Presentation Type
Paper
Abstract
This paper seeks to analyze the novel, Blood Colony, by Tananarive Due, with particular focus on how the main character, Fana, does and/or does not identify with feminism. Fana is a young teenage girl with rare and magical blood who seeks to eliminate the HIV/AIDS epidemic with the help of her friends. As Fana’s journey progresses, she undergoes the stages of feminist self-actualization in the context of the mythological hero’s journey. Although it takes place a few years in the future, Blood Colony parallels our present time and presents a strong metaphor about global health care access. To determine whether Blood Colony is a feminist novel, several secondary sources are utilized as supporting evidence, including an in-depth discussion of the process of feminist self-actualization, and an interview with the author. As a girl hero, Fana’s journey represents a potential source of inspiration and empowerment for today’s young readers who desire to be change agents in their own time. This paper makes a contribution to the field of Women’s and Gender Studies by introducing Fana’s character and the genre of speculative fiction as significant manifestations of feminism.
Categories
Social Sciences
Research Type
Course Related
Mentor Information
Dr. Ednie Kaeh Garrison
Included in
Fana, Feminism, and Future Fiction: The Girl Hero’s Journey in Tannanarive Due’s Blood Colony
This paper seeks to analyze the novel, Blood Colony, by Tananarive Due, with particular focus on how the main character, Fana, does and/or does not identify with feminism. Fana is a young teenage girl with rare and magical blood who seeks to eliminate the HIV/AIDS epidemic with the help of her friends. As Fana’s journey progresses, she undergoes the stages of feminist self-actualization in the context of the mythological hero’s journey. Although it takes place a few years in the future, Blood Colony parallels our present time and presents a strong metaphor about global health care access. To determine whether Blood Colony is a feminist novel, several secondary sources are utilized as supporting evidence, including an in-depth discussion of the process of feminist self-actualization, and an interview with the author. As a girl hero, Fana’s journey represents a potential source of inspiration and empowerment for today’s young readers who desire to be change agents in their own time. This paper makes a contribution to the field of Women’s and Gender Studies by introducing Fana’s character and the genre of speculative fiction as significant manifestations of feminism.
