Adulthood Rites Discussion Questions

Part Two (in preparation for July 2nd)

Post-Human Identity & Agency: By the end of the novel, Akin proposes a human colony as a form of compromise between the Oankali and the resistors. How does this proposal challenge or reinforce the Oankali’s core belief that humans are genetically predisposed toward self-destruction? Do you think this compromise is a legitimate step toward honoring human agency, or is it a form of supervised autonomy?

Sexuality and Consent: The Oankali system of reproduction, particularly through ooloi mediation, disrupts human norms around sexuality, gender, and consent. Considering how the Oankali chemically alter desire and attraction, how does Butler complicate the reader’s understanding of sexual freedom and manipulation? Can intimacy still exist under such influence?

Motherhood and Resistance: Lilith continues to occupy a complicated space as both mother and perceived traitor. How does her motherhood evolve through the eyes of Akin and the human resisters? Does Butler offer Lilith redemption, or is she permanently marked as an in-between figure—neither fully Oankali nor accepted by humans?

Language and Power: Toward the novel’s end, Akin reflects on the limitations of language and how communication between species, especially around ethics and autonomy, is often incomplete. How does Butler use these moments to critique not just linguistic barriers, but the broader human tendency to universalize our moral frameworks?

Hybridity and the Body: Butler’s depiction of hybrid children, especially Akin, forces a rethinking of bodily “norms.” How do these bodies symbolize both potential and threat to existing social structures? In what ways does Butler use physical hybridity to question what it means to be human?

The Politics of “Natural”: The Oankali believe that their genetic manipulation is a “natural” part of their species’ evolution. Do you agree with their classification of their interventions as natural? What is Butler saying about the political nature of how we define the “natural” versus the “engineered,” especially in conversations around race, sexuality, and technology?

Freedom as a Construct: At several points in the final chapters, freedom is framed as both a biological and ideological construct. For example, freedom from cancer comes at the cost of reproductive autonomy. Do you believe Butler is arguing that freedom is always conditional? What kinds of freedom are possible in a post-human world?