Kindred Essay
Kindred Essay
In the novel “Kindred” by Octavia Butler; time travel was used to show the view of slavery from the perspective of a black woman named Dana who is from modern times. The author used Dana to show and help the readers experience the dehumanization of African Americans during the Ante-Bellum South time period. The conflicts that Dana faces shows the twisted heritage slaves had to endure. Dana, the main character views slavery from a modern point of view because she is from the 1970’s. As the author sends Dana back into Ante-Bellum times she has her own experiences with racism, abuse and discrimination from her ancestor Rufus. Dana has to help Alice and Rufus through there obstacles, so he great-great grandmother will be born. In Rufus’ time of need, Dana time travels to help him. The line “For a moment, i watched too, and then I woke up, pushed aside the boy, caught the unburned upper part of the draperies and pulled them down. As they feel they smothered some of the flames with themselves, and they exposed a half open window. I picked them up quickly and threw them out the window.” This shows Dana bravery in saving Rufus for the second time. From Dana’s perspective it is her duty to save him and make sure he survives during antebellum times.
There was a struggle in antebellum times for Dana. Everything she knew in modern times was different. Dana and Kevin’s interracial relationship/ marriage were and issue in antebellum Back then a white male cannot marry an African American. White ruled over whites. They were beaten until they couldn’t scream anymore. Kevin tried to play to role of Dana’s salve master to hide the fact that they were married. This start to make conflicts in their relationship. “And you’re reading too little into it. Anyway…… Anyway it’s not their game to play. Dana was furious with Kevin because of his reaction towards the kids playing a slave game.
Towards the end of the novel, Dana starts to change emotionally and
In the novel “Kindred” by Octavia Butler; time travel was used to show the view of slavery from the perspective of a black woman named Dana who is from modern times. The author used Dana to show and help the readers experience the dehumanization of African Americans during the Ante-Bellum South time period. The conflicts that Dana faces shows the twisted heritage slaves had to endure. Dana, the main character views slavery from a modern point of view because she is from the 1970’s. As the author sends Dana back into Ante-Bellum times she has her own experiences with racism, abuse and discrimination from her ancestor Rufus. Dana has to help Alice and Rufus through there obstacles, so he great-great grandmother will be born. In Rufus’ time of need, Dana time travels to help him. The line “For a moment, i watched too, and then I woke up, pushed aside the boy, caught the unburned upper part of the draperies and pulled them down. As they feel they smothered some of the flames with themselves, and they exposed a half open window. I picked them up quickly and threw them out the window.” This shows Dana bravery in saving Rufus for the second time. From Dana’s perspective it is her duty to save him and make sure he survives during antebellum times.
There was a struggle in antebellum times for Dana. Everything she knew in modern times was different. Dana and Kevin’s interracial relationship/ marriage were and issue in antebellum Back then a white male cannot marry an African American. White ruled over whites. They were beaten until they couldn’t scream anymore. Kevin tried to play to role of Dana’s salve master to hide the fact that they were married. This start to make conflicts in their relationship. “And you’re reading too little into it. Anyway…… Anyway it’s not their game to play. Dana was furious with Kevin because of his reaction towards the kids playing a slave game.
Towards the end of the novel, Dana starts to change emotionally and