From: m.aghazarian, smile, marina, hilary_brashear

Interpretation: Commentary on complications of interdependent relationships. Role of technology outside of a binary and how it brings a personal aspect into these relationships between humans and technology. Metaphor for relationship between humans and technology (in story humans represent technology; the creatures represent us).

-          Not slave/master relationship, but interdependency. Gan has affection for T’Gatoi even though pain is involved. More complicated relationship than master/slave.

Aspects of bloodchild that struck most to us were the ideas of unnaturalness, family and interdependence between both the T'lic and the Terran humans.

Observations:

Aliens usually choose human males to be “hosts” of their young.

Very complex relationship between humans and aliens (are they slaves? Are they mates?)

Sterile eggs are intoxicants (as well as alien stingers)

Gan chooses to honor bond between the species and chooses to accept the risk involved with impregnation

Interpretation:

Although Butler does not intend to write a story of slavery, the “pregnant man” story exposes gender issues of inequality and subjugation. 

Observations:

rubikscube: it was disturbing but that made it interesting. I noticed that Lomas had brown flesh, which surprised me because that wasn't how I had pictured him. In thinking about what the Tlic and the Terran actually are, we assume the Tlic are bugs but we didn't have a clear picture of the "humans." This reminded me of Twilight because of the reaction to human blood. Right from the beginning I thought of Kafka's Metamorphosis: is he a bug, is he not a bug? I don't know how relevant this is. 

1. Gan was selected from birth that he was made to bear young

2. The sister was less grossed out because she was raised from birth with the idea that she will have something alive inside of her.

3. He thinks of her as an aunt, protecter, family member.

In this story, Human are treated as an incubator technology, which equalizes males and female roles because both now serve the same purpose and play the same role.

 Observations for Bloodchild

1) Human men are the incubators for the eggs

2) Eggs can either act as a 'drug' when eaten or can be implanted to impregnate men

3) T'Gatoi chooses the host/man for her eggs 

In class we talked about the philosopher Richard Rorty, who was an American philosopher who had a childhood fascination with orchids and was also passionate about social justice. His goals for college were to find a framework for how these two could be related, but he couldn’t find one. Paul discussed how Richard spent the rest of his life focusing on the fact that there is no fixed truth or reality, which is why he could not find a fixed framework for these two subjects. Some passions just may not mix perfectly together or there may not be a reason for liking two very different things. What I find interesting is that rather than pursuing either of these passions, Richard focused his life on trying to figure out the meaning behind it. In this case, the pursuit o

While watching Adaptation, as soon as we were introduced to Charlie and Donald they reminded me so strongly of Estragon and Vladimir from Waiting for Godot or Rosencrantz and Guildenstern from Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead (take your pick). Charlie is the thinker, the brain/head of the two. Donald is the feet, evidenced by the fact he's always eating and by his position on the ground, sliding around on his back when he first meet him. Their faults/virtues also stem from their relative head/feet position. Charlie's issues with adapting Orchid Thief seem to come from his over-thinking things: his concept is that he wants it just to be about flowers. His issues with women are also from over-thinking.