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Stream of Consciousness
Book 2, Chapter 9
Explanation and Analysis:
In Dawn, the writing style is sparse and straightforward. Butler offers no additional descriptions beyond the basic physical characteristics of the rooms, characters, and Oankali. This style of writing allows the reader to formulate their own interpretations of what, for example, a “misplaced sea creature” looks like. Science fiction novels often leave much to the imagination of the reader, since dystopian worlds can look different to individual readers. This straightforwardness is also evident in Lilith’s narration, where her reactions and thoughts appear muted, though her surface-level descriptions exhibit emotion.
In Book 2, Chapter 9, for example, Lilith describes the pain in her arm from Paul Titus’s attack:
She lay still for a moment, glad that the arm was no longer throbbing. She had barely been aware of this individual pain before Nikanj stopped it. Now she realized it had been among the worst of the many. The hand, the wrist, the lower arm.
Though she describes the pain as “the worst of the many,” there is no feeling of anguish in the narration, only detached description. This disconnect illustrates Lilith’s struggle to let go of her past—her husband and son, her anthropology degree, her regular life on Earth—and accept her strange new reality.
Butler also uses the stream-of-consciousness tactic to represent Lilith’s thought pattern. This writing style allows the reader to sympathize with Lilith’s situation and her fluctuating feelings of helplessness. Her confusion is palpable as she contemplates the Oankali’s intentions and the implications of their actions.
Related Themes:
