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Study Guide
Bibliography
Course Hero. "Bloodchild Study Guide." Course Hero. 26 Oct. 2020. Web. 3 Feb. 2023. <https://www.coursehero.com/lit/Bloodchild/>.
In text
(Course Hero)
Bibliography
Course Hero. (2020, October 26). Bloodchild Study Guide. In Course Hero. Retrieved February 3, 2023, from https://www.coursehero.com/lit/Bloodchild/
In text
(Course Hero, 2020)
Bibliography
Course Hero. "Bloodchild Study Guide." October 26, 2020. Accessed February 3, 2023. https://www.coursehero.com/lit/Bloodchild/.
Footnote
Course Hero, "Bloodchild Study Guide," October 26, 2020, accessed February 3, 2023, https://www.coursehero.com/lit/Bloodchild/.
Octavia Butler
1984
Short Story
Science Fiction
"Bloodchild" is told in first person by the protagonist of the story Gan. It takes place in a science fiction setting and is a coming-of-age story in which Gan grows up to maturity.
"Bloodchild" is written in the past tense.
The title "Bloodchild" refers to the eggs implanted into humans by their alien hosts the Tlics. The grubs in the eggs feed on their hosts' blood and eventually on the hosts' bodies if the grubs are not properly removed in time. In this way the grubs are "blood children." The shared bloodline and the way that alien larvae become the children of their human hosts reference the concept of blood-brothers.
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