After the Terrans arrived but before the Preserve was established by T’Gatoi’s political faction, the Tlic had been caging and breeding Terrans like livestock. Likewise, the Terrans fled from their homeworld, where they were being killed and enslaved by other humans. Prior to the Terrans’ arrival, the animals they previously used as hosts were becoming unable to keep Tlic young alive, and the Tlic were in danger of dying out as a species. Although the present situation is imperfect, both Terrans and Tlic have achieved stability in the face of death: Tlic, being parasites, need hosts for their eggs to gestate. Butler asserts that there is a shared social responsibility between the two groups. The Terrans and the Tlic form a social contract that allows both races to survive. Butler uses this relationship between two starkly different groups to show the value of different parties being willing to forego their independence to preserve societal harmony, juxtaposing that against the selfishness of individuals who refuse to contribute to society or appreciate the contributions of others. Although for the Terrans the arrangement is less than ideal, it is the cost of survival on an unforgiving planet, and some Terrans are even able to see the beauty of their mutual benefit. The Tlic offer to protect the Terrans in exchange for being able to dependably and safely birth their young. The Terrans, being physically inferior to the Tlic, offer a member of each human family as a host to the Tlic’s parasitic offspring. In contrast to the modern western world that prizes individual autonomy, Butler places her characters in a choice-limiting society, forcing them to depend upon each other and accept the needs of others in their lives.
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