On Kindred Robert Crossley Analysis

In Robert Crossley’s “Critical Essay” on Kindred, he observes that most of the characters, although common stereotypes, are individualized through Butler’s writing. Crossley acknowledges that Butler allows the reader to, “see individual slaves as people rather than as encrusted literary or sociological types” (Crossley, 270). In other words, Crossley describes Butler’s ability to give personality and a backstory to characters not seen as people. For example, Butler shows some of the effects of Sarah, who is seen as the stereotypical “mammy,” having all her children sold except for one. Butler describes the experiences of those like Sarah, showing the individual character behind the stereotype. Crossley insists that Butler goes beyond the fixed