The Evening and the Morning and the Night

The idea of guardian angels is only mentioned directly once, in relation to the etymology of Alan’s last name, Chi, which is an Ibo word meaning “a kind of guardian angel or personal God” (40). Though Butler only lightly touches on this symbolism, to the extent that it speaks to ideas of taking care of and protecting others, it speaks directly to the theme of Illness, Society, and Institutionalization. Because of this, it is a symbol that, in a way, becomes a motif. When Alan first brings it up, it is to complain to Lynn that it doesn’t feel like he has an effective guardian. However, this works as a bit of foreshadowing, as we can imagine that Lynn will one day become his caretaker when his DGD condition progresses and that she is uniquely qualified to do so. Therefore, Lynn might be considered his guardian angel. Moreover, to the extent that Alan and Lynn’s relationship has benefited both because they are no longer merely “marking time” and because they are working to emotionally support one another, we might also regard them as each other’s guardian angels.