[Garrett Benson]

“The Fifth Season” by N.K. Jemison, takes place on a supercontinent called the stillness. On this continent, there is a group of individuals known as orogenes. Orogenes have a very special power where they can cause or prevent a seismic event at any given moment. The other group of people are called “stills” they make up a majority of the people thus consequently meaning orogenes are the minorities. The stills are considered the higher-ups and control the orogenes through the system called the “Fulcrum”. The Fulcrum keeps orogenes under control, while the stills use strict rules and punishment to keep their power over the orogenes. Stills saw orogenes so powerful that “Orogenes [weren’t] supposed to drink. Ever. The power to move mountains plus inebriation equals disaster waiting to happen.” (Jemison 148) This quote highlights the strict rules and regulations placed on orogenes just because of their special traits and power. People care so much about orogenes, that they are not allowed to drink what other people can drink, creating unfair expectations and responsibilities on this group.” (Mini-Collab). These concepts are highlighted in real-world events such as world wars and different races living within the United States. Specifically those of Japanese descent during the 1940’s and even current times with the conflict in the Middle East. Viewpoints of groups with tension can be skewed in such ways that are ingrained in the mindsets of those who don’t intend harm. Children can be taught from a young age to dislike a certain group because of prior events leading to structural racism. The idea of a fair chance at interpersonal relationships can be altered by viewpoints instilled in people when they don’t have the chance to create an opinion for themselves. The orogenes can be compared to a young Muslim or Japanese child during these wartime conflicts in that they are viewed in ways because of their heritage. Having less opportunity to equal standards is what the orogenes face throughout the novel.

 

Since the orogenes have these powers, this is what sets up the racialization process within the novel. It is impossible to escape a racialized world when we are all different to our own extent, but that is also the beauty of the world, being different is what keeps the world thriving. Exploring this issue within the novel can help other people, including myself, better understand what certain people go through. Basically, what I am saying is most people who aren’t affected by racialization tend to not have sympathy for another individual because they haven’t been through the same things others have. Reading “The Fifth Season” definitely opens your mind and makes you think about every little detail that happens to an individual who is discriminated against. I believe it is blatant that this novel depicts how the real world was and what it is today. Several real occasions are similar to the structural racism seen in the book such as during World War II, “In the months following Pearl Harbor, the U.S. government incarcerated more than 110,000 people of Japanese ancestry in ten remote concentration camps without due process of any kind.” (Jensen) Back in this time, the majority of people were afraid of Japanese people because they thought of them as killers. It was not because of how they looked or acted but rather the social perception Japanese people received during this timeframe. This is how similar our two worlds are as their society in “The Fifth Season” looks at orogenes as “Just a useful monster, just a bit of new blood to add to the breeding lines. Just another fucking rogga.” (Jemison 108) Showing how individuals look at orogenes in a discriminatory way, and the term “rogga” is a derogatory word towards orogenes. This quote highlights the demeaning way in which orogenes are seen as nothing more than an object, rather than as fully human individuals. As emphasized by Heng from the course epigraph “my understanding, thus, is that race is a structural relationship for the articulation and management of human differences, rather than a substantive content.” This implies race is not only about physical characteristics or attributes an individual might have, but rather a social construct that controls our human differences. Showing race is mainly about how society interprets these differences.

 

Just as I discussed prior about Muslim and Japanese people during the time of war, they must keep their skins thick because if they react to structural racism people would just say ‘Oh, acting just how I thought’ this is exactly similar to orogenes. Orogenes must “[stand] here, with the ultimate proof of the world’s hatred dead and cold and stinking between them, she can’t even flinch this time.”(Jemison 108)  This quote shows how orogenes must keep their skin tough because of the reality of hatred that exists in “The Fifth Season” as well as the real world. Just as during WWII , both people are not truly free to do what they want, they both can be depicted behind bars with no due diligence. “Freedom means we get to control what we do now. No one else.” (Jemison 305). Throughout history there have been numerous examples of marginalized groups having there freedoms diminished. A great example of this was during the timeframe of World War two and the racial tension between American citizens and those of Japanese descent. As discussed prior there was a large population of Japanese people who lived in the United States during these times who were viewed in a negative manor by the American public. Tensions between countries especially involving those in warfare, can result in some racial groups experiencing undeserving hatred. Freedom is a fundamental right in the eyes of the United States government but there is a vast difference between legislation and the actions of its citizens. A government may desire a nation of freedoms but engrained hatred and racism will tend to prevail on those undeserving of such emotions.

The perception of those involved in conflict can be altered in such a manner when they are taught as a kid to dislike a certain group based on a very specific moment when that specific race did something. This is the main idea behind nature vs nurture.

 

 

 

Gwenn M. Jensen https://muse.jhu.edu/article/4373

[Author]

Posts