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Margaret Bell

Rita Mookerjee

AML3041-0003

9 December 2017

Vampirism, Dichotomies, Miscegenation, and Fledgling: Octavia E. Butlers Symbolic Reversal

of the White Vampire and the Expanding Scope of African American Literature

The character Shori Matthews in Octavia E. Butler's final work is a symbolic reversal of

the prototypical vampire, who regardless of her race finds herself in a position of power a

reversal in that she is the most empowered character even though she is a young black female

vampire. Butler's Fledgling broadens the scope of African American literature to include science

fiction while simultaneously borrowing from the prominent slave narrative genre. The reflection

on the notion of free will and its complicated nature is reminiscent of the slave narrative and the

impact of slavery on those without freedom, allowing Butler to provide her own commentary

through a story saturated with supernatural elements. Shori from Fledgling is a dramatic

overhaul and symbolic reversal of the typical white vampire, which enables Butler to write past

the confounds of the slave narrative and broaden the scope of African American literature to

include science fiction while still touching on subjects relevant to race and identity.

Butlers writing includes concrete examples symbolic of Shoris struggles that can be

related to those chronicled in slave narratives namely her amnesia and subsequent journey to

rediscover her Ina background and culture after a confusing displacement. The novel begins by

launching the audience into an environment of disarray along with Shori, who has no memories

or understanding of who she is. I awoke to darkness. I was hungry starving! and I was in
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pain. There was nothing in my world but hunger and pain, no other people, no other time, no

other feelings (Butler 1). This choice to begin the novel without any explanation involving who

Shori is may have been a strategic choice by Butler, as it seems symbolic of the experiences of

the black people uprooted and taken to other countries as slaves. Without any autonomy, slaves

were stripped of their identities and forced to live as property. Shoris lack of identity at the

beginning of the novel parallels this idea, with the subsequent journey to rediscover her identity

becoming a main theme throughout the novel.

Fledgling also relates to the content of slave narratives because slave narratives often

discuss themes of flight and literacy, of entrapment (both internal and by an external,

dehumanizing system), of masking, of the lonely search for home, of the significance of names,

of the need to establish a sense of self apart from others' expectations, and of the importance of

family and family history (Fast 4). All of these themes are crucial throughout the novel, as

Shoris introduction begins without any knowledge regarding her background or how she came

to be. The search for her family, home, and history leads to the discovery that shes being

targeted for her identity as a black woman. After losing her family more than once, Shori is

forced to confront bigotry within the Ina community before accepting her new life without the

people who had been her support.

Considering the themes mentioned above, readers of the novel are able to see examples

of each. Flight in that Shori must escape imminent danger at the hands of those trying to kill her

and her family, literacy in that Shori eventually discovers her ties to the Ina language and ability

to read and write in it, entrapment in that shes forced to confront her pursuers both inside and

outside the Ina community, and search for home and family in that she awakens with amnesia

and no knowledge of her prior life. While there are certainly more examples that could be
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included, its important to see the many direct connections between Fledgling and the slave

narrative. Theres no mistaking that these connections exist, as the main themes of the novel are

almost exactly the same as those of the slave narrative.

Another important theme recurring throughout the novel is one regarding consent and

free will. This theme is also a constant in the slave narrative, as slave narratives are written about

people who obviously lacked both. This theme is frequently seen in the relationships between the

Ina and their symbionts the people who could choose to become part of the family so long as

they agree to give blood to their Ina. Choose is in quotations above because while Shori blatantly

asks potential symbionts whether or not they wish to become part of her family, the audience is

made aware that symbiont venom is addictive. Therefore, considering the addictive nature of that

venom and how Shori had already bitten the people shes supposedly giving a choice, the

offering of that choice seems questionable. It may be that its an illusion of free will, as the

human may already be addicted to the venom. This topic is an interesting portion of the novel, as

all power regarding giving humans a choice is ultimately put in Shoris hands reversing that of

the slave narrative by giving a black woman the most power in the situation.

Though Fledgling borrows from the content of the slave narrative, Butlers style of

writing is far from that typically seen in the genre. Slave narratives are often characterized by the

looming presence of an editor or ghostwriter, a concern with truthfulness often backed up by the

accounts of others, and the inclusion of multiple forms of documentation (Fast 4). An important

difference from those characteristics in the storys point of view Shori is the first-person

narrator, which allows her the power to shape the story without the presence of a ghostwriter.

