Wikipedia talk:Wiki Ed/LaGuardia Community College/ENG103 Octavia Butler's Wild Seed (Fall 2015)

Past weeks, in-class group exercises

A. Paraphrasing and Quoting Interviews on the background for Wild Seed

Group 1

In interviews with Randall Kenan and Rosalie G. Harrison, Octavia Butler explains the origins of Anyanwu's healing powers. Butler pondered if good death could exist in good health. She explained, "I watched one person die of cancer and that was enough to start me thinking about characters like Anyanwu." She gives the character the healing powers to negate illness and death, including her own.--Jlefish (talk) 20:24, 28 September 2015 (UTC)--Mercefulme! (talk) 20:27, 28 September 2015 (UTC) 4.The whole is well organized and thus easy to follow.Bnational4 (talk) 18:22, 5 October 2015 (UTC)Becheverria29 (talk) 19:11, 5 October 2015 (UTC)

Interview #1 and 2: On the interview #1 with JM and OEB explains the backgrounds for Wild Seed. She expresses that the origin of Wild Seed comes from her previous book, called, Kindred. Butler later explains in the interview that Kindred was a very depressive book for her to write because of the nature of research on slave narratives and history. Another inspiration for her book, Wild Seed, was the use of many dialects. The book that made her use many dialects was the book she used in the library called, The Ibo Word List, helped her get the language she needed for Wild Seed. She mentions that one of her characters, “Atagbusi was a shape-shifter who had spent her whole life helping her people, and when she died, a market gate was dedicated to her and later became a symbol of protection”. Butler decided instead of killing the character, Atagbusi, she renamed it to Anyanwu which means “son”. She admits that she got the name Doro without knowing anything about his background. But then later she describes that Doro means “the direction from which the sun comes”. On the interview #2 with Kenan and Butler, explains the origins of Anyanwu’s healing powers. In the interview, Butler mentions that she gets her motivations through African myths which leads her to create stories that will interest people. --Cruz314 --UptownHarry (talk) 20:20, 28 September 2015 (UTC)(talk) 20:17, 28 September 2015 (UTC) --ConditionedChild (talk) 20:20, 28 September 2015 (UTC) Becheverria29 (talk) 19:11, 5 October 2015 (UTC)

Group 2

In interview with Jim McMenamin and Randall Kenan Butler explains the backgrounds for Wild Seed. Stating that “it’s one of the hardest novels I’ve written”, Butler explains the extensive amount of research she had to do into the Onitsha Ibo in order to get the writing style she wanted. Butler created the character of Anyanwu from a woman named Atagbusi which she read about in The King in Every Man, by Richard N. Henderson. Atagbusi benefited her people while she was alive and when she died, a market-gate was named after her. Doro was a made up character which can live forever and produce people. Butler mentions that the name Doro worked out perfectly with Anyanwu because Doro means east and Anyanwu means sun. Both characters names’ tie in together. --Legend923 (talk) 20:27, 28 September 2015 (UTC) --Contributorisme (talk) 20:29, 28 September 2015 (UTC)

Group 3

In an interview with Larry and Jim McMenamin, Octavia Butler was asked what the origin of Wild Seed was. Octavia planned on writing a story based on what happened before Kindred, not including the same characters, called Wild Seed. In shaping the main female character for Wild Seed, she was influenced by a book called The King in Every Man, by Richard N. Henderson. The character Anyanwu in Wild Seed was in comparison to Atagbusi in the other book as a shape-shifter who spent her life helping others and was treated with respect. She thought if someone could be so great, why not give them the power to be immortal. In a second interview with Randall Kenan, Octavia Butler explains how her main male role, Doro, was an invented character that had the ability to also be immortal and breed people. The meaning of the name Anyanwu is the sun. Working in its favor, Doro in Nubian culture means the direction in which the sun comes; the East. They would end up finding each other by the fate of their names. --Cahdee (talk) 20:20, 28 September 2015 (UTC)--Lau.marulo (talk) 20:22, 28 September 2015 (UTC)--Gonotontroo (talk) 06:03, 7 October 2015 (UTC)

