Wild Seed

What is Anyanwu’s sense of home and place, once she has left her West African homeland? 

How does Doro’s attitude and role alter the ways in which one thinks of the traditional slave narrative? Is he a sympathetic character?

In your opinion, why can’t Doro “read” Anyanwu while she is in animal form? What is Butler saying is different about animals and human beings?

Why does Butler set her novel in the years between 1690 and the start of the American Civil War? How does having immortal protagonists alter the perspective on this time period?

How does Doro’s perspective on breeding human beings differ from a European slaver’s notion of “good biological stock”? How is it the same?

Considering everything she has seen, why does Anyanwu consider some things “abominable” and other things acceptable?

What is the difference between Anyanwu’s colony and Doro’s?

In what ways has Anyanwu been changed as a result of her experiences?