Before Gan was even born, life was already planned out for him until the time he arrives until the time he dies. He is also constrained in his life choices. That is because whatever T’Gatoi says goes. Gan is not only physically abused but physically restricted from making his only choices.

The exchange between Gan and T’Gatoi is similar to that of a slave master whipping their slave. Her tail was an efficient weapon whether she exposed the sting or not” (Butler, 11). After Gan disobeyed T’Gatoi’s order to slaughter an animal, “She knocked across the room. Her stinger, on the other hand, is used for physical acts of violence rather than mental. These narcotic eggs lull humans into a false state of happiness and symbolize a pacifying device intended to maintain Tlic authority. This is achieved with sterile Tlic eggs and her stinger. Although T’Gatoi is polite and gentle towards Gan and his family, when her commands are not obeyed, she coaxes them into submission. In Gan and T’Gatoi’s interactions, there are many physical exchanges between them. Based on Butler’s description, T'Gatoi plays the part of the male slave master, while Gan plays the enslaved female. In the essay, “Would You Really Rather Die than Bear My Young?” Elyce Rae Helford writes, 'As a portrayal of a sexual relationship between dominant Tlic and disempowered human, the scene encourages a reading through the metaphor of white male slavemaster and enslaved female' (Helford, 266). The theme of enslavement is demonstrated through Gan and T’Gatoi ‘s relationship. Butler utilizes the rhetorical elements of symbolism and imagery to directly examine the inequality within gender relations through representations of enslavement and reproduction. The consent between each species was non-consensual as Gan had no say in what would become of his body. Even before he was born into society, Gan was sold to T’Gatoi to continue her family lineage. In Gan’s relationship with T’Gatoi, it is revealed that his, “…mother promised T’Gatoi one of her children” (Butler, 8).

This relationship is restrictive and harmful in nature as humans become slaves to the Tlics’ every command. In the story males represent traditional femininity, while the Tlic reflect traditional masculinity. In Octavia Butler’s science fiction story, “Bloodchild”, the relations in society are similar, but it is the roles themselves that become reversed. Here, the gender relation is involved in multiple issues such as gender inequality. In Jenny Wolmark’s book, Aliens and Others, she states, “the structure of gender as a social category are shaped by the interactions of gender relations” (Wolmark, 55).

Bloodchild octavia butler