In Octavia Butler’s “Bloodchild” ideas of coming to the harsh reality of growing up are heavily expressed. As Gan is faced with what he will face in his future he begins to question whether he is willing to take the larva after watching what happens to those who take them. Gan and his family are humans inhabiting a planet that is not Earth and was owned first by the Tlic. The Tlic are aliens in human eyes, they are tall, have lots of arms, legs, and claws. They are intelligent beings and restrict humans as a way to keep them in check. In return the humans get a place to live and don’t have to do much work the tlic provides for them. Gan is second guessing on what he truly wants in his future. He knows if he doesn’t know if he wants to accept T’Gatoi’s eggs but if he doesn’t his sister will have to. As Gan explains his tenseness of the situation when he questions “Would it be easier to know that red worms were growing in her flesh instead of mine?,” on page 26. Gan sees what really happens and knows it’s what he’s going to go through. He now understands what he will have to endure in his future; he begins to question after experiencing the trauma of the larva as he watches after watching “His body convulsed.” This is much like a college student preparing for college, a college student at seventeen or eighteen is often not sure if they are prepared for college. While graduating as a junior and heading to college young I have become comfortable with the fact that much of what I have decided to do has come with a certain degree of uncertainty and uneasiness. As I have begun my freshman year of college I have learned that there is an amount of nervousness and a lot of adjusting. I have also learned it is also very easy to find comfort in new friends. With Gan not being able to speak to anyone who has gone through or is going through it, it makes Gan’s situation much more challenging. His situation is also more severe than any college students in that he is trying to survive compared to can still be a tall order of a freshman in college to decide what they want to do for the rest of their lives.
Gan struggling to decide what he wants to do with the rest of his life he is able to make a sensible decision by weighing out what may come with each option. He knows he doesn’t want to force his sister to take the larva but also knows how much pain he will have to endure and will also be sacrificing his life. Gan, while helping T’Gatoi extract larva, says that he feels as if he is “torturing a man” and feels sick to his stomach doing so. When Gan says this he is expressing his furthering feelings of nervousness towards the task he must complete. While no college students are being tortured, they hear from older college students how hard a certain course is or something negative about a professor they have and can add pressure towards starting college or a new semester. Gan later speaks to T’Gatoi and expresses his feelings on his situation. He tells T’Gatoi “I don’t want to be a host animal” on page 24. Gan is talking over his feelings about the situation with someone he feels comfortable with to ease his nerves about what he is going to go through. He has felt a new sense of relief after speaking with her. College students have many opportunities to speak with people when they do not know what they are doing, the university provides many useful resources that we can easily access for help in our path through college. As I have been here I have been able to meet with my advisor, and a few professors in order to get the extra help that I need. There are also clubs that students can attend and they will aid you on your path throughout college in whatever you may need help with, even if it is just a group of friends. I have joined the dental club and they have informed me on what I should be doing to prepare for future exams and schooling and it has been a great resource for me and has made the whole process much less stressful. Gan isn’t as blessed as us; the only person he really has to talk about with is trying to convince him to take larva for their sake. Students first jumping into college give up much less than those in “Bloodchild”. First year students mainly give up comfortability and they pay their tuition, which can be challenging for 18 year olds. On the other hand it is not nearly as difficult as giving up a family member as they do in the short story. Gan is stuck with the decision on whether he wants to live and have his sister take the larva or he takes the larva so his sister can live. College students’ main choices are things such as what they want to study, or who they want to room with. What I have experienced in my first semester so far is nothing compared to the pain Gan will go through in his near future. The same as I will go through, I will not have to sacrifice much other than time and money which will give me a positive outcome. Gan is sacrificing his life and he will lose his life in order to keep his family safe and out of love for T’Gatoi.
As a freshman in college I have had to do lots of adjusting to college life. I have gained new friends, a better education, and will be more prepared for life in exchange for paying tuition and leaving home. While it is a nerve wracking experience starting your first year of college there are many positives that come out of attending college. Not only do I have many positives with attending college, I have lots of help in navigating through college. With Geneseo offering many resources and opportunities I am able to find my path through college quite easily with the hardest thing being the work I get in classes.The new environment I have begun to grow as a person more than I would have staying in highschool. Gan is faced with much more difficult challenges, in circumstances that would be illegal such as when he killed the achti with a gun that they are not supposed to own, or whether to save himself or his sister. While Gan isn’t given much of a choice in what in his life regardless of taking the larva. He is not able to go and study what he wants or meet new people. He is on a preserve and still has the responsibility to take the larva and protect his family and make T’Gatoi happy. With going into a new situation you will never be completely comfortable in situations that will benefit you. As I have started my freshman year I have understood that it is very important to continue my education because in the end it will benefit me.