Hannah King-Guffey

English 1100

Kati Lewis

4 August 2018

Fledgling- Part 2

Critical Race Theorist Kimberlé Crenshaw Williams states that “when feminism

does not explicitly oppose racism and when anti-racism does not incorporate

opposition to the patriarchy, race and gender politics often end up being antagonistic

to each other and both interests lose” (Crenshaw Williams). In the vampire story

Fledgling, the Afrofuturist Octavia Butler addresses intersectional themes about power,

otherness, gender, race, and desire. These themes provide powerful critical race theory

and feminist critiques of dynamics in our culture. In some cases Butler embraces the

stereotypes and tropes of the vampire genre and at other times she turns these on

their head. Fledging tells the story of a ten/fifty-three year old black female, Shori, who

comes to understand her true identity as a vampire through a series of experiences and

interactions with the world around her. Butler uses the story and the person of Shori to

criticize and challenge societal expectations of otherness and acceptability and to put a

feminist twist on the idea that the fear of the monster is really a sort of desire.

Junot Diaz said, “If you want to make a human being into a monster, deny them

at the cultural level any reflection of themselves” (Diaz). Shori is a vampire and as such

is considered the Other. Not only that, Shori is black, young, and female. Her place in

society and identity are questioned on every level. Not only is she a vampire, she is

also a vampire that doesn’t meet the typical characteristics and expectations of her

stereotype. By creating such a character, Butler challenges the reader to consider what

society says about what is and isn’t included in the social power structure. The fact that

Shori is the main character and the protagonist and the Ina are the dominant group

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further reinforces the subversive quality of the book. The radicalization of the vampire

trope serves Butler’s purpose of critiquing our society’s expectations and understanding

of what it means to be human, to be female, to be black, and to be young. Butler’s

intersectionality allows her to challenge the social order as well as to introduce a new

vision for humanity, one in which the Other is not seen as something to be feared or

despised but rather as someone to be valued and embraced. As Bell Hooks says,

“When we drop fear, we can draw nearer to people, we can draw nearer to the earth,

we can draw nearer to all heavenly creatures that surround us” (Hooks). Shori’s story

brings a sense of humanity and dignity to being female and black.

Butler extends this cultural critique to new ideas about power and relationships,

in direct opposition to the structures of white supremacy and male dominance. Shori’s

embrace of an alternative approach to the rules of relationships and power serves to

turn traditional ideas and structures on their head. Shori’s father, Iosif, mentors her

about how to approach the people whose blood she needs to survive. He says, “Treat

people well, Shori. Let them see that you trust them and let them solve their own

problems, make their own decisions. Do that and they will willingly commit their lives

to you. Bully them, control them out of fear or malice or just for your own convenience,

and after a while you’ll have to spend all your time thinking for them, controlling them,

and stifling their resentment” (Butler). Critical Race Theory and Feminism both bring

these kinds of new rules of engagement.

Shori’s relationships with her Symbionts bring a feminist twist to the idea that the

fear of the monster is really a sort of desire. Shori is rescued by a man named Wright

who quickly latches onto her and becomes both her victim and her lover pretty

immediately after her first bite. Their relationship is odd to an outside viewer but full of

desire and mutual need. Wright soon discovers who Shori really is and what she can do

when his emotions are overpowering to him, different than any lustful and romantic

exchange he has experienced before. Wright both fears and is freaked out by how

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much he needs her but he also likes that thrilling mix of fear and passion. Shori as a

vampire has this effect on all of her victims. They are drawn towards the mystery of her

as a vampire. As she recounts, “instead of being afraid or angry, they are first confused,

then trusting and welcoming, eager for more of the pleasure that I could give them. It

happened that way each time. I didn’t understand it but I had done it in a comfortable,

knowing way” (Butler). Shori’s power as a vampire is due in part to her allure.

Shori’s engagement with Wright and other Symbionts all challenge

heteronormative behaviors and expectations. She is the one with the power when the

vampire is usually male. She sucks the blood not only of men but also of women. In

this, Shori is different than other Inas. She breaks the barriers of heterosexual norms

and introduces a new way of thinking about gender and sex. The norms of love and sex

in society are challenged in the story of the Ina. In some ways, the force of a bite and

then sexual encounter resemble, or even imitate, rape. In most vampire pieces the

sexuality portrayed is of male dominance over women who are virtually helpless next to

their supernatural strength. Butler changes this standard image by electing Shori as the

main character, but Shori’s sexual encounters also have the frequent absent of consent.

There is also the term in Vampire stories that “love sucks.” However, Shori’s control

over her Symbionts is more than sexual or physical strength but also involves an intense

love shared. These turnabouts Butler uses to bring an intersectional lens to the vampire

narrative and to challenge people’s understanding about what might be possible for

both women and men in the world.

Octavia Butler challenges almost all present vampire stories by changing the

typical sex roles, by incorporating race issues into the story, and by not only making the

main character older, but by also putting her into the body of a young girl. Fledgling is

a story of love, sex, violence, and camaraderie which challenges people’s previous

ideas of all these things. The idea that fear is a sort of desire is relevant among different

aspects of the story of Shori and is beautifully portrayed in many different forms

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throughout. Fledgling challenges, inspires and guides modern readers to embrace

intersectionality and when it comes to age, sex, and color, to recognize the beauty and

dignify of diversity.

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 Citations

Butler, Octavia. Fledgling. Grand Central Publishing, 2005.

Donohue, Brian. “Pulitzer Prize-Winning Author Junot Diaz Tells Students His Story.”
NJ.com, 21 Oct. 2009.

Hooks, Bell. “Bell Hooks and John Perry Barlow Talk ‘Prana in Cyberspace.’” Lion's
Roar, 1995.

Williams, Kimberlé Crenshaw. "Mapping the Margins: Intersectionality, Identity Politics,

and Violence Against Women of Color". In: Martha Albertson Fineman, Rixanne
Mykitiuk, Eds. The Public Nature of Private Violence. (New York: Routledge, 1994), p.
93-118.

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