Violence as Resistance in N.K. Jemisin’s Broken Earth Trilogy
Violence as Resistance in N.K. Jemisin’s Broken Earth Trilogy
Jemisin’s Broken Earth trilogy details the subjugation of the Orogenes and the Tuners at the hands of the Stills and the Sylanagistines. In this essay, I contend that Jemisin’s trilogy suggests that the violence used by the Orogenes and Tuners is not only an effective means to defeat their respective oppressors; it is also a tool to create hope for a more egalitarian society for all. Although Jemisin’s trilogy ends before a more equal society can be formed, I claim readers can infer that it is through the use of violence that there now exists the potential for both oppressor and oppressed to be free, autonomous individuals and learn from the past to prevent history from continuing to repeat itself. Through the analysis of Jemisin’s trilogy, this essay aims to argue that not all violence inherently equals destruction.
Key Words: marginalization, oppressor, oppressed, resistance, subjugation, and violence.