An Afrofuturist Reading of Ethical Dilemmas and Historical Metaphors in Bloodchild
Abstract
Octavia Butler’s short story Bloodchild is a classical work of Afrofuturist literature, depicting the living conditions of humans after they have fled to the another settlement, the Tlic’s. This paper examines the historical metaphors and ethical dilemmas through the relationship between humans and the Tlic species by using Afrofuturism as a theoretical framework. It is found that Butler’s speculative narrative reconstructs the possibilities to imagine the future for African-American people and challenges historical oppression. It also exposes moral and ethical dilemmas under power subversion, highlighting the author’s reimagining of African American subjectivity beyond mainstream narratives.
Fields of Study & Subjects
Utopian
Dystopian
and Speculative Fiction
Literary and Philosophical Studies
Postcolonial and Cultural Literary Studies
Publication details
- Journal / source
- Arts Studies and Criticism
- Volume
- 6
- Issue
- 6
- Pages
- 532–532
- Publication date
- 17 January 2026
- Language
- EN