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Book 2, Chapter 4
Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in Dawn, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Humanity, Evolution, and Genetics
Motherhood and Leadership
Consent and Autonomy
Sexuality and Gender
Summary
Analysis
Back at Jdahya’s, Nikanj assures Lilith that Kahguyaht isn’t mad. As the ooloi, it’s just Kahguyaht’s goal to teach new species. Jdahya asks Lilith about what seems to be bothering her, but when Lilith asks again about writing materials, he denies her without explaining why.
Despite the reassurances of Nikanj and Jdahya, the Oankali continue to withhold important information from Lilith and to prevent her from doing things like writing. This once again demonstrates their paternalistic attitude and their belief that they know what’s best for Lilith—whether or not that’s actually the case.
Themes
Later, Lilith resumes studying the Oankali language with Nikanj. Without writing materials, Lilith struggles to learn. She mentions that she already knows Spanish and German, although she’s forgotten much of the German through lack of use. Nikanj admits that it feels pressured by Kahguyaht to teach Lilith quickly because Nikanj needs to finish tutoring Lilith before it is allowed to mate. Nikanj isn’t supposed to say anything but mentions that Kahguyaht is considering a procedure to change Lilith and improve her memory, similar to what happened to Sharad. Lilith doesn’t like this idea. She is relieved at least to learn that her cancer-removing procedure was done by Jdahya’s ooloi parent, not Kahguyaht. Lilith flees to the bathroom, trying to be left alone.
Lilith’s knowledge of Spanish and German shows that she is intelligent and that if the Oankali allowed her to learn their language on her own terms, she might be able to make progress. But the Oankali don’t take Lilith’s learning style into account and instead try to force her to learn their language the same way that they themselves learn other languages. Lilith’s desire for isolation, when all she wanted initially was to leave her isolation room, shows how human beings are complicated and how socialization is about more than simply being around others.
Themes
