The Power Of Freedom In Bloodchild And Captive Wildlife Sanctuary

The Power of Freedom

Would one rather live in a world where the population is in captivity but cared for or where the population has free will but struggles to survive? In “Bloodchild” by Octavia Butler and “Captive Wildlife Sanctuaries: Definition, Ethical Considerations and Public Perception” by Catherine Doyle, the power of freedom is taken away by captivity. In the article, “Captive Wildlife Sanctuaries: Definition, Ethical Considerations and Public Perception”, animals are kept in captivity in sanctuaries but they still have limited freedom. In the story, “Bloodchild'', the scorpion species called the T’lics and the Terran human species known as Terrans are used as hosts for the T’lics in a reserve on their planet. In the article,

The humans depend on special eggs that the T’lic produce for them. While Gan was being caressed by the leader of the T’lics, T’Gatoi, “he consumed her eggs and was confused by his mom denying them” (Butler). Just like in the animal sanctuaries, humans and animals depend on resources and care from outside sources that help them. The human-like society called Terrans thrives on the eggs the T’lic make, like the animals surviving on the resources the sanctuary gives them. Humans are just like animals in captivity because they are taken care of but they still are used for the T’lic’s personal needs. During the time of the humans being in the T’lics preserve, “they have been sold to the wealthy and higher-powered T’lics. (Butler). Just like in animal sanctuaries, the humans get taken care of but they still have no real rights or say in what goes on. The preserve the humans live in is more like a prison than a home because the humans can’t escape and are used as hosts for reproduction. The humans describe the preserve as “‘running in a cage’” (Butler). The animals are healthy while in captivity but they are still not fully free. In the story, this idea relates to the humans being fed eggs that keep them healthy while being kept in a preserve that won’t let them