PICK TWO OF THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS TO ANSWER FOR READING SECTION 1 OF DAWN. COMMENT OR ADD DISCUSSION IDEAS AS MUCH AS YOU LIKE.
What are the Novums in this novel (technologies, abilities, or phenomenon our world doesn’t share)?
1. Re-animation (Awakening)
2. Lilith’s Food, her edible bowl (4)
3. Lilith’s jaket and pants (4)
4. *Humanicide (6)
Ch 1 – Captivity
CHARACTERS
Lilith Iyapo – She remembers being 26, but she doesn’t know how long she’s been captive or how long she’s been dead prior to “Awakening” (5). Her immediate family died before the nuclear war on earth.
Sharad – A boy placed in the cell with Lilith (8). Lilith enjoys his company. Sharad learns her songs, but Lilith is slower to catch on.
Captors – “only to be captured by heaven knew who and imprisoned” (6). They introduce her to Sharad and then take him away.
Plot Summary:
Lilith Iyapo finds herself in captivity. She struggles to recount her past, and she fights to get out of her cell in vain. Lilith's family members have died and Earth has been rendered volatile to humans because of nuclear war. By the end of the chapter, Lilith Awakens with a boy in her cell who is very reluctant to interact with her. The boy, Sharad, eventually warms up to her. Her captors take her away.
Journal Prompt:
- (P 3-5) Lilith finds herself in a state of powerlessness and her “only currency is cooperation” (6). Write about a time when you felt powerless and cooperation was your only currency.
- (P 7) Being in captivity has given Lilith a renewed sense of gratitude for simple pleasures (songs, books, etc.) Write about a traumatic moment or epiphany that made you re-think your gratitude for simple pleasures such as songs, books, being with loved ones, etc. OR Write about a time you were alone for a while and it led to a re-evaluation of something or a new sense of gratitude.
Ch 2 – A Close Encounter
CHARACTERS
Oankali - “I’m not a man,” he said. “I’m not a human being.” (10).
Jdahya – explains to Lilith they are on a “ship” orbiting Earth outside of the moon’s orbit. Also tells her the destiny of Earth and the Oankali attempt to reclaim the living humans.
Lilith – She has many questions, especially “what do you want of us?” which do not get answered by Jdahya (14).
Plot Summary:
Lilith encounters an Oankali male named Jdahya whose purpose it is to acquaint her to interacting with Oankali. Jdahya tells Lilith what has happened to Earth: how they are orbiting it, how the Oankali have been reclaiming humans, and how Lilith has been asleep for 250 years (16). Jdahya tells Lilith about the Oankali’s failed attempts at Awakening humans, especially when they Awoke humans together at the same time who turned violent. Furthermore, we find out that someone is listening in from above on their conversation (17). Jdahya tells Lilith that once she is comfortable with him, he will take her outside.
Journal Question:
- This chapter describes the Oankali, Jdahya, in detail. What does he look like? What can Jdahya do that is different from humans? Describe Jdahya with your own words using similies. Refer to pages 11, 12, and 23 (Jdahya morphs from his normal state on 23, he looks human-like to Lilith).
Ch 3 – Jdahya Catches Lilith up on the Past 250 Years
Novums
- While Oankali have male and female sexes, they also have ooloi, who are neither male, nor female and referred to as “it” (20).
- Oankali are intergalactic “traders” of genetic material.
Plot Summary:
Jdahya continues to stay in Lilith’s cell with her and persists in forcing her to stay close to him and get used to looking at him. She learns from him that she had a cancer and it was removed by their doctors, Ooloi, who are neither male, nor female and referred to as “its” (20). Jdahya tells Lilith that they have worked with many humans before her and about a doctor who lived with them and cooperated with them until she died at the age of 113. Finally, Lilith finds out that she is 28 years old now because she had been Awake for two of the last 250 years; Jdahya reveals that “this room will be nothing more than a memory for you soon” (25).
Journal Prompt:
In discussing the nature of the Oankali as genetic traders with Jdahya, Lilith notes that "we used to do that to animals" (21). Lilith is anything but comfortable with being tinkered with by the Oankali, but they do remove her cancer for her.- Does anything disagree with you in this situation? How do we have to trust others in this way in our own lives? Are the Oankali out of line in any way? Why or why not?
Chapter 4
Lilith Learns more about the Oankali...
Chapter 5
Lilith is taken "outside." She learns more about how the Oankali are "traders" and their expectations for her and the remaining humans.
- What event from chapters 4 or 5 did you find significant? How does the event represent a theme from Dawn?
