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Octavia Butler Influence On Society

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Raised only by her mother, Octavia E. Butler was born into a strict Baptist environment in 1947. Today Butler is a notable writer, predominantly known for her works in science fiction. Butler’s upbringing helped shape and influence her writing by creating imaginative character portrayals of minority or female roles to portray gaps which she saw in society. Throughout Butler’s life, she struggled overcoming numerous obstacles. Although Butler’s mother did not want her to become a writer, she had to follow her passion. Butler was encouraged to continue to write by Harlan Ellison after attending a workshop for minority writers. Winning the Hugo award for “speech sounds” was a major milestone in Butler’s writing career(Fox). Butler’s mother received little former education, and because of this, she made sure her daughter received the opportunity to learn as much as possible. …show more content…

Slight dyslexia paired with constant torment from her classmates pushed her into a shell. Living in a racially segregated area, she was exposed to harsh circumstances. After high school, Butler worked a day job and attended college at night. During what little free time she had, she would write short stories to enter in contests. Butler’s most famous stories are predominantly science fiction, which she describes as the, “freest genre in existence” (Butler). This allows her to escape from the social barriers of other writing styles to express herself fully. Undoubtedly, Butler faced many adversaries throughout her life. Butlers past is often reflected in her stories through the main characters. In addition, minorities or discriminated people groups could find relation to some of Butler’s stories. Without Butler’s difficult upbringing, it is hard to say if she would have produced such loved

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