Group 4

In interview with Jim McMenamin and Kenan Butler explains the backgrounds for Wild Seed. An important piece of information Butler did extensive research for the book Kindred. She did not writing Kindred because it was a depressing book for her to write. However, Butler enjoyed writing Wild seed. Butler stated that Wild Seed was a more challenging book to write because she thought dealing with the Ibo people would only involve one language but in fact there are many different dialects. Butler used Atagbusi used in The King in Every Man by Richard N. Henderson as a reference to form the shell of what Anyanwu would be in her novel. Butler used African myths and lore in Wild Seed. Butler uses the myth of Atagbusi in Wild Seed. She said “She was a shape shifter who benefited her people while she was alive and when she died a marketgate was named after her, a gate at the Onitsha market. It was believed that whoever used this market-gate was under her protection”. Butler clearly demonstrates the names Doro and Anyanwu were significant and that Anywanyu was more so closely related to Atagbusi.--Bmerida2015 (talk) 20:29, 28 September 2015 (UTC)--JabbiesHelp (talk) 20:30, 28 September 2015 (UTC)--Gonotontroo (talk) 06:03, 7 October 2015 (UTC)

1. GOOD. Group 4 acknowledged Interviewers JM and Kenan, but not Interviewer LM. Butler was acknowledged. Group 4 was able to separate Interview 1 from Interview 2, and paraphrased both accurately.

2. GOOD. Group 4 maintained enough of Butler's words, but changed the sentences enough so to be in the Group's own words. "Challenging" is the groups own word, but their sentences are a bit sloppy and hard to follow.

3. NOT GOOD. "She said" is floating. Group 4 chose Butler's quote from Interview 2 and not Interview 1; however, it in itself as a quote is substantively the same of what Butler says in Interview 1.

4. GOOD. Again, a bit sloppy (misspelled Anyanwu), but it is a good summary of both interviews and Group 1 was able to capture the gist of Butler's intent. --Jlefish (talk) 18:47, 5 October 2015 (UTC) --Mercefulme! (talk) 18:55, 5 October 2015 (UTC)

B. Paraphrasing and Quoting Interviews on the origins of Anyanwu’s healing powers

Group 1

--Sylster (talk) 20:20, 28 September 2015 (UTC)

Group 2

B. In interviews with Rosalie Harrison, Rendall Kenan, and Octavia Butler explains the origins of Anyanwu’s healing powers. During the interview between Butler and Harrison, Octavia explains how she witnessed someone die of cancer. This tragedy inspired Butler to create a “prophetic” character named Anyanwu.--JaeRoxx (talk) 20:19, 28 September 2015 (UTC)--Sylster (talk) 20:20, 28 September 2015 (UTC) --ConditionedChild (talk) 20:22, 28 September 2015 (UTC)

Paraphrase Critique Positives 1. Acknowledges all interviewers as well as Butler 2. The whole is well organized and easy to follow Negatives 1. Omits much of the content 2. Only uses information from interview 2 Person316 (talk) 18:03, 5 October 2015 (UTC)ConditionedChild (talk) 18:04, 5 October 2015 (UTC)

Group 3

In an interview with Randall Kenan, Octavia Butler explains that her novel Wild Seed is in more aspects science fiction because her main character, Anyanwu, uses medical science. It may not seem that way due to the characters inability to explain the medical terms for what she does. --Oriaxeds (talk) 20:23, 28 September 2015 (UTC)

In interview #2 with Kenan, Randall and Harrison Rosalie, Butler explains the origins of Anyanwu’s healing powers and immortality due to becoming traumatized with watching one person die from cancer. Butler believes that the mentality of people who state that everyone has to die from something can only sound right from someone who is okay with watching people die.--Serrate13 (talk) 20:25, 28 September 2015 (UTC)Serrate13

Group 4

In the article “Sci-fi Visions: An Interview with Octavia Butler” Rosalie G Harrison quotes Dr Sabin saying “It may sound like a paradox but my hope is that in the future we may die, ultimately in good health”. Harrison is reminded of a character, Anyanwu, in Octavia’s novel Wild Seed and inquires on her feelings about Science fiction possibly being prophetic. Octavia agrees with the idea saying “Science Fiction can be prophetic…” though had no intention of making Anyanwu so. Octavia then further explains the creation of Anyanwu after experiencing the death a person due to cancer. --Person316 (talk) 20:18, 28 September 2015 (UTC) --GarciaGiselleLiz (talk) 20:19, 28 September 2015 (UTC) --ConditionedChild (talk) 20:20, 28 September 2015 (UTC)