Fledglings lack of the previously-stated elements is also significant because it allows Butler to

include themes relevant to the slave narrative while also giving her the freedom to write in a way
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that extends African American literature past the confounds of the slave narrative and into genres

most typically dominated by white men.

Science fiction is a genre in literature thats been gaining much popularity, though there

have been issues regarding the diversity of its writers and content. Speculative fiction, that is,

science fiction, fantasy, horror, and futurist fiction, has largely been (mis)understood as a genre

written only by whites (mostly men) about whites (again, mostly men) (Morris 152). Because of

this, Butlers writing becomes even more significant in the fact that it empowers a young black

female in a genre where whiteness is often pandered to. This goes to show that the genre itself is

changing to include writers of different backgrounds, allowing for more diverse storytelling

regarding matters involving race, gender, and sexual orientation. Butlers choices become even

more noticeable when considered in the context of the prominent vampire literature included

within the science fiction genre.

As mentioned, Fledgling adds a different perspective to an extensive list of vampire

literature. The vampire first appeared in John Polidoris The Vampyre, a short story published

in 1819 which changed the vampire historically found in folklore into the stock character seen

within many works today. The stock character would later show up in even more iconic works,

including Joseph Sheridan Le Fanus Carmilla and Bram Stokers Dracula - the famous novel

which introduced the eponymous character who would become the prototypical vampire.

Draculas very being was symbolic of debauchery and excess that proved a threat to Western

society (Morris 148). Some future uses of vampirism in literature would provide a vehicle

through which authors could provide commentary, as prominently seen in Butlers work.

Butlers choice to make Shori the main character in a vampire novel is a complete

overhaul of the prototypical Dracula-esque vampire, as Shori is frequently described in the novel
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as being black, small, young, and female. These are all stark contrasts from Count Dracula.

There are even moments within the novel that further emphasize the differences between Shori

and what people most often imagine when they hear the word vampire, as seen within a

conversation between Shori and a future symbiont: You are a vampire she said. Although

according to what Ive read, youre supposed to be a tall, handsome, fully grown white man. Just

my luck (Butler 91). This conversation further reflects Butlers understanding of the powerful

choice to make Shori who she is, as it seems that shes pointing out this irony.

The most important and easily-seen reversals of the white vampire within the novel are

presented by Shoris being in such opposition to the typical vampire. This is a reversal because

Shori is in fact empowered by her differences from the white male Ina. Being a result of genetic

engineering in hopes of discovering a means of protection from the harmful effects of sunlight,

Shoris increased melanin allows her to walk in the daytime with few negative consequences.

The female Ina are also equipped with stronger venom than their male counterparts, enabling

them stronger ties to their symbionts. Whereas Shoris skin color and status as a woman would

force her to face greater discrimination in a society where the power dynamic favors white men,

she is in fact empowered by these characteristics when living among her Ina.

Though she is more powerful than the majority of the other Ina, Shori certainly still faces

discrimination because of her skin color. Her existence as a black woman is what prompts the

plot progression and main conflicts of the novel, as her family is killed by another family who

hates her for her blackness. Susana M. Morris illustrates the impact of this storyline, stating that

Just as Bram Stoker's Dracula betrayed a Victorian anxiety about the encroaching Other, so do

many twenty-first-century vampire texts reveal particular contemporary interests and concerns

(148). One of the many concerns reflected in Fledgling includes the continuing existence of
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racism made even more significant in the context of science fiction, as the existence of

different dichotomies and binaries already relevant to the vampire novel further emphasize the

effects of bigotry. Butler could have chosen not to write about the impacts of racism in a world

where vampires exist, but her decision to do so further point out the effects of bigotry forcing

readers to reflect upon bigotrys persistent nature, even present and possible in a genre where the

seemingly impossible is most common.

The classic dichotomy both in literature and in society is the prevalent us versus them

mentality. This mentality is often a source for bigotry and fear of the other, as the tendency to

characterize oneself as part of one group can (at its extreme) lead to dehumanization of the other

group. Such dichotomies are frequently seen within the novel including vampire versus human,

black versus white, protagonist versus antagonist, and natural versus genetically engineered.

