NH: I don't remember _Kindred._ It's probably on my bookshelves; I'll
have a look and see if it was one of the ones I read. No, I think I
meant that so many of Butler's worlds seem so loveless, or if there is
love, it's compelled by biology, against the characters' better
judgement. They go into it kicking, screaming, resenting and hating the
other person. That depressed hell out of me. Not all her stories are like
that, by any means, but that was the overweening impression I came away
with at the time.
But as to your student's comment, women heroes/role models/triumphant
(whatever you want to call them) do exist, and not only in fiction.
-nalo
On Tue, 8 Apr 1997, lissa bloomer wrote:
> nalo: did _Kindred_ depress you? just taught it in freshman english under
> my "escape" theme. it was the students' favorite of all. (taught it with Le
> Guin's "The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas" and Angelou's "..Caged Bird
> Sings" and Lowry's "The Giver")
>
> one of my students (an 18 yr old black female) wrote to me in a journal:
> "It seems to me that the only female hero this patriarchal world could take
> would be a science fiction female hero. Because she simply does not exist."
>
> wheew. now THAT is depressing. is this what you mean?
>
> -lissa bloomer
>
>
>
>
>
> if you're wearing pants, thank my great great great grandmother.
>
> elisabeth bloomer
> instructor, english
> virginia tech
> ebloomer@vt.edu
> 540.231.2445
>
"Would you trade your funk for what's behind the third door?"
P-Funk, "Funkentelechy"
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