A Deadly Cycle

Division and alienation are themes throughout The Fifth Season, and manifest themselves in a variety of ways.  The effects of irresolvable disconnects among and between different species in the Stillness demonstrate the chaos that ensues when beings are misunderstood and “monstered”– a phenomena that goes hand-in-hand with estrangement.  Through the othering of these various groups, Jemisin connects her sci-fi universe, including its power dynamics, discrimination, and stereotypes, to very real issues in our world today.

It seems to be a part of human (or other sentient beings’) nature to instantly demonize those who are different.  Whether that is out of fear, misunderstanding, or fervent disagreement, it quickly contributes to a vicious cycle of demonize, fear, divide, repeat.  In The Fifth Season, many beings are vilified due to misinformation, causing the humans of the Stillness to inadvertently create the very thing they fear and leading to a cavernous rift between humans and sentient non-humans, especially the orogenes.  The humans of the Stillness have a deep rooted fear of orogeny that is perpetuated by the guardians’ propaganda, as well as the orogenes’ often unintentional behavior.  When an orogene feels threatened as a result of human fear, their own fear kicks in– causing them to lash out through the earth.  Without human threats to exile, harm, or kill them, orogenes are generally quite peaceful.  Thus, humans’ greatest fear is one of their own creation and is deepened by the guardians.

However, the fact that this fear is somewhat superficial does not put an end to the cycle and does not stop it from contributing massively to societal division and conflict in the Stillness.  Orogenes are demonized, segregated, stigmatized, and dehumanized.  Although they are extremely powerful, they do not hold positions of power, and thus are treated as lesser-than.  They are told that “they must earn the respect which everyone else receives by default… [that] there is a standard for acceptance; that standard is simply perfection” (Jemisin 76).  Because the orogenes are monstered by the guardians who hold power over them, they are feared and surrounded by chaos which spreads wherever they go.  The estrangement and vilification of orogenes only serves to create more chaos than would exist if they were not subjugated.

Jemisin clearly intends for the Stillness and its social and political culture to be an allegory for the world we live in.  The orogenes are treated similarly to African Americans and other minorities in the United States– limited and demonized by the way the people in power portray them.  They are stereotyped as dangerous and criminal simply because it’s a convenient generalization to maintain existing power structures, similarly to how orogenes are kept under the guardians’ control.  The chaos created by monstering these groups is unnecessary and preventable if only those non-othered say enough is enough, standing up and amplifying the voices of those essentially wronged, subverting the power dynamic and leveling the playing field so all are equal– black and white, orogene and still, and everyone in between.