Na Viro Reflection - Katharine Burris

Throughout the first half of Na Viro, Tia seemed afraid of deep space because she was concerned of not coming back to Earth. She consistently describes deep space as “the one thing she resisted and feared above all” (100). Also, before Leilani travels to Earth, Tia urges her not to, saying that “if the gravity field fails, there will be no Earth for you to come back to” (114). To the ordinary eye, it would seem like traveling in space would be a once in a lifetime adventure. However, I found this confusing because even with all the advancements provided, such as “nanobotic heart replacement” and “upgraded iris circuitry and finger pad sensors” (60), Tia still was worried about the state of the Earth if she left.  

However, this confusion I felt was resolved in the last third of the novel. It becomes clear that Tia was afraid of traveling to space not because of the unknowingness of what she could encounter, but rather the fear of leaving a place she feels valued and important in. Tia explains “I have authority on Earth” (231). Here, it becomes apparent that Tia feels like she is a part of something on Earth, and therefore feels like she belongs. She describes the sense of belonging that comes because of “the surety that she belonged to a tribe, a community, a line of ancestors” (28). This reliance on a sense of belonging and importance within a group may be a result of her mother abandoning her. Tia formed a life and name for herself in the Academy even without her mother, and therefore, she is afraid of losing that pride by traveling into deep space. In comparison, in space Tia is being compared to extremely advanced and robotic beings, such as Turukawa. She explains that “next to them, she was the inexperienced one” (231). Tia is afraid of losing the place where she is valued and plays a significant role; Earth.  

The image of Tia at the end of the novel when they finally rescue Leilani and return to Earth is one of strength and pride: “Tia stood at the helm and captained the ship, her black and red exo-battlesuit fitted tight to her body, legs braced, and hands clasped behind her back” (327). This aspect of the novel helps to show the reader how Tia identifies herself, which is based on her group relationships and roles. Tia may be willing to go into space to save her sister, but she continuously values her sense of belonging and vital role on Earth. This helps the reader understand where she feels she belongs in a world of chaos and why she was afraid of traveling to deep space.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

LaGuardia Reflection

The aspect of this graphic novel that stood out to me the most was the visualization of the future. This is probably fairly obvious as most of our work this semester has been traditional written word, but seeing the future before my eyes was very beneficial. I have not read a lot of science fiction, so visualizing the futures of these stories has always been very difficult for me. Most of the futures I have imagined and the ways that I pictured our class’s texts is one centered around silver and metal. There was always something cold and distant about the future. This totally contrasts Okorafor’s vision of the future and I love that. It brought me such joy to see a future where the world is so bright and colorful. I also love, especially given our current environmental situation, to see how central plants are. Although they are as alien as they are plants, it still provides a lot of hope for the planet. I also thought the use of aliens in the novel and their parallel to immigration in ...
Read more

Pet Second Half

  The aspect of the second half of Pet that stood out to me the most was how performance was used as a metaphor for Jam’s guilt about hiding Pet. One of the earlier examples in this section was when Jam was eating breakfast with her family. Her parents are concerned more than anything else, but Jam still feels the weight of their watchful eye because she is anxious about Pet’s hiding.“Pet was a loud secret in her, a wrong note in the usual harmony of her house, making it discordant, guilty” (Emezi 103). Of all the metaphors, it is fascinating that Emezi chose to focus on music, specifically its creation. By portraying that the happiness in her house is something that Jam feels she must actively perform to achieve, Emezi is showcasing the roots of Jam’s anxieties in a really interesting way. A similar situation happens when Redemption is over for dinner. While they are eating, Jam notices the metaphorical mask of casualness that Redemption has put on to avoid suspicion, and once ag...
Read more

The McCoy Game

  My favorite aspect of “The McCoy Game” was the importance Alston gave to music. Alston sets up the reveal of this by beginning the story with logic. For the first bit of the text, the two boys are only concerned with the logic of making their way through the house. They are deliberate in which direction they go and think out every decision using only their heads rather than their hearts. Jamal provides context to this thinking by explaining his and Dre’s family worldview. Their grandfather had a theory that there are caretakers out there that had their origins in Africa in order to “teach us stuff like math and science. Basically how to survive and thrive” (Alston 45). With this Alston sets the scene that it is science and book smarts that should get the boys through the house, making the reveal that it is music that saves them even sweeter. Once again remembering their grandfather’s outlook, the boys recount a story of his about monsters as they try to fight off a breathworm. Af...
Read more