Group 5

In interviews with Rosalie Harrison and Randall Kenan, Octavia Butler explains the origins of Anyanwu’s healing powers. “Wild Seed is more science fiction than people realize,” Butler said, explaining that Anyanwu’s healing abilities weren’t magic, but might appear so because the character lacked the vocabulary to explain what she was doing in medical terms. In fact, after the release of the book, Dr. Sabin talked about his hopes for the future of vaccines in a way that paralleled Anwanyu’s abilities. Butler compared Sabin’s quote to another doctor’s comment she had read, which said that it was “kind of silly” to try to eliminate vaccines because in the end everyone died. She disagreed with that perspective, saying, “I watched one person die from cancer and that was enough”. Her personal experiences watching disease and death helped inspire characters like Anyanwu. --Helectronic (talk) 20:18, 28 September 2015 (UTC) --Newyorkliving (talk) 20:19, 28 September 2015 (UTC) --ConditionedChild (talk) 20:21, 28 September 2015 (UTC)

Group 6

Kenan points out that wild seed is a science fiction that much people doesn’t notice he quotes “wild seed is more science fiction than most people realize. In interview 2 with Harrison and Butler Harrison says when he reads about Dr sabin’s scary quote about people dying from sickness he thinks of Anyanwu a character from wild seed who can look inside her body to see which organ is not functioning and believes that science fiction is prophetic “Anyanwu in wild seed who is able to look inside her body and detect which organ is malfunctioning” Butler says science maybe prophetic but didn’t think of Anyanwu as prophetic but agree with Dr Sabin scary quote about people dying from sickness “I hadn’t really intended Anyanwu to be prophectic. I find myself in agreement with Sabin”. --Bnational4 (talk) 20:23, 28 September 2015 (UTC) --Becheverria29 (talk) 20:25, 28 September 2015 (UTC) 1. The paraphrase/ quotation combines the information found in Interviews #1 and #2 as if it were one interview. They kept repeating themselves. They don’t go into details.

2. The paraphrase replaces keywords with unsuitable or strange synonyms

3. The words or phrases quoted are “floating”; we cannot be quite sure who is speaking

4. The ideas are all over the place. The whole is somewhat confusing.--BelieveYouCan (talk) 18:25, 5 October 2015 (UTC)

The paraphrase/ quotation-combines the information found in Interviews #1 and #2 as if it were one interview -In this interview , You kept repeating your interview, not going into details

The paraphrase .-replaces keywords with unsuitable or strange synonyms

The words or phrases quoted-are “floating”; we cannot be quite sure who is speaking Reading this interview I didn’t understand properly I had to read few time. The ideas are all over the place. The whole is somewhat confusing. There was a main point it wasn’t enough information.

--Nelly4you (talk) 18:28, 5 October 2015 (UTC)

Paraphrasing and Quoting a paragraph from E.R. Helford's Analysis of Wild Seed

1. Slavery

Group A

Elyce Helford links Doro’s control over Anyanwu and all of his people in Wild Seed “to the way in which a slave master dominates those he has enslaved”. Also, she states that even though Doro does not physically abuse his people, he still controls their free will. Doro’s ambition is not economical but for the lineage of his people to be in appropriate location where they still have to obey him. Legend923 (talk) 20:21, 5 October 2015 (UTC) --BelieveYouCan (talk) 20:23, 5 October 2015 (UTC)

Group B

According to Elyce Rae Helford, in her analysis of Wild Seed, one of the themes of the novel is slavery and the way Doro is portrayed as a slave master. Although he generally keeps his people in safe and comfortable conditions, he also retains complete control over their lives and actions. Helford contrasts a slave masters’ desire for financial gain with Doro, who doesn’t gain anything financially from his people, but fulfills his desire to breed them. Even this is similar to the purpose of slave masters who would also breed slaves. --Helectronic (talk) 20:19, 5 October 2015 (UTC)--Mercefulme! (talk) 20:20, 5 October 2015 (UTC)--Senor luigi15 (talk) 20:21, 5 October 2015 (UTC)

Group C

Helford creates a parallel images of two independents together which interprets slavery. She explains on “ Wild Seed” By Octavia E Butler that how Anyanwu and his people become slaves of Doro. Doro wants to lead everything; He forces others to do his work like accessibly hard. His main intention is to produce slaves and also at the same time behaves with them in a very positive way. --Gonotontroo (talk) 20:23, 5 October 2015 (UTC)

Contributorisme (talk) 20:24, 5 October 2015 (UTC)

2. Gender Struggles

Group A

According to Elyce Rae Helford on her analysis of the themes in "Wild Seed" by Octavia Butler, Anyanwu and Doro are examples of gender roles. Helford explains that Anynawu expresses feminine qualities, as she is nurturing and protective. While Doro expresses masculine qualities, with being aggressive and controlling. --Oriaxeds (talk) 20:17, 5 October 2015 (UTC)Oriaxeds --Cruz314 (talk) 20:18, 5 October 2015 (UTC)