Interestingly, people of color in vampire literature are most often portrayed as them, or at least

in the context of the protagonist versus antagonist dichotomy. Fledgling is quite the opposite,

with Shori being the protagonist while also being a woman of color. Shori doesnt face that

dehumanization often seen in the vampire literature, empowering her in a situation where she

would otherwise not be empowered due to her existence as a young, black female vampire.

It was the natural versus genetically engineered binary seen within the novel that was the

force propelling the Silk family to murder Shoris family, as they believed that Shoris existence

was an abomination. Shoris eldermothers created her as previously mentioned in hopes of

finding a way to avoid the suns harmful effects. The mixing of human and Ina DNA to create

Shoris genetic makeup prompted much anger from some members of the Ina community, which

resulted in the execution of her family. These actions culminated in the trial at the end of the

novel, where many instances exemplify the animosity held toward Shoris existence as a human-
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Ina hybrid. This mixing of DNA to create Shori is reflective of the views surrounding that of

miscegenation, a term describing the mixing of races.

First used to scare white male voters into believing that the mixing of races would

eventually occur if slavery were abolished, the term miscegenation was used to prohibit sex

between individuals of different races, in much the same way that that the vampire had been used

in earlier literature (Frohreich 34). Miscegenation, therefore, was oftentimes looked down upon

by society and because bigotry still exists today, it is still looked down upon by certain groups.

Vampires in earlier literature were symbolic of miscegenation because Count Dracula would use

his power to seduce women, eventually passing on his traits to them when he turned them into

vampires. Considering that his traits were not praised or considered socially acceptable, this

transference was a negative consequence of turning other people into vampires.

The symbolism of using a vampire to reflect views involving miscegenation is doubly

impactful when considering how the vampire itself was a disliked mixture of what was

considered good and bad (yet another binary). The results of miscegenation once again create

another dichotomy, forcing Shori to be the other in yet another way. Whereas this reflection of

miscegenation through genetic engineering in Fledgling creates the ultimate hardship for Shori,

it is also what gives her the most power over others. Had it not been for this genetic engineering,

Shoris lack of melanin in her skin would keep her among the ranks of all the Ina not capable of

walking in sunlight. Her existence as a black woman is what makes her so powerful, a dramatic

reversal of what most often happens to people of color in vampire literature.

As one can hopefully see by now, there are many instances in Fledgling that empower an

historically oppressed person. Had Shori been different specifically, white or male its likely

that Butlers text would not make such impactful commentary. Butlers choice to borrow themes
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often seen in the slave narrative solidifies the important relevance of the genre, though her choice

to not fully conform to the constraints often associated with it also allows her to take a genre of

the past and propel it into the future. Because the slave narrative is considered as being very

important to African American literature, the act of using its themes and making it still important

in times where slavery is no longer acceptable successfully keeps it in the peoples

consciousness. While it may be important to expand the genres included in African American

literature to those not often cited, not forgetting the stories told in genres of the past is also

important. Butler was able to combine these two old and new to tell a story that provides

important commentary on issues present in both the past and current times.

To combine science fiction with aspects of the slave narrative puts something of the past

into the context of what is not easy to believe in the context of what seems almost too futuristic

or even impossible to wrap our minds around. Perhaps this was another strategic choice by

Butler, as she tied something that shouldnt have ever existed (lack of free will and its

connections to slavery) with vampirism; and yet it is the vampirism that we have the most

trouble believing. Examining the importance of the connection between the slave narrative and

science fiction can display the impacts of different genres on African American literature, which

in part can illustrate overarching concepts crucial to the makeup of black literature and how its

progression can continue to provide commentary on past, present, and future society. Octavia E.

Butlers Fledgling is a prominent example of this, as the character Shori Matthews existence as

a symbolic reversal of the white vampire enabled Butler to provide important commentary while

simultaneously broadening the scope of African American literature.

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Works Cited

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

Fast, Robin Riley. "Brothers and Keepers and the Tradition of the Slave Narrative." MELUS,

vol. 22, no. 4, 1997, pp. 3-20.

Frohreich, Kimberly A. "Sullied Blood, Semen and Skin: Vampires and the Spectre of

Miscegenation." Gothic Studies, vol. 15, no. 1, 2013, pp. 33-43.

Morris, Susana M. "Black Girls Are from the Future: Afrofuturist Feminism in Octavia E.

Butler's Fledgling." Women's Studies Quarterly, vol. 40, no. 3, 2012, pp. 146-166.