Kinred by Octaiva Butler

Treat others the way you want to be treated was the basic classroom rule we were all taught when we were younger. People often fail to realize that this rule still applies to us as we get older. A quote from George Bernard Shaw says” The worst sin toward our fellow creatures is not to hate them, but to be indifferent to them; that’s the essence of inhumanity”. Meaning, it is our heartlessness that allows us to feel indifference towards others; it steals the harmony in the world. Octavia Butler allows us to explore this cruelty in her science fiction novel Kindred. The novel is based on an average black woman Dana. Dana is called back in time to the antebellum south to save her ancestors. The author uses a variety of literary devices such as conflict and imagery to prove the theme man’s inhumanity to man.
The author uses conflict to demonstrate man’s inhumanity to man. The story takes place in the antebellum south or the pre war time period. ‘” Don’t argue with white folks, ‘Luke had said .’ Don’t tell them ‘no.’ don’t let them see you mad .Just say ‘yes, sir.’ Then go’ head and do what you want to do . Might have to take the whippin for it later on, but if you want it bad enough the whippin won’t matter much (96). Luke is slave , explaining to his son Nigel the way of interacting and communicating with white people . Luke is a typical slave on the Weylin plantation, he does what’s expected of him and helps keep things in order. But this particular time Dana is using Luke’s advice for herself. Octavia Butler uses conflicts to prove mans inhumanity to man by explaining how just talking anyway wasn’t excepted, and if you did so you would have consequences to pay.
The author uses imagery to examine man’s inhumanity to man. It was was when Dana was threatened by Edwards to do the wash or she would get whipped. While doing the wash she came to a conclusion;”’ slavery is a long slow process of dulling”’ (183). Dana was signifying that slavery is a long lasting