A Harsh Critique of Hierarchy and Difference Octavia Butler's Lilith's Brood trilogy contains myriad characters who would be marked as "different" in contemporary American society, both because their race, gender, sex or species. Their differences are often the catalyst for conflicts between others who consider themselves more normal and, therefore, better and higher in the human hierarchy. Butler's contempt for human hierarchical tendencies is clear in Lilith's Brood as she often calls human intelligence and hierarchy "the human contradiction". Using protagonists Lilith, Akin, and Jodahs, Butler critiques formulaic misconceptions about race, sex, and gender and, through their interactions with others, highlights the illogical harassment that often stems from fear of what we don't yet understand. sex and gender, naysayers found it easy to push Lilith into the role of scapegoat. Because resisters essentially just want “someone to focus their frustration on,” they lash out at the person who is most visibly different, from their physical characteristics to their enhanced abilities (147). They never really stop to try to understand why Lilith chooses, in their eyes, to betray humanity. Lilith discovers that in order to eventually return to Earth, she has no choice but to be the mediator between the humans and the Oankali. Unfortunately, humans hate Lilith for choosing this position. They see her power and believe that she was "not human, or not human enough" (180). Their fear and discomfort led them to view Lilith as an obvious "other." Lilith's physical differences, combined with the humans' resentment of Lilith's status as the "mother" of the group, fuel the growing... center of the card... dangerous to humans as a whole. Although João's body accepts Jodah, his mind prevents him from total acceptance, resulting in silent hatred during the day but acceptance at night. Jodahs is not male and yet becomes a victim of homophobia due to lack of understanding. Jodahs illustrates the struggles of an intersex person and demonstrates the isolation one feels as a victim of difference. Lilith's Brood by Octavia Butler has characters Lilith, Akin, and Jodahs who are all different in some way. The intolerance they face paints humans as beings incapable of adequately managing difference. Their responses to these different people are a clear allusion to the injustices others have faced in the past. Through these characters, Butler criticizes the human predisposition to stigmatize and oppress those who are different and implores humans to become more accepting and understanding.