Octavia Butler's Kindred: Summary

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

The novel under the title Kindred is a magnificent literary piece created by renowned African-American fantasy writer and novelist of contemporary times Octavia Butler. This superb piece encompasses the most burning issues and problems faced by the African-American community. The novel throws light on the pathetic condition of the black slaves and vehemently condemns domestic violence and slavery inflicted and imposed upon the black stratum of the American society. The novel also discusses atrocities and hatred exercised upon the African Americans on the basis of racial and ethnic discrimination prevailing in the society. Butler points out the communication gap between spouses and family members, which adds to the misery of the black

Multiple stereotypes about African Americans arose from slavery during the 19th century including: The Uncle, the Auntie, Sambo, the coon, and the pickaninny. However, there were other stereotypes, including the Mammy and the Jezebel, that were specifically directed at black women. These degrading stereotypes are illustrated in Octavia Butler’s novel and comic book, Kindred, by attributing female characters with various traits that typically accompany these stereotypes. Thus, this essay will discuss the ways in which each prominent female character either embodied or challenged the characteristics that coincide with those two stereotypes. Sarah is a character who most obviously typifies the Mammy stereotype.

This also illustrates how Dana believes she can have a lasting effect on Rufus, to steer him away from the ways of his father. However, she only has a limited period of time to shed her 20th century mentality on him. And, Rufus’ change is not gradual relative to Dana, because every time she returns, she finds Rufus years older, and acting that much more like his father.

At one point in the novel, Dana’s other ancestor, Alice, unfortunately is forced to commit suicide by hanging herself in order to save herself from Rufus, who is obsessively in love her, but ultimately ends up selling her children away into slavery as a punishment and out of spite for Alice denying his love and running away from him off his plantation with her husband. Violence and Suicide are two of the biggest issues we face in the world today and both factors affect the majority of people in the world, including our loved ones. Some differing viewpoints that the act of suicide has brought upon are, committing suicide is wrong, suicide has its benefits and consequences and suicide can be prevented. In most suicidal cases, the victim commits suicide only due to the feeling of

Octavia Butler’s Dawn explores a world of the unknown after humans nearly destroy their kind along with Earth, causing an extraterrestrial species to intervene. The protagonist, Lilith, finds herself in a predicament as she is captured and locked in solidarity for a long. The extraterrestrial species that intervenes, Oankali, strip her of her clothes, mysteriously cut her and then tell her it is her role to mother a group of humans and prepare them for a return to Earth. In the novel Lilith is conflicted, she knows she has no control of her body and that humans have been “enslaved” by the Oankali but begins to trust and connect with them, especially Nikanj. Through the relationship of Lilith and Nikanj side by side with Humans and the Oankali, Octavia Butler explores the monstrous aspects of people and acts within the cultures.

Today's children learn and are influenced by their surrounding and environment. Children do not know any better; for them, it’s monkey see, monkey do. Today’s youth are taught to respect everyone of every race. However, back in the time of slaves, children were taught to despise blacks, and that's what most of them did. In the book Kindred, Dana Franklin journeys back and forth to the Antebellum South multiple times to see her past family who are slaves and the owner Rufus Weylin. On multiple occasions, Dana voyages back to the past to help Rufus when he is in danger, so her life does not become corrupt. Each time she goes back, different levels of danger await her. As Dana travels home and back to the past, she witnesses Rufus grow from

It was dangerous for Dana because she spoke as the educated women that she was, so when talking with someone new they would comment on her educated speech. “It was dangerous to educate slaves, they warned. Education made blacks dissatisfied with slavery. It spoiled them for field work. The Methodist minister said it made them disobedient, made them want more than the Lord intended them to have. “(Butler, 236). With the lack of education given to the slaves it is hard to know and understand just how bad things truly got. When Dana time- travels she is treated as one of the slaves because she doesn’t have papers saying that she is freewomen, considering she is living in the 1900s. Throughout the novel Dana protects Rufus from many things because she sees it as crucial for her to help because if he were to die then her life could be altered drastically. Those who helped free the slaves as Kevin did when he got taken back in time are also seemingly forgotten. With the risk of getting caught, whether it was teaching the slaves or assisting them to run away. Those whether black or white put their lives on the line to help those who couldn’t help

I have a heart for books that can transport the reader back through time, but much like the main character, Dana, such time travel is masochist to experience. I 'm not talking about the realistic depiction of slavery. I think this book was read in every American Literature class in America.

