An Analysis of Sexual Agency in Octavia E Butlers Dawn and Fledgling

Author : Aashray Joshua Rao, Prof. Dr. Anil Adagale

Abstract : This paper aims to analyse the some of the relationships found in the novels Dawn and Fledgling by science fiction author Octavia E. Butler. It draws insights from not only sexuality studies but also from Marxist theory to understand these relationships in the context of the economic conditions of the worlds in which they occur. It also attempts to show how we can extend Marxist analysis of human relations to the cases of alien-human pairings in Dawn and vampire-human pairings in Fledgling. In its analysis of Dawn, the focus on the hierarchy within the Oankali family and later in the composite Oankali-Human pairings. A crucial goal is to depict the alienation from sexual choice that the main character, Lillith, experiences in the novel. Similarly, in the analysis of Fledgling, the paper focuses on the agency and the limits of consent as they appear in relationships between Shiro, the protagonist of the novel, and the partners she takes throughout the novel. Hopefully, the study will show the amenability of Marxist analysis to providing a richer understanding of agency and alienation in the fantastical relationships found in these novels while also showing how they are applicable to the broader context of human relations in the broader world.

Keywords : Sexual agency, Marxism, Science fiction, Octavia E. Butler, Sexuality studies.

Conference Name : International Conference on Literary Criticism and English Studies (ICLCES-26)

Conference Place : Lucknow, India

Conference Date : 10th May 2026