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 captured by heaven knew who and imprisoned” (6). They give her 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 volitile 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? Either draw or describe Jdahya with your own words in your journal. Refer to pages 11, 12, and 23 (Jdahya morphs from his normal state on 23, it looks human-like to Lilith).
Ch 3 – Jdahya Catches Lilith up on the Past 250 Years
Novums
- Ooloi, who are neither male, nor female and referred to as “its” (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 those last 250 years; Jdahya reveals that “this room will be nothing more than a memory for you soon” (25).
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.
- 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?