In the first chapters of the novel, Lilith is forced into obedience because this is her only form of currency. She tries to barter with the unknowns in offering he cooperation for something in return. However, she is given nothing in return. Many of us have definitely been in a similar situation, possibly without even knowing. Off the top of my head, grounding from my parents is immediate. I was given the opportunity to work around the house or merely do what was asked for a shorter punishment.
ReplyDeleteA happening in chapters four and five that sparked my interest, or rather, caught my eye is the reoccurence of Lilith's discomfort when around Jdahya. Yeah, at the beginning, discovering that one was captured by aliens would be quite startling. But even after a long duration she still felt uncomfortable. Octavia even hints that Lilith doesn't even know why she's acting the way she is. Is this her instinct that Jdahya may in fact have a destructive plan of action? or maybe, Jdayha is hiding a lot of the truth about the situation from her. At the end of the chapter, Lilith is more hesitant to Jdahya than ever and just the thought of reproducing with partial alien genes makes Lilith panic. Also, going back to the idea that Jdahya is hiding something from Lilith, Jdahya may be concealing information about the cost of her survival. This being for the treatment and nurture she received from the Oankali.
In the third chapter of Dawn, Lilith is uncomfortable with the tampering that the Oankali, specifically the ooloi, performed on her while she was asleep. However, she states that "we used to do that to animals." I would imagine that animals feel that same sense of discomfort as Lilith did. Humans do not intend to harm animals when they perform studies on them, and hopefully Jdahya was sincere when he said that the Oankali did not intend to harm Lilith or the other humans. It would be hard for me to trust the Oankali as well, but Lilith doesn't really have any other options. She can trust them or she can die. It is her choice.
ReplyDeleteI remember being alone one year for spring break. I believe it was my 8th grade year and my family and friends had all gone out of town for the week. I liked the isolation and privacy for the first couple days but then I began to realize how lonely it was. After a few days I really missed my family and friends. This experience made me really appreciate having the presence of my family at home.
1b.In the first few pages of the book, we learn this character Lilith is being held captive by someone, but we don’t know who. We also know she isn’t given very appealing food and she hasn’t had any human contact. I can defiantly relate to this side of Lilith; enjoying the little things you tend to take for granted. 5 or 6 year ago, I went on a backpacking trip to Kentucky for a week. It was for a youth leadership program. For a week we carried EVERYTHING on our back; food, clothes, sleeping materials, etc. It made me realize the little things I take for granted like showers and food that doesn’t come out of a bag and that you just add water to…The whole experience I went through really opened my eyes to how much I miss my family when they aren’t there and how much I really do cherish little things in life.
ReplyDelete3.This is a very controversial topic to talk about, the idea of changing genetic makeup. I am not sure which side I am on but, it is very interesting how these alien have learned to get rid of cancers, wouldn’t that be nice if someone figured out how to do that now. The Oankali may be a little out of line because they don’t ask for consent and basically treat Lilith and the other humans like animals. But if you think about it, don’t we do the same things to small animals, not giving them consent? I think this is why Lilith has such a hard time trusting these aliens, all they have been doing is changing her and watching her without her really knowing. I would be very hesitant to trust them…
Chapter 1:
ReplyDeleteAs a freshman in college I have come to many realizations, an important one being the impact my friends and family have on my life. Transitioning from my regular home life to college life here at Ohio University, I have gotten what you may call a wake up call. After only being away from home for roughly a month I have already developed the notion that college is not what one may expect it to be. Sure it can be a blast, but on the same note extremely stressful and aggravating. Times when I am overwhelmed I say to myself why am I here and when is it going to be over? It was the support system of my family and friends back home that always kept me going and motivated. Don’t get me wrong I have made so many friends at school, but so far they do not really provide me with the same drive, so I truly miss my home back in Pittsburgh.
Chapter 3:
I totally agree with the action conveyed in this scene. Sure Oankali did not have Lilith’s consent before the removal, but he saved her life by doing so. I believe that Lilith is overreacting with this particular endeavor. Who is she to complain when someone went out of their way to save her life? If Oankali neglected to take care of this concern, who would have anyway? In a situation as severe as this one, diagnosed with cancer, the patient automatically should just have the mindset of hope. If fatality is at stake, the victim should simply have hope that everything is going to be okay, and just trust those, in respectable terms, who are there to help you. I believe that the Oankali are partially out of line for not consenting Lilth, but in this particular situation it does not matter since there was really no other option to turn to.
