Jessica Rhodunda

10/28/08

Views of Sex

Throughout time, sex wasn't a talked about thing. People didn't really disclose what they experienced with it. In Lilith's Brood by Octavia Butler, she writes about Lilith's experience with sex with extraterrestrials. In the Oankali lifestyle, they use an ooloi that is neither male or female to connect to have sex. Lilith is introduced to this and rejects it at first, but later enjoys the sensation that it gives her.This is different than human sex that people enjoy. Butler suggests with these ideas that people's views of sex are too limited.

There are multiple differences between human and Oankali sex. One of the major differences is the physical connection between the people. During Oankali sex, there is no connection between the male and female except through the ooloi. This is shown when Lilith and Joseph are connected to the ooloi Nikanj. Lilith tries to grab for Joseph's hand and Nikanj says, " No, only through me." (162) This suggests that people's ideas are limited to sex because of the idea of having to have physical connection during sex.

Another difference that Butler brings up is having a third being involved. She writes:

"They've done it to you before?"

She nodded.

"With...other men?"

"Alone or with Nikanj's mates."

Abruptly, he got up and began to pace.

" They aren't human," she said.

"Then how can they...? Their nervous systems can't be like ours. How can they make us

feel...what I felt?"(169)

This is considered different because multiple beings were involved in having sex. In our society, this is considered a taboo, and if people do it they really don't talk about it. This suggests that our views are too limited and we are too traditionalist. We only believe in a two person sex and that it's the only way it should be done.

Our views of sex are challenged with Octavia Butler's book Lilith's Brood. She suggests different views of sex with no physical connection and involving a third being. This breaks our taboos and makes the reader's views broaden. It gives the reader a unique in sight of what sex could be.