Nnedi Okorafor’s “Spider the Artist” made for an extremely interesting class discussion. There was a TON going on in this short story. When I first read the story, I was almost confused as to what the message or takeaway was supposed to be. It seemed clear to me that the short story was a form of activism (and not just because it was required reading for this class!); however, I was having difficulty discerning what exactly the author was advocating for. A few themes seemed obvious — the dangers of exploitation, colonialism, capitalism, etc. But there were so many little things woven into the story — characters, stories, symbols — that I knew were intentional and loaded with meaning, but I just couldn’t figure it out. Our class discussion led some light on a few questions I had. We talked about how the dad and grandpa were included to provide historical context, and we discussed how the role of music represented the role of escape, healing, and art in the role of human nature. However, there is one question that I am struggling with: Who are the enemies? We discussed this question in class, but I’m still not convinced of a set answer. The zombies are confusing. On the one hand, they’re murderous, corporate-created robots that might imply that technology/AI is the enemy. However, one of the zombies, Udide, ends up being a hero and one of the most likable characters in the story. The “everyday” human, the husband, is one of the least likable characters. So many of the other human characters, everyone except the narrator, are shown to be useless and expendable in the end when they are all killed. Ultimately, I would argue that is the oil corporations who are the enemy. They are the reasons that the world has become the dystopian society that it appears to be in this short story. I want to know how the ending, with the narrator ending up pregnant, has anything to do with this theme, though. I feel like there is significance behind her choosing that as the ending, I just can’t figure out what it was. I plan to reread this short story at some point in the future in hopes that I may find new enlightenment in a second reading.