Aye, and Gomorrah…, by Samuel R. Delany

“You are a child,” she said. “I love you” [pg. 131]

There is an odd way of frelks perceiving Spacers. Frelks are sexually attracted to Spacers because they think spacers are supposedly “unattainable” [p. 130] The impression that I got from the dialogue between the Turkish frelk and the narrator was that frelks, at least the woman, are attracted to Spacers because they/she thinks that Spacers are lacking in something. The way she kept repeating “you are a child” [pg. 129] or variations of that, seems to say that Spacers are mentally inferior or undependable. It is ironic that I got that impression because supposedly Spacers are the solution to the global population problem in the universe of Aye, and Gomorrah. Frelks are sexually attracted to Spacers because “[Spacers] can’t love [Frelks]”[p.130] then I would think there should be some kind of an inferior complex in frelks because they are the ones pinning. Yet, the way the woman talks, “you wouldn’t understand” [pg.130] has a superior tone in it like, I have something that you would never get.

It is odd that she would say “you are a child” then “I love you” the next, when, one, she is sexually attracted, and two, she just met this person. If she thinks that Spacers are like children, isn’t this like pedophilia which is more socially unacceptable, or should be, than any other sexual perversions that she mentions? Or if she is saying I love you in a motherly sense, she would not think of buying the narrator for 20 liras cheaper than the market price.

One other reason why I chose this quote is because of how the narrator is like a child in some sense. He[used to be] almost went for 6o lira without doubting that the woman might be cheating on him, which shows his naivety, but more importantly, I think is prevalent when the narrator asks for the woman to give him “something [she] likes”[pg. 131] It represents how the Spacer wanted a human connection, especially since the Spacer vehemently refuses the idea of monetary payment. It was irritating when the woman kept refusing to do so saying “I just don’t want to buy you”[pg. 131] when she is the only one putting financial value on his[used to be] head. Why couldn’t she just give a piece of memento, or a token that has sentimental value?