Previous
Book 2, Chapter 6
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
When Lilith wakes up, she feels confused but mostly normal. Nikanj inspects Lilith to make sure everything is OK. As it does so, Lilith realizes that it is speaking to her in Oankali and that she understands the language. Nikanj is glad Lilith trusted it enough for the procedure. Nikanj asks if at some point in the future, Lilith will help it go through a metamorphosis in preparation for mating—it’s important just to have someone nearby, mostly keeping watch but perhaps occasionally feeding it. Lilith agrees to do it, and in exchange, Nikanj says he’ll try to find an English-speaking human for Lilith to talk with.
When Lilith wakes up after the procedure, she is reassured at first that nothing seems to be too different. Her sudden realization that she knows the Oankali language, however, raises the possibility that perhaps other things about her have also changed and she just hasn’t realized it yet. Meanwhile, Nikanj’s request for Lilith to help it metamorphosize represents a chance for them to attempt to have a different form of relationship, with Nikanj making itself vulnerable to Lilith for the first time.
Themes