In the trilogy, Adulthood Rites, Octavia Butler define the “Human Contradiction” as intelligence and hierarchical behavior. In other words, humans are an intelligent species, but they vitalize social status as a determining factor in their society which has led to arguments, war, and ultimately the destruction of their world. During Butler’s interview at UCLA in 2002, she talks about how technologically advance our society has gotten especially in the weaponry used for war. Humans have developed the tools of destruction to show superiority but, in the novel, Butler demonstrates how those tools not only wiped out their enemies but the entire human species. In Adulthood Rites and Octavia’s interview, Butler demonstrates how social status has created an unjust division between neighboring societies whom have conformed to the superior and inferior binary of power. Octavia Butler also predicts that, if nothing is done to help minimize the level of influence of social division, this separation of power among humans could result in irreversible damages.

Bryan searched for his roommate after Ashleigh walked off to dance. He eventually found Jay on the back porch with his girlfriend and a brunette, who were drunk and in the process of trying to rip each other’s hair out. He stepped between the women and tried to get them to stop fighting, only to get punched in the nose by Jay’s girlfriend, Amy, and kicked in the nuts by the woman Jay had obviously been flirting with. “Alright, knock it off!” Bryan yelled, which only earned him a glare from both women and a frown from

He reaches out and picks up his thirteen-inch kitchen knife, a chef’s companion. It seems to glimmer under the fluorescent lights. He extends his arm sharply and deliberately and buries at least four inches into Mayang’s throat. Her eyes grow to the size of golf balls bulging from her face. Her hands fly to her throat as she stumbles back, falling off the end of the blade. The sound of her incessant nagging is replaced with wet gulps for air. Blood pours down the front of Mayang with a few squirts escaping between her fingers every once in a while. As she stumbles back further, crossing the threshold into the living room Marcus walks forward matching her pace. Their gaze locked on one another. Mayang trips over the end table knocking it over and falls backward. The tables glass top shatters casting tiny shards across the room. Mayang tries to grab the couch to steady herself but collapses behind it leaving a swath of blood down the back. Her hands slowly release her neck and come to a rest at her side. Marcus kneels, straddling Mayang. watching as her eyes lose focus, her breathing slows, her throat fills with blood, and her body goes limp. Marcus looks on expressionless, slumped on top of her. He’s still for a moment longer before erupting in a fit of rage. He raises the knife above his head. Again, the heartbeat rises in his

Are humans born evil or are we all manifestations of our environment. Kindred written by Octavia E. Butler is a story about a black woman named Dana, who is drawn back in time to save one of her ancestors who is a white man, Rufus is the son of a plantation owner and lives in the antebellum south. When Rufus’s life is in danger Dana is brought back to his time period to save him, this occurs throughout Rufus’s entire life. Each time Dana returns back to Rufus's timeline she must endure and try to stay alive, and each time she returns she must stay in Rufus time even longer than her previous trip before. As Rufus gets older we see his transformation from a young boy to the man that nearly sends Dana over the edge.

Octavia Butler's Kindred is a unique entry to the Slave Narrative tradition. Kindred uses time travel to enable the main character, Edana, who only known as Dana in the novel, to travel back to the slave era to meet a specific branch of her family tree. The science-fiction elements of this novel are the reasons I would classify this novel as a Neo-slave narrative. While it could be debated whether or not the novel could be classified as a slave narrative in any way, its focus on slavery and the trauma that slaves endured help make its case for being placed in the neo-slave narrative genre.