Mind of My Mind

One of the major themes of Mind of My Mind is The Ethical Complications of Oppressive Power. Though Mary sees herself as a foil to Doro and believes that she has a greater respect for others, the creation of the “mutes” in Patternist society introduces an ethical failure. How does Mary balance resisting and becoming an oppressive force?

Mind of My Mind is the second book of the Patternist series, both in chronological and publishing order. How does writing a series out of chronological order impact the plot and characters and how do the events of Mind of My Mind impact what you know of the events of the other Patternist books?

Octavia E. Butler is known for being a prominent figure in Afrofuturism and the science fiction genre. How does Butler use science fiction and Afrofuturism to explore political and societal possibilities in Mind of My Mind, particularly in how communities form and operate?

How does The Struggle for Domination Over Others influence the First Family’s attitudes toward Mary and Doro? What happens to change their perception of this struggle, and how does it differ between Mary and Doro?

Compare and contrast Mary and Doro in terms of their use and hunger for power. How does each character approach the cultivation of power and what are the differences in how they seek to use that power once they control it?

What role does community play in Mind of My Mind, particularly with the formation of the Patternists? Is it a healthy community, different from what Doro envisioned? How does the imagery of the Pattern represent the formation and development of community?

How do secondary characters in Mind of My Mind react to the great power instilled in active telepaths? Compare and contrast how such characters as Page, Hannibal, and Vivian react to gaining and being subjected to such power.

Doro uses a selective breeding program to cultivate a race of telepaths. How does this program reflect Doro’s perception of humanity and illustrate the lengths to which he will go to achieve his goals? Does the program fail in terms of Doro’s goals for it?