“The Book of Martha” by Octavia E. Butler is a short story in which a middle aged woman, Martha, who is on her fifth book suddenly appears before God who tells her that he has a task for her. God specifies that she must help humankind find a less destructive and violent way to live. To entice her further he also disclaims that humankind is already on the path to self destruction. The rest of the story is mostly a conversation between Martha and God where she questions them, what she should do, and what would happen if she failed. In the end she decides to use dreams as a way to satisfy humankind but also encourage a waking growth and maturity.
The most prevalent theme in the Butler’s short story is inevitability and imperfection. Both the acceptance and questioning of those themes occur because of Martha. As she ponders what to do, she is overwhelmed by the seriousness and finality of the choice she must make but God does not reflect these emotions and at times shows no concern because they know that no matter what Martha does there will be good and bad effects. There is never and will never be one choice that Martha could make that would entirely fix humanity. There are too many factors that come into play which leads to some negative effect being guaranteed even if it is small. Humankind is imperfect and complex and a negative effect is inevitable as well as Martha’s duty. God gives her an option to leave but she comes to the conclusion that she would rather be in charge of this decision instead of someone who could possibly want to bring more chaos upon humanity and ultimately bring it to its demise.
I enjoyed the story and found it thought provoking as well as it being a reasonable reaction to a ridiculous and overwhelming situation if it were to ever occur. Martha seemed to ask most questions that were on her mind but avoided questions that could upset God. However I wish in one instance she hadn’t bitten her tongue and been brave enough to speak out.
“I thought you wanted me to put a stop to war and slavery and environmental destruction!” Martha snapped, remembering the history of her own people. How could God be so casual about such things? God laughed. It was a startling sound—deep, full, and, Martha thought, inappropriately happy. Why would this particular subject make him laugh? Was he God? Was he Satan? Martha, in spite of her mother’s efforts, had not been able to believe in the literal existence of either. Now, she did not know what to think—or what to do” (Butler 51).
Below I’ll be developing the scene into what I thought it should’ve been:
Was he Satan? Martha looked away from God who was straightening up from laughing. A storm of worry shaking her stomach and clouding her mind. This seemed familiar, this thought. Satan easily could shape-shift and before she could reason with herself she asked ” How do I know if you’re God? I know you’re powerful but…” She heard the words coming from her mouth and closed her eyes in fear. If she wasn’t dead before she was definitely going to die now.
“But? Are you asking me if I’m Satan?” Martha waited for it, her death. The strike of lightening or just a snap of their fingers to end her existence for even daring to assume or ask such a blasphemous question. Yet it never came and she slowly opened her eyes. Martha faced God quickly mimicking the speed of her heart. The look on their face was one of amusement that wore a small smirk. They dropped their smirk and calmly said “It’s not the first time I’ve been asked that.” She breathed in suddenly unaware that she was even holding her breath. Staring on at God, the seconds expanded and she felt like a fool.
She hadn’t been tempted or even remotely lied to as far as she could tell but this was all too much. This power and its overwhelming presence was warping her judgement. Martha disliked the silence that sat between them since she knew it was caused by her. “So Satan’s real? Doesn’t that mean Hell exists?”
“Where there is heaven there must be hell, where there is God there but be…”
“Satan.” Martha glanced around and was no longer afraid to ask God questions. “So is hell the opposite of this? What would the opposite of this even be? An overload of the senses?”
“False, dear. As this is whatever you see hell is the same. Whatever you fear or hate the most will be your hell. If it is a place you will never be able to escape it. If it is a moment or feeling it will repeat and expand until the ends of time.” Martha tried to will away the traumatic moments that wriggled to the surface when God finished speaking. To distract herself she continued to voice her curiosity. “So what about Satan themself?”
“They will appear as what you have thought of them your entire life.”
“How many actually people go to hell?”
“As many people go to heaven.” Martha rolled her eyes at his vagueness and God chuckled. God recovered himself, shook his head, and looked at Martha. “Well, there’s no hurry,” he said. “Do you know what a nova is, Martha?”
I chose to add this scene in because I found it weird that Martha questions most things but not this. However as I mentioned before I am aware that this question could be blasphemous but it is also one of the most important ones. From that question blooms her inquisitiveness towards an unknown world that humanity has been arguing about for centuries.
To read more of Octavia E. Butler’s works:
Kaitlin Mondello
Great addition, Leila! Both characters are well developed here in response to Butler’s originals.