Mind of My Mind

In the world of Mind of My Mind, Doro, Mary, and the other active telepaths exert an immense amount of power over those around them. Their abilities create a power imbalance, not only with regular humans but also with those telepaths who are weaker than them. This imbalance often turns oppressive, with characters grasping for power and propriety over their counterparts. Power, in this world, is not only a natural consequence of ability—it becomes a moral hazard. The greatest example of this abuse of power is Doro’s control and treatment of his many telepathic families. Doro collects telepaths and uses them for an advanced breeding program as he tries to cultivate greater power among his offspring. For much of his history, Doro’s relationship with those he uses for his program is abusive, and he treats them with little respect or concern: “There had been a time when he disposed of people like her as soon as they had produced the number of offspring he desired. They were inevitably poor parents, and their children grew up more comfortably with adoptive parents” (5). In the prologue of the novel, Doro chastises Mary’s mother, Rina, for treating her poorly.