| Xen: Ancient English Edition by D. J. Solomon |
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In today's society, the topic of sexuality is often considered taboo in daily conversation,
as it is a function in one's private life and no more. In D.J. Solomon's Xen: Ancient
English Edition, however, the idea of sexuality changes as the reader views different
stages of man's evolution. The theme of sexuality and how it is viewed traverses the ten
books of Xen, from the "before" world of just Wind, Water, and Earth, to Seneschal's
imperfect "modern" world, to the utopian future world of Minister Esse. The evolution of
how the world views sexuality is mirrored by the evolution of the world itself, wherein lies
the importance of the theme throughout the book.
Although not sexual in the usual physical sense of the word, the interactions between
Earth, Wind, and Water in the first and sixth books of the novel hold all of the sensuality
of any physical experience. As they are at the highest awareness of being of any
entities in the novel, Wind, Earth, and Water are the most advanced beings, as their
sensitivities, capabilities, knowledge, and respect for one another are far more advanced
than those of man. As such, their sexuality and views thereof, as one could infer, should
be on a completely different level than that of any other seen in the novel, and indeed
the reader can see that there is absolutely no boundary to Wind, Earth, and Water, and
how they interact sensually. In fact, the very foundation of the three elements is the
codependence between them, Wind and Water resting upon the Earth, while Earth is
shielded, shaped, and nurtured by the other two. Indeed, the Earth would be nothing
without Wind's project of sculpting her, long before Water appeared, and Wind in turn
would have wasted away into me depths of apathy and boredom without Earth to play
with and mold. Because Wind "took on epochal projects"(3) in his sculpting of Earth,
Water was able to be formed and take a place upon her. With the advent of water, Earth
is able to support life and provide even more entertainment to the other elements,
including the bet from which the story unfolds. Because the three elements respect and
adore the others, they are able to reach a level of intimacy that is unimaginable to the
limited human capabilities, and it would take several rounds of evolution to bring
mankind even close to being able to comprehend. The reader knows that the sexuality
of the three elements is unbounded, and is able to visualize in great detail how the Earth
"quivered under [Wind's] caress at times and bucked to his massage at others."(3)
These ultimate entities, one sees, can love ultimately and without bounds.
In the "modem" world where we find Seneschal, the idea of sexuality is of something
dirty, and any sanctity of rituals such as marriage is nullified by the imperfection of the
people who attempt to carry them out. Through Seneschal's eyes, the reader sees a
horrible, corrupted world. Nothing is sacred, not marriage, and especially not sexuality.
It is mentioned that Seneschal has been in multiple marriages, and he constantly refers
to his "bitch wife", for whom he has absolutely no respect. In fact, there seems to be
very little that he respects; he thinks the group of black women is just "a gaggle of
jewelry, big nails, expensive hair, garish outfits, obnoxious cell phones, and handbags
big enough to hide just about any stolen item short of two watermelons simultaneously"
(18). He then goes even further to insult the women to add that "she could get two in
there... but she'd have to remove the fifth as well as all the pill bottles, sacrosanct items
even when compared to a second watermelon." When he is at his conference, he sees
the women there as "butt-ugly", and on the occasion that he finds one that suits his
tastes, they are objects of his lust, nothing more. Because the reader sees that the only
purpose for women in Seneschal's world is to be objects of his lust, it is apparent that
sexuality has little more purpose than to stimulate the senses on a physical level, and
nothing deeper or more meaningful. As a representation of mankind as a whole at that
point in time, the imperfection of man himself leads to the corruption of "sacred" rites
such as marriage, and because the perception of mankind is so skewed, the possibilities
that lie within the exploration of sexuality are unreachable and foreign.
Finally, in the enlightened world of Minister Esse, the idea of sexuality reaches its
ultimate height as the embodiment of the union of man and woman, untarnished by
outside influence. The Minister treats her sexuality as something to be explored as she
deepens her love for her husband. Muliebris, the student, sees it as a mystery,
something to be attained once she is able to find the right person for her. Mu tells the
reader that it is impossible to have sexual intercourse "unless in love and married to one
who loves as dearly, and with whom they have been intimate in this status on a regular
basis for a substantial period oftime."(151-l 52) This idealistic view of how sexuality and
marriage are intertwined, which to the "modem" observer may seem like a naive fantasy
has become biological, a result of the evolution of mankind itself. However limiting that
may sound, once one has found their mate, sexuality is as free as Wind shaping the
Earth before creatures such as Man ever existed. With the decline in aging, and people
living to three hundred years old, the expansion of sexuality is a natural result, but with
an interesting turn—according to Mu, "the birth rate is very rare, making children truly
gifts from Above"(154). Biologically speaking, this would make sense, for if people live to
be three hundred years old, there would be no room left for people to survive. However,
this attitude shows the emphasis on the couple as a unit instead of the family, and
because the dynamic of the pair is being explored, the sexuality of the couple is allowed
to flourish and they are able to become a much more intimate pair.
The bet made between Wind and Water so many Rotations ago about whether the
human race would "turn out all right" was about so much more than reaching an
evolutionary climax—it was about mankind reaching a higher state of being. In evolving
in such a way, man was not only able to surpass its own limitations, it was able to
approach Wind, Water, and Earth itself in not only its state of existence, but in its
realization of self and of its sexuality. Therefore, as mankind changed and adapted, its
views changed along with it, until Seneschal changed everything into the Utopia now
known to Minister Esse, Mu, and all of the Eartherians. This change in being, and
therefore in function, mirrored the change in sexuality until that of mankind was able to
approach the freedom and dedication of that of the Elements.
| Mary Roth Parkway West High School Ballwin,Missouri "Evolution and Sexuality in Xen: Ancient English Edition" |
| © Copyright 2004-2008 by Avar Press. All rights reserved. Copyright of the individual essays belongs to the respective writer and may not be reproduced in any fashion without express written permission from each author. Interested parties may contact the author via their high school or by sending correspondence to Avar Press. |
| Second Place $750.00 Scholarship 2008 |