Chapter 2 prompt:
ReplyDeleteJdhaya is like a mix between the alien from the movie "Alien", a man, and the stereotypical gray marshan. His movement remembles the monster from "Alien" in that his limbs bend a lot at the joints, and he can make his body become very small. He lacks the human movement, and moves more like a machine than a person. His tentacles resemble nightcrawlers... this is very descriptive. The can stretch and retract, as well as move freely. Jdhaya does not have the hierarchial human characteristic, and has much more patience than we do. He is also able to clearly analyze human behavior seemingly without emotional biase. He is tall and slender, and I picture his hips to be very thin. His skin is gray and cold, and his face is covered in tentacles that resemble an apes facial hair in position. His people are smart and trade themselves. He seems to be an advance species that is constantly changing. The ooloi know how to manipulate life and change it to their benefit. I like how Octavia makes an alien that is different than any other, and leaves some of his features up to personal imagination.
Chapter 3 prompt:
Yes, the Oankali are out of line in changing the humans. It is evident to me that the Oankali have something in plan for the humans that may be unpleasant because Jidaya offers to kill Liluth; why would he do that? I think that any time that a person is left powerless in a situation and someone else makes their decisions for them it is wrong. If I were Liluth I would feel scared and uncomfortable. It is true that the Onkali saved Liluth, but she never agreed to the tradeoff. From the Oankali perspective nothing wrong was done, however Liluth would disagree.
1. In the first chapter, Liluth woke up and was trapped in a room. She felt confused and helpless. When I was in high school, someone asked me if they could copy my homework. I didn't feel like I should let them but I had to because if I didn't, they were going to be mad at me. She was a close friend and I felt obligated. I felt like I was almost forced to participate.
ReplyDelete2. In chapter 3, I think that it was wrong to mess with Liluth without her permission. It is probably a good thing that they removed the cancer but it is still her body, and it wasnt right for them to intrude. Oankali doesn't live by they same laws that humans do, so its hard to see it as wrong. If I were Liluth I would have been happy that they removed the cancer, but I would have still felt violated. We don't realize how much trust we give our doctors and surgeons. We are forced to though, because if we didnt we wouldnt be able to get much medical attention, or even take any medicine.
There have been times in my life that have made me rethink everything in my life and realize what is really important to me. An example was going to college and having to leave everything behind that I have ever knowed. I have to leave my family and friends and my life the way it was. I had a chance to have a fresh start where no one knew nothing about me and I knew nothing about anyone else. The first couple of days here at college I have to say, they were pretty tough. I couldn't just call my best friend and hang out with them. Something that I for sure took for granted back at home. I had to learn how to meet new people and open myself up to new people. I had to learn to solve my own problems and how to not always relay on my best friend to help through everything. College has made me realize a lot in my life things I would have taken for granted such as my friends who were always there and my family. I have realized to never take anything for granted because it may not always be there tomorrow.
ReplyDeleteI disgree with the idea that the people have just left Lilith in a cell by her self and no one to talk too.Lilith has no one to talk to or make a conversation with. I totally disgree with this because I think that being isolated like that from everything has to be the hardest thing to go through. I disagree that they opearted on her without her consant and they didn't even tell her anything that was happening.
ch.2- In this chapter we get a much better idea of what Jdaya looks like. We learn that he does not look very human like. He does not have normal sensory organs like we do, instead he has tentles all over his face that perform the function that our sensory organs normally would. Also we learn that his tenticles have the abiltiy to deliver a sting, one that would kill humans. This definately seperates us and shows the differences, as well as give us a better idea of what he looks like.
ReplyDeleteCh3- In chapter three there is definately something that disagrees with me. I do not like the idea of being cared for or having others deciding our fate even though they may be of higher intelligence. But at the same time can we be mad at them for possibly saving the human race. We also have to look at how we do a similar business with our animals. Just becuase we know better,does that make it ok?
I want to start by addressing how people don't appreciate the little things such as reading, getting online, eating your favorite food or something similar. After reading the first section I really thought about how that would feel to have so little detail for so long. Literally having nothing but you and your thoughts. I think the only time I have been even remotely close to this was pre-season for swimming my sophomore year and everything in my life was scheduled and I missed just hanging out.
ReplyDeleteI don't think they were wrong to get rid of her cancer because she would've died if not. Obviously she has the will to live so I think it was fair and moral.
