Racial Discrimination in The of Phoenix by Nnedi Okorafor - Book Report/Review Example

Racial Discrimination in The Book of Phoenix by Nnedi Okorafor

Racial discrimination is present in almost every society. According to Racusen (777), the law defines discrimination as the seclusion or ensuring that some individuals or institutions do not engage in some specific social practices, and, hence, disadvantage the designated victims in different times, places, and contexts for impermissible reasons’. This discrimination is likely to alienate from the notion that one’s skin color, race, or one’s group, be it national, religious, or ethnic grouping, is superior to others’ . It is said that racial discrimination is linked to the manifestation of a system that culturally claims White racial superiority, hence the subordination of groups considered inferior (Korous 147). A look into history shows that racial discrimination manifested itself in the United States since the 17th Century when the Europeans colonized North America and the onset of the slave trade that involved the shipping of Africans to the U.S and used as a trade commodity. In The Book of Phoenix, Nnedi Okorafor explores different aspects of racial discrimination and their consequences through the plot, setting, characterization, literary devices, and themes. Although the book is set as a work of afro-futurism, reading the novel brings into perspective the commentary on real-life racial discrimination against marginalized groups such as individuals from Africa, Caucasians, and Muslims in the United States presented as modern-day colonization.

The Book of Phoenix is a story of fiction that creates a sense of futurism where it is possible to create humans through genetic alterations; and tells a tale of Phoenix, a woman with a mythical superpower. The story is set in Tower 7 in Manhattan and features Phoenix, a woman made from science experiments and whose age and growth are accelerated using technological advancements. Within two years, she gains the body and age of a forty-year-old. She is brought out as having the hobbies of reading e-books, she considers Mmuo as her brother, and Saeed is her best friend and first one of her romantic encounters. Saeed's suicide is the beginning of Phoenix's rebellion against the Big Eye. As she says, "If he wasn’t happy here, then neither was I" (23). She then escapes from her "prison" with the help of Mmuo and destroys Tower 7. She is then reborn as a mythological being that flies to Africa. Her quest to Africa is that of self-realization, whereby she gets an opportunity to experience the life of her people away from the biased written stories. This changes her perspective of ‘who is Africa’. However, she realizes that her presence in Ghana poses a threat to her people. This is seen when the Big Eye soldiers cause the death of yet another love of her life, Dr. Kafu. At this point, Phoenix dies alongside Dr. Kafu but still manages to regenerate, this time, more colorful and powerful than before. Her love for her people is shown when she voluntarily leaves with the armed soldiers because if she did not, they would have been killed as she says, “I don’t want any more of you to die! Wulugu must survive all this!!” (92). She goes back to America with a plan. A plan to set free those of his kind who are caged in the Towers.

Islamophobia is well brought out in The Book of Phoenix. Islamophobia is a term used to describe the social segregation of Muslims in the United States . This hostility is seen in the daily harassment, prejudice as well as discrimination of individuals based on their Islam religious believes. This alienates from the continued terror attacks and the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan resulting in the subjection of the Islam believers in wiretapping, racial profiling, phone surveillance as well as numerous and thorough interviews by the FBI. Further, Siddiqui creates a perspective of how individuals of the Islam religion are subjected to stereotypical profiling that links them to terrorism. Such acts are accompanied by the extensive spread of propaganda and misinformation on the same issue by authors, self-acclaimed terrorism experts, blogs and websites, television, and radio talks. Through Phoenix and Mmuo’s encounter at the Library of Congress in Washington DC, the author brings out the issue of islamophobia. Phoenix says, “Would they grab us? Shoot us? Not in this crowd. They knew who we were. Maybe they were just profiling the tall African man and the tall crippled African Muslim woman in the burka. We perfectly fit the ridiculous profile […]” (Okorafor 142). Afterward, they are subjected to interviews as the guard says, "We're authorized to use force if we must," the man in the jogging suit said. "All of us here deem your responses as suspicious activity." (Okorafor 142). Through Phoenix's thoughts, we can understand the situation of trying to access a high profile building dressed as a Muslim and have the skin of an African.

The characterization in the book is used to show racial discrimination. The treatment of the speciMen used in the novel reveals the issues facing minority groups. First, there is a possibility that all or majority of the speciMen that are subject to laboratory experiments are of African origin. This is seen in different characters such as Saeed from Egypt, Mmuo from Nigeria, and HeLa, the little girl from Ethiopia. Second, all the speciMen are caged and used to make body parts that could be harvested for those in need. The caging is a representation of modern-day slavery, as explained by Vera Takeisha Thomas, the African-American woman who gave birth to Phoenix. She says, “[…] they were listening. They’re always listening. Modern day slavers!” (Okorafor 203). Also, the Big Eye’s advertisement for the surrogate to carry ‘speciMen’ intentionally leaves the issue on the possible dangers (Okorafor 200). Phoenix tends to think that what makes Vera a more qualified candidate for the experiment is because she is African American (199). However, how she is treated afterward is just cruel. After being promised incentives, such as paying for her university education, taking care of her financial needs, and fortifying her health, she ends up confined in one of the most secure prisons in the States, which Phoenix says is composed of mostly African Americans (200). This ill-treatment of her people is what fuels Phoenix’s quest for revenge and the need to free those denied their freedom of movement and expression. Using Africans as speciMen for laboratory experiments shows the political superiority, a sign of racism based on nationality, in this case, continental bias.

