Why Everyone Should Read N.K. Jemisin’s "The Fifth Season"...Like Now!
The World Now
George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Philando Castille, Tamir Rice, Eric Garner...and too many others are just a few of the names that have headlined on the news because they are victims of police brutality. There are many other names that have not made the headlines, but are just as important as the names we see everyday in the papers, on social media, and on the news.
Police brutality is nothing new. This has been going on before Erica Garner or Trayvon Martin, before Tamir Rice or Freddie Gray...and it’s obviously not stopping.
But, what makes the recent events so different from other cases of police brutality is that the anger, frustration, and grief is boiling over. People are finally saying - showing - that enough is really enough.
Also, having to quarantine because of the COVID-19 pandemic takes a toll on you mentally and emotionally. All of those pent up emotions without release...it’s no wonder why people took to the streets in full force to protest the racial injustices that have been going on for far too long.
When I heard about the George Floyd tragedy, I was already stressed and frustrated from being stuck inside my house and unable to interact with the outside world in the way I would want to.
But, one thing that helped me cope with the pandemic and the quarantine was reading.
Reading helped me refocus all of my emotional anxiety and energy away from myself. One book I read during this pandemic was The Fifth Season - the first book in N.K. Jemisin’s Broken Earth Trilogy. It was Jemisin’s book that helped me to reflect on the racial issues we're facing in the country. The themes of injustice and bias in The Fifth Season resembles the same issues America and the rest of the world faces now.
The Fifth Season
As I stated earlier, The Fifth Season is N.K. Jemisin’s first book in her Broken Earth Trilogy. The Fifth Season follows three characters: Essun, Damaya, and Syenite as they navigate a broken world - the Stillness - that seems like it is constantly ending. Except, this time the world is ending for the very last time.
In the Stillness, there is a race who have the power to control tectonic plate activity - they are called orogenes (Note: the main characters themselves are orogenes). However, these individuals are feared by stills (humans who live in the Stillness) and thus oppressed. Some of the orogenes, if they were not killed by the people in their community, would be sent to the Fulcrum under the watchful eyes of the Guardians. At the Fulcrum, the orogenes can be manipulated and controlled so that their powers are exploited by the Stills.
Does any of this sound familiar?
The oppression and traumatic events the orogenes experience in the book is much like the experience of Blacks and African-Americans over the course of over 200 plus years. The orogenes are feared for their abilities just as people of color are feared and hated for the color of their skin. And, in response to fear the oppressors feel there is a need to control this particular group of human beings lest they do something so horrible and savage in return (a complete fallacy). I think you would agree that this is not that much different from slaves being sent to plantations under the watchful, hateful eyes of the slave owners. Slaves were used for labor just as the orogenes are used for their powers. And, if either the orogenes or slaves were to try and revolt or not comply (though they had very little options or none at all), then they suffered severe and very often fatal consequences.
Jemisin does something very powerful here and whether she did it on purpose or not isn’t relative. Jemisin’s book highlights an issue that has been plaguing America ever since the first slave was brought from Africa to America for exploitation. The racial bias and injustice Africans and people of color have suffered just because of the color of their skin is destroying America and participating in these racial biases and stereotypes is taking a toll on us as a nation.
By the end of Jemisin’s novel, the Fulcrum is completely destroyed and the oppressive system that controlled the orogenes is breaking down, slowly but surely. The same is happening in America today. The oppressed are in this struggle to break down the racially unjust system that has horribly impacted communities with people of color.
A Call for Action
If you haven’t already, you need to read Jemisin’s The Fifth Season and receive a full wake up call. Now is the time to be more proactive and engaged in events going on within your community and in this nation. Look at the events that happen in Jemisin's novel and you’ll see how similar they are to modern day events regarding racial injustice and police brutality.
You don’t have to do anything as big as joining a protest to show your support for racial equality and justice for victims of police brutality. Just being aware of the issues going on in your community is a good step in recognizing racial discrimination and injustice. Social media is another way for you to learn more about what actions the country and your community is taking to address racial injustice.
In the end, regardless of religion, gender, ethnicity, culture, and race, everyone deserves to be treated as human beings.
