shadesofsue

[shadesofsue]

A critique of Octavia Butler's Kindred

Octavia Butler, born June 22nd, 1947, is an American author known for her futuristic science fiction writings. She has won multiple awards for her work, notably a McArthur Fellowship, the Hugo, and Nebula awards. Her novels are known to cover important topics such as racial issues, women’s rights, sexuality, global warming, and species. A work of hers that explores such grand themes is her 1979 novel Kindred, which showcases important topics such as slavery, the influence of power, and a critique of American history, through the story of Dana, an African American woman who finds herself traveling through time between 1976, from her California home to a Maryland plantation in 1815. Throughout this voyage, the protagonist meets her ancestors Alice, a free Black woman, and Rufus, the son of a plantation and slave owner, who then becomes the inheritor of his father’s estate. As Dana and Rufus figure out that her stay prolongates when Rufus’ life is endangered, the protagonist spends her time on the plantation as a way to ensure her own survival but also those of her ancestors, as well as a means to teach Rufus how to be a better person towards the slaves he owns. While the novel covers many themes, in this article, we will look through the corrupting influence of power that, Dana’s husband Kevin and Rufus are subjected to.

            Kevin and Rufus are both shown as imperfect characters who lose themselves within the influence that the power of being a white male gives them. Kevin, a white man from the 1970s, is described as a kind and educated man who is protective of Dana against his family’s racial prejudices. After he is sent back to the 19th century with his wife, Kevin has to portray himself as Dana’s potential owner as a means to protect them both if they were to come across patrollers or other white slave owners. Soon enough, Kevin gets a teaching job at the Weylin plantation, and they agree with Dana to stay in the past to ensure the fruition of her plan. While Kevin is a supportive partner for Dana during their entire visit, occasionally, he starts making comments that seemingly come from a privileged place. Indeed, at some point, he remarks how slaves are not treated as badly as he thought they would be. Although Kevin is unaware of the occasional whipping the slaves of the Weylin family are being subjected to, they remain within the invisible shackles of slavery which restrains their rights considerably. However, through time travel and the passing of time, Butler allows her characters to grow older and gives them an opportunity for character development. When Dana and Kevin finally reunite after 8 years for Kevin and a few days for Dana, Kevin shares his implication in the release of slaves and their education, which proves to us that while he is an imperfect character, his long stay in 19th century does not change him for the worse as a white person.

            On the other hand, the character of Rufus is also subjected to a very influential level of power as his father’s estate passes onto him, however, he is not able to fight off the negative effects this has on his relationship with Alice and Dana. As a child, Rufus shows openness to Dana’s teachings about slavery, free Black people, and the life that she lives in the 20th century. As he grows older, Rufus becomes very possessive of Dana and Alice, as he constantly demands their attention for himself alone. He goes as far as to attempt to sexually assault Alice as he could not accept that the woman did not want him. Through the character of Rufus, Butler tries to show her readers the complicated relationship a master can have with his slaves. While Dana has always taught Rufus to be respectful of every individual he encounters regardless of their race and gender, he thinks himself entitled to their person as a whole. By the end of the novel, the young man becomes an unredeemable character and he never really learns to respect black people as Dana has intended him to.

            To sum up, Butler’s exploration of the theme of power shows two white male characters who use their racial superiority differently. While Kevin grows out of his misconception of 19th-century America and uses his privilege to make changes, Rufus ages to be a toxic person to the people around him. Using the themes of power and privilege, Octavia Butler successfully draws a contrast between the two male characters which adds up to the experience of reading this novel.