Phoenix’s act of rebellion is a symbolism to show the need to end an era that practices racial discrimination in their quest to pursue immortality. First, Phoenix rebels against actions that revive the historical troubles of African Americans. This is seen when Phoenix refuses to board the ship to travel back to America from Nigeria and opts to fly instead. This is in line with history given that, during the 17th Century, Africans were kidnapped from their native land and shipped to America. Boarding the ship would bring about the suffering that the slaves went through when they were whipped, tortured, hanged, and thrown off the ship (Siddiqui). By so doing, she refuses to let history repeat itself. Second, Phoenix’s rebellion is possibly an adverse consequence of repeated subject to racial discrimination. According to Korous (148), racial discrimination is a contributor to stress and other psychological issues that affect mental health. This concept is well brought out in The Book of Phoenix. As such, when the consequences of the ill-treatment of the speciMen and people close to Phoenix trigger her actions. There are many deaths in the book that could have motivated Phoenix to destroy the Earth in the end. For instance, the Big Eye “kills” Saeed. However, he survives. Kofi is also killed in Ghana, and her mother Vera dies of cancer as a consequence of the activities of humanity trying to surpass mortality using experiments with African DNA. All this grief and suffering is likely to be the cause of Phoenix’s mental instability and, hence, decides to end the era. In Saeed’s words, Phoenix is the change that the world needs as he tells her, “Because you are change, Phoenix. Wherever you go, you bring revolution" (179). This not only shows the power that Phoenix has but also shows the symbolism of her existence in the novel is trying to revolutionize the issue of racial discrimination in the world.

In conclusion, the author uses the plot, setting, characterization, literary devices, and themes to bring about the commentary of racial discrimination. The wage of sins against humanity is destruction. This is not an actual wise saying but a lesson that can be learned from reading The Book of Phoenix. The continued ill-treatment of Phoenix, fellow speciMen, and those close to her is what triggers her drive to scotch the Earth and her inhabitants. To her, there was no need to exist without freedom. She says, "I wanted to be free and free the imprisoned, they wanted to be free to enslave the world"(13). Her scorching of the Earth dries the oceans that allow Saeed to walk back to Africa, a symbolism of the breaking of the differences that divide the societies. This presents a harsh but valuable lesson on the need to get rid of the aspects that form the basis for racial discrimination hence embrace unity.

Islamophobia is well brought out in The Book of Phoenix. Islamophobia is a term used to describe the social segregation of Muslims in the United States . This hostility is seen in the daily harassment, prejudice as well as discrimination of individuals based on their Islam religious believes. This alienates from the continued terror attacks and the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan resulting in the subjection of the Islam believers in wiretapping, racial profiling, phone surveillance as well as numerous and thorough interviews by the FBI. Further, Siddiqui creates a perspective of how individuals of the Islam religion are subjected to stereotypical profiling that links them to terrorism. Such acts are accompanied by the extensive spread of propaganda and misinformation on the same issue by authors, self-acclaimed terrorism experts, blogs and websites, television, and radio talks. Through Phoenix and Mmuo’s encounter at the Library of Congress in Washington DC, the author brings out the issue of islamophobia. Phoenix says, “Would they grab us? Shoot us? Not in this crowd. They knew who we were. Maybe they were just profiling the tall African man and the tall crippled African Muslim woman in the burka. We perfectly fit the ridiculous profile […]” (Okorafor 142). Afterward, they are subjected to interviews as the guard says, "We're authorized to use force if we must," the man in the jogging suit said. "All of us here deem your responses as suspicious activity." (Okorafor 142). Through Phoenix's thoughts, we can understand the situation of trying to access a high profile building dressed as a Muslim and have the skin of an African.

The characterization in the book is used to show racial discrimination. The treatment of the speciMen used in the novel reveals the issues facing minority groups. First, there is a possibility that all or majority of the speciMen that are subject to laboratory experiments are of African origin. This is seen in different characters such as Saeed from Egypt, Mmuo from Nigeria, and HeLa, the little girl from Ethiopia. Second, all the speciMen are caged and used to make body parts that could be harvested for those in need. The caging is a representation of modern-day slavery, as explained by Vera Takeisha Thomas, the African-American woman who gave birth to Phoenix. She says, “[…] they were listening. They’re always listening. Modern day slavers!” (Okorafor 203). Also, the Big Eye’s advertisement for the surrogate to carry ‘speciMen’ intentionally leaves the issue on the possible dangers (Okorafor 200). Phoenix tends to think that what makes Vera a more qualified candidate for the experiment is because she is African American (199). However, how she is treated afterward is just cruel. After being promised incentives, such as paying for her university education, taking care of her financial needs, and fortifying her health, she ends up confined in one of the most secure prisons in the States, which Phoenix says is composed of mostly African Americans (200). This ill-treatment of her people is what fuels Phoenix’s quest for revenge and the need to free those denied their freedom of movement and expression. Using Africans as speciMen for laboratory experiments shows the political superiority, a sign of racism based on nationality, in this case, continental bias.

Phoenix’s act of rebellion is a symbolism to show the need to end an era that practices racial discrimination in their quest to pursue immortality. First, Phoenix rebels against actions that revive the historical troubles of African Americans. This is seen when Phoenix refuses to board the ship to travel back to America from Nigeria and opts to fly instead. Read More