Group B

In Elyce Rae’s analysis of Wild Seed the author depicts the clash between masculine and feminine roles. The author compares the struggle between two different characters being Doro and Anyanwu. Anyanwu, is painted to be a stereotypical feminine as Doro is the typical dominant and controlling role. Anyanwu has lasted through nurturance and helping others. Anyanwu’s qualities are a part of a very matriarchal society. However, Doro continues to live through violent behavior which is linked to a masculine society. Anyanwu takes on a mother role by caring for and protecting others. --Bmerida2015 (talk) 20:22, 5 October 2015 (UTC)--Lau.marulo (talk) 20:22, 5 October 2015 (UTC)

3. Complicating Gender Struggles

Group A

According to Helford, Elyce Rae, Butler makes it complicated to comprehend the history of human relation. “This allows reader to examine their limitations.” In objective Anyanwu ‘s stereotype seems feminine , Because she is very much tenderness and caution. But Anyanwu can also be fierce and threating. In the novel Anyanwu turns herself into a Dangerous animal which is a leopard to protect herself from a predator. Opposite to Anyanwu , Doro has an opposite trait to his aggressive side. In the novel A delicate side when he relates back to his child hood and also when he pled Anyanwu to no kill herself.--Nelly4you (talk) 20:31, 5 October 2015 (UTC)--Newyorkliving (talk) 20:31, 5 October 2015 (UTC)

Group B

According to Elyce Rae Helford, Wild Seed complicates gender roles by grasping history and human relations. Anyanwu’s challenging character is stereotypical because of her nature. Anyanwu is, “stereotype[d] through her passivity and gentleness, she can also become extremely aggressive and violent.” She lives the life of a compassionate woman, but once you cross her, she uses her shape-shifting powers and transforms herself into a malicious animal. --Cahdee (talk) 20:21, 5 October 2015 (UTC)--Sylster (talk) 20:21, 5 October 2015 (UTC)

4. Complicating Slavery

Group A

According to Elyce Rae Helford in Masterplots II: Women's Literature Series, Octavia Butler, author of "Wild Seed," does not view slave and master in terms of simple black and white. Butler balances "master/slave opposition" with abuse and compassion, with power and weakness. Butler's antagonist, Doro, is a slavemaster who cares deeply for the enslaved Anyanwu. In another twist, Butler has made Doro a slave to his own immortality. Anyanwu, Butler's protagonist, is "far more than the passive victim traditionally suggested by the term 'slave'." She resists oppression, protects the powerless, and further complicates things by assuming the role of “master" on a southern plantation.

--Jlefish (talk) 20:11, 5 October 2015 (UTC)--Becheverria29 (talk) 20:12, 5 October 2015 (UTC)

Group B

Complications of a Slave Master: In the book Wild Seed, Butler creates Doro as a slave master but she describes as an enslave due to his inability to die. He's also seen as a role model by his people. Despite, Doro being a super strength human, and the typical machismo image that he has, he cares for Anyanwu and gives her respect she deserve. Anyanwu is present as a slave but acts like a master in her plantation by protecting people who are powerless. --Bnational4 (talk) 20:14, 5 October 2015 (UTC)--UptownHarry (talk) 20:16, 5 October 2015 (UTC)

5. Contribution to Women's and Feminist Thought

Group A

Elyce Rae Hellford believes Wild Seed adds greatly to Feminist literature by showing the integral links between Racist and Sexist predispositions in which Black women were in the time period of the novel. Butler presents this through putting her novel in a realistic Africa and America despite the Sci-Fi genre while displaying “… the strength the struggles, and the survival of black women through the slaves of the United States history.” Person316 (talk) 20:11, 5 October 2015 (UTC) ConditionedChild (talk) 20:12, 5 October 2015 (UTC)

Group B

According to Helford, Elyce Rae in her review of Wild Seed, she stated how Octavia Butler made her own contributions towards women’s literature and feminist thoughts. She stated the connections between gender and racial dominance towards ethnic women within a science fictional writing style. Butler presented her novel in actual real world scenarios of past African and American cultures. She demonstrated the power and obstacles of the survival of black females throughout slavery in America. By empowering her main characters with unworldly powers, she immortalizes the power struggles against gender roles and racial oppression, putting a huge toll on physical and emotional violence. --Celavie97 (talk) 20:17, 5 October 2015 (UTC)Celavie97 --Serrate13 (talk) 20:19, 5 October 2015 (UTC)Serrate13

Team 1

• Sandbox for Team 1

Team 2

• Sandbox for Team 2

Team 3

• Sandbox for Team 3

Team 4

• Sandbox for Team 4