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Book 4, Chapter 7
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
It’s uncomfortable when Lilith goes back to camp to join the other humans, but Allison offers her some fish and turtle meat they found. Gabriel accuses Lilith of siding with the Oankali when it came to a fight, but she accuses all of them of standing by while Curt murdered Joseph. Gabriel continues, calling Lilith a “whore” of the Oankali to strip next to Nikanj during the healing process. Lilith gets frustrated and leaves the humans. She tells Kahguyaht that she’s tired and wants to quit the whole mission.
Although Lilith herself has misgivings about the Oankali, her decision to save Nikanj’s life has driven a permanent wedge between her and the surviving humans, as she seemed to take a side in the conflict. Gabriel’s fixation on the sexual nature of Lilith stripping next to Nikanj argues once again that humans (particularly men) are often uncomfortable when confronted with sexual practices they don’t understand.
Themes
