“Bloodchild,” Octavia Butler’s 1995 short story, describes a futuristic, science fiction world in which humans have met and cohabitated with another species. The short story contains themes of family, love, life, birth, the future of our species, cohabitation, symbiotic relationships, gore, genre, and many more. It suggests answers to questions such as what is humanity willing to trade for their survival? What will one family member sacrifice for another? What do different types of love look like? These questions beget more questions about the human condition: what we value, what our motives are — who we are as people and how we conceive our world.
For the “Bloodchild” Essay, do the following:
1. Select one idea from the text to explore — an idea can start with a theme, an image, a particular passage or quote, etc.
a. You can also turn it into a question from which you can explore
2. Reading the text carefully, explore your chosen idea’s operation and meaning within the text
3. Consider your idea as it operates in the text, but also consider how the idea resonates with the larger world — what is it about this question that is important for readers?
4. Create a strong, organized exposition or argument that fully describes the importance and meaning of your specific idea; if you created a question, focusing on answering that question specifically. You will analyze “Bloodchild” through the lens of your question or idea.