BP 8 – Joshua Caesar

Throughout Octavia Butler’s story “Bloodchild”, we see the theme of hierarchy throughout and we see how hierarchy affects the story and the characters within it. We learn that a group of humans, referred to as “Terrans” are living in a community known as the Preserve on an alien planet that is ruled by the alien race known as the Tlic. With the Tlic and the Terrans interacting throughout the story, we see just how much this hierarchy has affected the way these characters act and the way they see the world around them.

For example, the story is told through the perspective of Gan, a Terran, and we are able to see the subtle ways that this hierarchy system has affected the way he sees the people and beings around him, especially the Tlic. In the story, Gan states, “T’Gatoi was hounded on the outside…I had lived outside with her. I had seen the desperate eagerness in the way some people looked at me. It was a little frightening to know that only she stood between us and that desperation that could so easily swallow us”. In this quote we see Gan going over the reality that him and the rest of the Terrans have to live in, the reality that only one person is standing in between them and death. This idea of thinking that without having this person around would mean you are good as dead is a result of the hierarchy system, making those at the bottom feel as though they are weak and they are at the mercy of those above them.

Throughout the st0ry we also see how T’Gatoi, a Tlic, uses her power and status to manipulate and have her way with the Terrans that she has gained the trust of. For example, in the text, it states, “‘Go out and slaughter an animal that is at least half your size.’ ‘Slaughter? But I’ve never-‘ She knocked me across the room. Her tail was an efficient weapon whether she exposed the sting or not. I got up, feeling stupid for having ignored her warning, and went into the kitchen. Maybe I could kill something with a knife or an ax”. In this quote, we see h0w T’Gatoi uses her status and power to push around those that she sees as inferior to have her way, even when they do not want to. Additionally, we see how this hierarchy has made Gan feel as if he is not strong enough to stand up for himself and tell T’Gatoi he does not want to do it.