On Wed, 15 Aug 2001 20:22:58 +0200 "Marian de Haan" maya@multiweb.nl writes:
Only if illigitimacy causes a social stigma or disadvantage in the Federation. We have no canonical evidence for or against that, but considering the tolerant attitude to unmarried couples, I would assume that illigitimicy doesn't carry the stigma it did until recently in our Western societies.
JMHO, but I think it was a mixed bag. The Federation does seem to have some privileges that are effected by birth (education, connections, status, possibly citizenship). My guess would be that a child's automatic claim to these would be effected by the status of the parents' relationship but not necessarily in an inalterable way. While the Federation shows a high tolerance of unmarried couples, this may or may not extend to children. I'm thinking of a fantasy series I was reading where the fact that this one race has complete or near complete control over whether a child is conceived has led to a heavy stigma against illegitimate or mixed race children although unmarried couples or mixed race romances are taken for granted.
So, the Federation with its domes and high level of government interference seems like the kind of place that would have a tradition of legal meddling in birth. It seems likely that, if there was a time when people on Earth were confined to a few domed cities because of radiation and so on, strict limits on population growth would have been in effect and that some of that mind set survives.
So, I would guess that a child of a marriage between parents of equal citizen ranks has the full rights and privileges associated with that rank until they're tested on their own. They also probably have open connections to the influence of both sides of the family.
After that, it probably gets complicated. That is, rights and privileges might not be automatic but they might be controlled by various customs and traditions that had near legal force.
The child of an unmarried couple might or might not have privileges from the father's side. It might be controlled by whether the father acknowledges the child as his or various things might be considered under his discretion rather than automatic. Depending on other factors, the mother's extended family might have similar control.
So, if Servalan had a child, I doubt anyone would blink an eye.
If Anna Grant had Avon's child while, apparently (everything she said being open to debate), married to another man, matters could be complicated (and further complicated by all the side plot elements).
Other questions: Would the Federation legalize unions between different grades? Would the gap between grades make a difference (Alpha-Beta legal, Alpha-Delta not)? What elements might have been open to paternal discretion?
But, skipping all that, Avon's always struck me as someone who's had to fight for his position in society, that he had to prove himself. If his status was open to question or could be altered at the whim of relatives who didn't seem to fond of him in the first place, I could see where it came from.
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