when he discusses amongst the two characters T’Gatoi and Gan’s mother Lien. T’Gatoi almost functions as Gan’s mother and has basically taken over that role of “mother”. There seems to be a tension between T’Gatoi and Lien which is normal because Gan is Lien’s actual son and it most likely irks her to see T’Gatoi (the chosen one to honor the home of Lien and her children/family) giving affection to Gan. She uses details to allow us to realize that the Tlic are powerful, but cannot survive on their own. The Tlic are large worm-like creatures and the Terrans are similar to humans. Terran rely on Tlic’s for protection since they are displaced people ruled by the Tlics in power. 

Why?: This message matters/ short story matters overall to allow us to create an imaginative view of the real world. We depend on many things for survival the same way we can be depended on for survival as well. We also need to realize the many unusual/ unordinary horrific events that could occur in the real world as this story includes rare scenes.

Rhetoric Devices: 

• Reversal of Gender Roles 
• (The male body is sacrificed)
• Ethos or Pathos 
• (coming from characters)
• Symbolism
• Eggs: Make Terrans healthy and Prolong life
• Gun: Belonged to Gan’s father; it was being hidden because it was against the law 
• PARTNERSHIP goes for both egg/gun

• Gan chooses to be the host for her offspring even after seeing what he would go through by doing so.
• Gan was going to shoot himself with the gun, but T’Gatoi said that even if he does kill himself, his brother Qui would now take his place. So, Gan decides not to kill himself because he does not want his own brother to experience the horrific male birth.