In Chapter two we finally get a picture in our heads of who has captivated Lilith. Jdahya is the one who we first get a description of what they look like. Jdahya is an alien who has a human-like structure, but he has no eyes, no mouth, no ears, and no nose, just darker areas on his face where those objects should be. He also has tiny snakes all over his body, which is disgusting. I personally am deathly afraid of snakes, so I would not be able to be anywhere near him if I was Lilith. She thought of Medusa right when she saw the snakes on his head. The snakes that are on his head do not look like snakes from a distance, they look just like hair on top of his head, and they kind of make him look really hairy since he has them all over. The snakes aren’t like normal snakes also, like they don’t bite or any of that, but they do sting if Jdahya wants to sting someone. The snakes on Jdahya’s body are his sensory organs. They are the reason he can see, breathe, smell, hear, and so on. It’s like he has eyes on all parts of his body and he can see from every angle. He would not be a very pretty sight, thats for sure.
ReplyDeleteHere is my experience that made me re-think my gratitude towards something, like Lilith did with her simple pleasures. My junior year I broke my tibia and fibula during my first pre-season softball game. When I got slid into, I was praying that it was just badly bruised and would have never guessed that I had broken two bones and would be out for my entire high school season and summer ball season. I was in a plaster cast up to my thigh and was in so much pain, especially in during the first few weeks. Breaking my leg made me learn to appreciate so many things. First off, I appreciated my family and friends so much more. I always loved them and knew they would be there for me, but they did so much for me when I was injured. There always had to be a person around whether it was to help me get up so I could go to the bathroom and then they would have to help me get situated in there, or if they had to get me some food or something else to keep me from going insane on a couch all day. I always had someone there who cared for me, and that made me think abut how many people I have that love and support and care for me and that just made me care and love them that much more. Second, I began to appreciate my body. I never realized how hard it is to not have control of one part of your body. I hated not being able to do whatever I wanted with my leg and to not be able to go fast because I was always on crutches or in a wheelchair. I learned to value my body and to always take care of it. Third, I started to appreciate my health. When I was hurt I could not exercise at all, which was awful for me because I am a very athletic person who loves to be active everyday, so I had to make sure what I was eating was healthy because I wasn’t working out as much as I usually did. Lucky for me, I broke my leg during Lent and I had given up candy, so I didn’t have to worry about that. But, I learned what type of foods is best for me and learned how to balance my diet. I really just learned to cherish the things I never thought about before, which included my health, my body, and the small things people would do for me to show they cared.
1. "Cooperation is my only currency"
ReplyDeleteAs I thought about this quote, I realized I'm currently demonstrating this exact quote in my every day life. Right now, my abilities are rather limited because since this weekend I haven't been able to put any weight on my left knee. This means no standing, no walking, and absolutely no playing softball. I'm the kind of girl who doesn't typically nurse an injury long enough, as soon as my body gives me an inch I try to take a mile. Over time I've realized that it's not always going to work that way, and this injury is a perfect example. If I don't cooperate with all of the rehab that I am being put into I won't be able to build the strength that I will need for future competitions (not to mention every day things like walking). The big pay off is that if I cooperate and do what I'm told when it comes to taking care of my leg, I will ultimately heal and be able to participate in activities once again.
2. Absence makes the heart grow fonder
I could list a handful of things that I have become thankful for because of absence of that very thing. But since I skipped dinner one thing that I have in mind right now is Wisconsin's Cheddar. Trust me, I know how ridiculous and 'cheesy' (haha) that sounds but unless you live in Wisconsin, you have absolutely no idea. I never really thought twice about how mouth watering our cheese was because it was the only kind of cheese I was used to... real cheese. Now that I'm in Ohio I've tasted... the other kind, fake kind of cheese and let me tell you, it is not awesome. The first thing I am buying when I get home is a big fat brick of Wisconsin Cheddar, because it's on my top 10 list of things I miss most about home. (Don't judge me, I was born and raised a cheese head and it's not my fault.)
When we are finally able to see who has been keeping Lilith from being free, we find an Alien like creature that looks similar to us, humans, from a far. But as we get cloaser we see that the alien is really much different than you or I. They are covered in tenticles, and these act as their eyes, ears, and nose. Not only this but the aliens never stop seeing. Seems pretty odd, but then again, has anyone "sensed the presence of someone else when sleeping or just knew something was going to happen, like falling out of your bed and being able to catch yourself? I feel like this is more similar to us as humans then Lilith has yet realized, but still very odd on her front.
ReplyDeleteGenetic trading, this is something that we do already and is not that hard to wrap one's ming around, but seems bazzare in the novel thus far. It is just their way of adapting, we as humans have been taught that we transformed into what we are today over years and years of evolution. Is this not the same relative idea? We have to trust people in the same way when we are going to have kids, it "trading" of genes. We dont see it as trust, but love, and that is what blinds us from "trading" gene weather good or bad, we love that person and then do it anyway.