Kindred by Octavia Butler - 671 Words

Fictional writers often write about the human condition as a way to connect with readers who contain narrow knowledge. In fictional books, characters are given emotion and senses like any other actual person, which can make the reader relate quicker in detail unlike factual novels. In other words, readers gain a new perspective on a period of time by examining a fiction novel. Ironically, some argue fiction can educate us about part of our life by enabling us to relate and empathize. I am certain that many people can learn factual items in fictional stories. In Kindred, by Octavia Butler, the near death experiences of Rufus Weylin transported an African American woman named Dana from 1976, to the antebellum south to gain an unbelievable experience of what it is like to have been a slave. Through her daily life on the Weylin plantation, the reader begins to understand just how complicated slavery is and how it affects both the slaves and the plantation owners. This novel gave a new de finition of reality and a new meaning of the 19th century exploitation practice. Butler first describes the scenery of where she is living by stating she lived in Southern California. She then states that Dana is transported to Maryland in 1815. â€Å"I was in a green pace. I was at the edge of woods. Before me was a wide tranquil river... [13]† From this acute description, the reader can imagine that Dana is at a place that is not urban like Southern California in 1976. As the story progresses,Show MoreRelatedKindred, By Octavia Butler Essay1434 Words   |  6 Pagessignificant other? In the novel Kindred, by Octavia Butler, Rufus learns this the hard way, after inheriting power over slaves; he was caught between love and reality. Where Alice, the one Rufus loved, was in love with another man; but Rufus being the slave owner, had the power to make her love him†¦or so he thought. Love/power can make you do some of the most questionable acts in life, just as it did to Rufus and Alice in the bygone days of slavery. Octavia Butler shows us the compelling force thatRead MoreKindred, By Octavia Butler Essay1679 Words   |  7 PagesIn Octavia Butler’s novel Kindred, she creates a unique science fiction, first person slave narrative that illustrates the structures designed by white people to suppress black people in America. Just as other slave narratives, her novel helps bring remembrance to slavery and how it is still apparent in today’s society. Butlers makes it clear in her book that white people were able to gain their power by the establishment of a racial hierarchy and an additional marginalization of black women, whichRead MoreKindred, By Octavia Butler1061 Words   |  5 Pages Published June 1971,Octavia Butler’s science fiction narrative, Kindred, gives a glimpse into how life was for African Americans during slavery in the Antebellum South. Kindred serves as a time portal between the 1800s and the year 1976. As the main character Dana goes from an 1800’s plantation to her home in 1976 it is obvious that time period changed, however being that Dana is constantly back and forth between the two times, she is able to see exactly how drastic the change was and what libertiesRead MoreKindred, By Octavia Butler Essay1556 Words   |  7 PagesIn the novel Kindred, by Octavia Butler, the main character Dana is exposed to the brutality and exhausting existence inflicted on slaves in the 1800’s. Through intentionally suppressive measures, slave owners used a series of methods to control and manipulate an entire race of people into submission. Dana describes this process as dulling and her experiences haunt her as she is slowly broken down. â €Å"See how easily slave are made?† (Butler 177) her thoughts say; this is Butler attempting to illustrateRead MoreKindred, By Octavia Butler1527 Words   |  7 Pagesperspective varies from person to person. All human beings have experienced their own experiences and have backgrounds that, at times, play a great role in molding who that individual is. In the book Kindred by Octavia Butler, this notion of varying perspectives is tackled very head onwards. Kindred is primarily about a a young black women named Dana living in the 1970’s with her husband Kevin, an older white man. The whole story is centered around Dana and her experiences traveling back in timeRead More`` Kindred, By Octavia Butler1624 Words   |  7 PagesIn Octavia Butler’s novel, Kindred, Butler presents to the reader the controversial character of Rufus Weylin, a white plantation owner who is also the ancestor of the novel’s protagonist, Dana. As the story progresses, Rufus commits va rious heinous and agreeable acts that would have the reader question his innate goodness, or lack thereof. Butler never explicitly states whether Rufus is naturally good or inherently evil, but, through a number of incidents that merge to illustrate his true characterRead MoreEssay on Kindred, by Octavia Butler875 Words   |  4 Pages 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 atrocitiesRead More Kindred by Octavia Butler Essay1397 Words   |  6 PagesKindred by Octavia Butler Octavia Butler’s novel Kindred is categorized as science fiction because of the existence of time travel. However, the novel does not center on the schematics of this type of journey. Instead, the novel deals with the relationships forged between a Los Angeles woman from the 20th century, and slaves from the 19th century. Therefore, the mechanism of time travel allows the author a sort of freedom when writing this slavery narrative apart from her counterparts. ButlerRead More`` Kindred, By Octavia E. Butler1620 Words   |  7 Pagesthat such thing. Just because one may be aware, or understands a certain situation as it may pertain to the either themselves or others around them, does not allow them the opportunity to name the situation as a reality. In the novel, Kindred, by Octavia E. Butler, one can see how the author believes that one’s environment and, or training will shape their self-image and, thus, their feelings toward their own and others’ power or pow erlessness. The main character, Edana (Dana) Franklin, exhibitsRead MoreAnalysis Of The Book Kindred By Octavia Butler869 Words   |  4 Pages Octavia Butler displays her brilliance as a writer by creating multiple, complex characters in the novel Kindred, characters who epitomize real people with hardships, passions, and transformations that reflect the strict regulations placed upon the Southern society in the early nineteenth century. Dana faces many hardships from the moment Butler shifts her back one-hundred and sixty-one years to a time of slavery where she is stripped of her freedom. Rufus’s passion for Alice transitions into