Kindred Octavia Butler Analysis

As Dana soon discovers, the reality of slavery is even more disturbing than its portrayal in books, movies, and television programs. Before her journey into the past, Dana called the temp agency where she worked a "slave market," even though "the people who ran it couldn't have cared less whether or not you showed up to do the work they offered."

Character’s relationships with power change a lot over the course of Octavia Butler’s Kindred. One of the most important character changes in the book is Kevin Franklin and Dana’s relationship, and how is changed after living in the 1800’s. Kevin is introduced in the book as Dana’s middle aged husband who she met while working in a “slave market”. Both of them are inspiring writers looking to make a life out of their passion. Before both Kevin and Dana are sent back into slavery time their relationship is very normal. Their marriage is very stable, although they go through different problems surrounding power. Kevin is very dominant towards Dana and at times believes he is better than her. Kevin constantly asks Dana to type out drafts of his

Only the best tactics and the quickest decisions can insure a win in a fight for survival. Dana Franklin, the main character in the novel Kindred, has what it takes to take on the cruel South and use those qualities to ensure survival. Due to a mysterious and confusing power she acquires, Dana can miraculously travel through time and reach her ancestors during the slavery period. With that power alone, she has to work hard to survive against the strongest, meanest, and craziest people she’s ever dreamed of to ensure the safety of herself and whom she cares. In addition to working hard, Dana has to witness and carry out what horrors fighting and struggling in the antebellum South was like. In Octavia Butler’s Kindred, Dana is seen fighting,

Dana, the narrator of Kindred the idea of what it means to be a monster comes up upon the violent treatment on the part slave owners. Dana believes there is a reasonable explanation of why Mr. Weylin acted the way he

In the late nineteenth century, women were beginning to take a stand for their equal rights in society. The term “new woman” was used to describe these women, openly proclaiming their independence from men. It was a woman’s way to threaten the conventional ideas of society, and to bring about their own changes (Buzwell). Following their well-known suffrage movement, women claimed their freedom sexually, physically, and in the workplace. For many years’ prior, women were expected to be the typical housewife, watching over the house, cooking, and cleaning. They were property of their husbands. During their equal rights revolution, women pursued careers like doctors or lawyers and fulfilling their sexual desires for purposes other than bearing children. As today’s society may never know the struggles and misfortunes during the Victorian era, Dracula leaves a time capsule behind to elaborate on the realities during such a prominent generation (Podonsky). Considering this given criteria, a new woman comes in a variety of forms; some women represent a stronger sexual desire while others demonstrate character traits on equality in work and education. In the case of Dracula, the two main female characters take two different forms; one blatantly sexual and one chaste (Humphrey). Bram Stoker’s novel Dracula portrays the ideas of a “new woman” in a modern society, utilizing Mina’s and Lucy’s characters to display opposite characteristics of the feminist movement which draw attention to

Danas fourth time traveling back to the 19th century, she was met with Rufus being beaten to death by Alice's Husband, Isaac. This incident foreshadows the raping of Alice by Rufus. For instance, Rufus went in town to buy Alice and once Dana saw that she states "… Rufus had done exactly what I had said he would do: Gotten possession of the woman without having to bother with her husband. Now, somehow, Alice would have to accept not only the loss of her husband but her own enslavement. Rufus had caused her trouble, and now he had been rewarded for it. It made no sense. No matter how

Some people venture outside their comfort zone in order to keep existing and live another day. Sometimes this even means putting oneself in danger. From self-inflicted pain to bring suffering upon another person, these dangerous actions are caused by desperation of someone aiming to achieve survival. Everytime Dana travels back in time, she faces a different variety of situations which she needs to overcome in order to be able to journey back to her existing time. In Kindred, Octavia Butler uses the difficulties Dana experience throughout her time travel journey to portray how colored slaves were put under high pressures and the strength it took for Dana to survive. People make decisions that they wouldn’t often do to survive.

In Jesse Andrews’ Me and Earl and the Dying Girl, writer Greg describes life with his cancer infected friend. In the beginning, Greg doesn’t like the bondage of friends. As a result, he diffuses himself among all of the groups, not getting attached to anyone. This all changes when a girl from school gets leukemia. Although Greg doesn’t talk to this girl, Rachel, his mom knows Rachel’s mom and Greg’s mom demands that Greg goes to Rachel’s to give her some company. At first, Greg refuses, but with endless nagging, he finally agrees.

Kindred has clearly identified who the power and policy favor towards. Dana, the protagonist and narrator of the novel has faced several issues regarding life during this time, she must continue to save her family, but the only way she can is by saving Rufus’s life numerous times. Rufus, a cruel white man, is a powerful slave owner who was the father of Dana’s ancestors. She goes back into the past many times through the story and when she does she has to keep her identity as a strong and free black woman in a world where women and all black people are utterly ignorant to higher authority. For example, after Dana saves Rufus’s life, he diminishes another piece of her dignity, stripping her to a point where she must hold in her anger. Butler, shows how black people are treated after conceding a good deed. The novel discusses atrocities and

The book follows Dana who is thrown back in time to live in a plantation during the height of slavery. The story in part explores slavery through the eye of an observer. Dana and even Kevin may have been living in the past, but they were not active members. Initially, they were just strangers who seemed to have just landed in to an ongoing play. As Dana puts it, they "were observers watching a show. We were watching history happen around us. And we were actors." (Page 98). The author creates a scenario where a woman from modern times finds herself thrust into slavery by account of her being in a period where blacks could never be anything else but slaves. The author draws a picture of two parallel times. From this parallel setting based

“Me and Earl and the Dying Girl cuts right through the noise, telling a story about teenagers that’s both familiar and rare, capturing them in all their messiness and optimism and fear and soul.” - Dominick Suzanne-Mayer. The movie Me and Earl and the Dying Girl originates from the novel, Me Earl and the Dying girl written by Jesse Andrews. The movie is directed by Alfonso Gomez-Rejon. Rejon has directed popular Tv shows and movies such as American Horror Story, Glee, and The Town That Dreaded Sundown.

character, Clarke Griffin played by Eliza Taylor who does a wonderful job at playing the main role. You instantly connect with her character and can tell the people look up to her, while she isn't the leader of the entire 100 she definitely has a lot to say for herself and is respected by a lot of our characters.

Past’s Effect on the Present Essay Imagine marrying a man who is so sensitive that he never talks of his past. In Rebecca, a story by Daphne du Maurier, the narrator marries Max de Winter, a man still getting over the death of his first wife, Rebecca. Rebecca was loved by all, and the narrator has big shoes to fill. The newlywed couple moves to Max’s large estate, Manderley. The narrator is here compared to the late Rebecca even more.

Society has many different views on the way that men influence a woman’s vulnerability. Individuals who lived in the 1800’s particularly, had a certain image that they sought to reflect, which is evident in the novel Dracula. Dracula by Bram Stoker showcases the superior role that men had over women in the Victorian era because they are illustrated as being dominant and controlling.

Between the medieval times and the 20th century, the views of woman have changed significantly. They began in roles such as hostesses to ending up being strong women who can do just about anything. A few examples of this significant change can be demonstrated by comparing the stories Beowulf, Dracula, and “A Rose for Emily”.