Dawn

Content Warning: The guide discusses suicide, rape, and sexual assault, which are present in the source text.

Motherhood is a motif that appears in various forms throughout the novel. The title Dawn references motherhood and the role Lilith will have in bringing about a new beginning. Humanity was only saved through the intervention of the Oankali, so this is the dawn of a new era, a new way of life for humans, and a new way of thought about what makes human beings human. It is even the dawn of a new version of humanity, as humans are genetically altered to create a hybrid species with the Oankali.

Linked to this motif is the title of the first section of the book, “Womb,” symbolizing Lilith’s new life. She is Awakened from her suspended animation plant, wet and naked, just as if she were born from her mother’s womb. She is also ignorant of everything in this new world, just like a newborn baby.

The title of the third section of the book, “Nursery,” also relates to the motherhood motif, as it progresses the birth analogy. The nursery is the large room where Lilith Awakens the other humans, the place where she cares for them and teaches them how to live in this new world, as she would babies in a nursery.