Emerging Gender Perspectives of the African Americans in Octavia Butler’s Fledgling and Parable of the Sower

The words, ‘discrimination’, ‘racism’ and ‘sexism’, constitute serious canker that continues to eat deeply into human relationships, just as the victims at the receiving ends of the concepts suffer dehumanization, injustices and brokenness in their daily existence even in societies that brag of equality, democracy, freedom and fundamental human rights. This paper thus uses Octavia Butler’s Fledgling and Parable of the Sower, as creative binoculars to interrogate acts of prejudices and discrimination that continue to bedevil humanity in an endless history of discriminated over the centuries. Over the centuries many selfish, selfcentred individuals and leaders have thrived on their egoistic desires to usurp the energies of other people/nations, to build massive structures and economies for themselves and countries, without taking into cognisance the repercussions of their actions on fellow humans. The paper adopts Afro-futurist strand of feminist theory in the bid to bring gender sensitivity into the future prospects of the Black Americans. It deconstructs traditional mindset of the female gender, who is often subsumed to be gentle, submissive, despondent, devocalized women, by creating women who challenge racial and sexual obstacles thus, traversing gendered spaces. The paper concludes that the female gender of black extractions have continued to muster energy and hope for recognition and acceptance as active contributors to the development and growth of societies in every ramification.

Keywords: Racial Discrimination Alienation Aspiration Determination Gender Future

Author

• Rebecca Usoro
  Department of English,
  Faculty of Arts,
  University of Uyo
  rebeccausoro@uniuyo.edu.ng