So I'm about two-thirds of the way through "Adulthood Rites" now, and while "Dawn" seemed to focus a bit more on the alien aspect (the Oankali) this second part seems to shift towards the humans, both resister and "trader".
In a way, a majority of the humans of Lilith's Brood are really not that unusual...they like to build and create, they like their individuality and freedom, and they have their squabbles and disagreements. The little town of Phoenix is a prime example of this, and it is quite easy to draw parallels to our own societies and history from the descriptions given of this town (Butler 345). And it is hardly surprising, considering that these people are attempting to restore the old world that they had lost.
And yet, it is both surprising and absurd how these people can still refuse to give up their "humanity" as they call it. Alright, so maybe it seems like the people would be giving up their humanity by going to the Oankali...what with bearing offspring that possess traits of both....and anyone with a bit of sense would be hesitant to trust such a situation. Really....who would want to completely change the way humanity lives and reproduces at the drop of a hat...no questions asked?
And yet, it would seem that in "Lilith's Brood", choosing humanity over the alien has even worse consequences. The people of Phoenix are no longer able to reproduce and force themselves to steal or buy stolen children in order to avoid "going with them". In such a society, the people are prone to hurting one another...a prime example being when Tino's parents tear apart Tate's home to kill the raiders (355).
In a nutshell, the people of resister towns such as Phoenix are either slowly dying without hope of offspring or killing each other off over various grievances. Oddly enough, this draws parallels to the war that started it all....with humans of all sorts killing each other. In a way, this is the Oankali versus the humans in another war that could tear the world apart.
It makes me wonder really....wouldn't these people have learned their lesson already? I mean, they nearly killed everyone once as it is....why continue on a path that could repeat this?
And I believe the answer, while not entirely clear, is something not unfamiliar. That concept of humanity...the xenophobia that inhabits nearly all human beings to some degree (though we may not express it)..... That fear of the different that causes Lilith so much trouble getting used to Jdahya in the beginning of the trilogy... Simply because we use appearance as an indication of allegiance, these humans fail to see some of the reason the Oankali put forth (though I will say that I'm still not 100% sure about them). This same feeling which causes racism and stereotyping....which causes humans of all kinds to make decisions without knowledge or reason. A terrible thing, but one that we cannot be totally rid of.
As I have not finished the trilogy, I do not know what this feeling will cause....will all humans eventually accept the Oankali or not? Guess I'll find out soon.
I agree that xenophobia has something to do with the resistors' rejections of the Oankali and their new, supposedly more refined way of life. No one, no matter how secure of unbiased they may claim to be, feels entirely comfortable upon first exposure to drastic difference, some never even get accustomed to change.
However, I don't think it is absurd for these resistor colonies and individuals to cling stubbornly to their humanity, for one simple reason: Pride. I believe, at the heart of it, that Pride is the human contradiction, the conflict between intelligence and hierarchical structuring. Just like xenophobia, we all have feelings of Pride. Under the Oankali, the human race really is just barely above the level of pets and lab rats, beings to be used for the enjoyment and betterment of a supposedly greater species. Coming from a past in which we were the dominant, greater species, this is especially difficult. This is where pride kicks in.
The humans know, through their intelligent side, that yes, they are working with or under a species that is advanced beyond anything we could imagine simply as a result of their biology. These beings have the ability to aid our species by correcting genetic mutations to provide us with longer, healthier, more physically and mentally capable lives, and we should be welcoming these advancements with open arms. The problem then comes in with how invasive and out of our own control this adaptation becomes. We become indebted to the Oankali for bettering us, and therefore are made subservient to them. Why then, when we like to see ourselves as the pinnacle of evolution, shouldn't we resist against them?
Yet we cannot resist them in our normal ways of either politicking or outright violence, as they neither listen to our opinions nor are very susceptible to our weapons. So our only form of resistance to to cling to that which they do not have and have not removed from us. That which we have is our pride, along with memories of the past that define what it was to be human before the Oankali came along. That is, I believe, why the resistors grasp unceasingly to their own ways, their ideas of "humanity", rather than just being driven by simple xenophobia.
Your idea sounds quite plausible, and come to think of it I don't think I thought the resister's efforts to be totally pointless....if not pride, at least the preservation of their humanity that has existed and developed for so long.
In a way, this suggests the reason for the Mars colony, as it seems that letting any humans live on their own didn't cross the minds of the Oankali at all until Akin brought to their attention the motivations and mindset of the remaining resisters. He recognized this pride (or preservation....etc) and, despite knowing the humans would probably destroy themselves, he promoted the colony anyways.
The only cases which perplex me still are the resisters who not only avoid and hate the Oankali but also commit crimes against their fellow men, despite the fact that there are already too few of them left. Even in the more "civilized" towns there is killing and fighting, which seems a bit hypocritical to me considering that the people advocate survival/preservation of humanity....and go about destroying that here and there.