Instead there are characters that could be both cruel and pitiful, kind yet bitter. Despite the scenario, there are no clear good guys or bad guys. Both she and her husband, Kevin, show admirable self-control in a situation in which they have little grasp of.Īll of the characters Butler introduces are vividly realistic. She does not waste time panicking deciding instead that the best way of surviving this terrifying experience is to prepare herself as best as she can: first by reading about the period in which she is transported to and then by trying to discern a pattern in the causes of these leaps back in time. Despite the shock caused by being flung back in time, she does not lose her wits: she faces her situation with as much practicality as possible. Slavery is a long slow process of dulling.ĭana is a very relatable and likable main character. Dana’s own resolves and belief are tested beyond measure again and again throughout the course of the book. Dana herself is initially incapable of comprehending the horror she witnesses during her journeys back in time. But then, slavery of any kind fostered strange relationship.īutler does not shy away from describing the terrible abuse and violence slaves were forced to endure in the 19th century. I had thought my feelings were complicated because he and I had such a strange relationship. Butler convincingly depicts deeply complex and believable characters in a unthinkably brutal world. From its prologue to its epilogue, the story demands attention. Octavia Butler has created a tale in which a young woman is thrust into a violent past that forces her to into a relentlessly dangerous position. While policies have greatly improved interracial relationships in Dana and Kelvin’s world, it is a lot worse in Rufus’ world, and this is a major reason readers will notice a streak of political, socio-economic, and socio-psychological backwardness in Rufus’ time.ĭespite a torturous description of a world where one race dominated over the other – followed by a subsequent sufficing of actions that are abusive as they are dehumanizing, for posterity, the most important take away from Butler’s groundbreaking book ‘ Kindred’ is the need for all of the human race to stand together in unity, and recognize that we are first of all humans – before we are Black or white.‘You’re gambling. From a reader’s standpoint, it’s clear that the biggest cause of social instability in both timelines is racism – a concept to which the practice of slavery came to be born. In ‘ Kindred’, Butler tries to compare life and the whole living conditions in two distinct realities – first is Dana’s present time of 1976, and second is Rufus’ era of the early 1800s. And although her book ‘ Kindred’ is mostly classified as belonging to sci-fi, interracial matters clearly top the list of important agendas discussed for the most part of the book. Butler certainly gets readers in deep water with ‘Kindred’ but is also kind enough to salvage the story in ways that are verifiable and realistic.īutler is one of the first science fiction genre writers to unite gender, ethnicity, and race with the intricacies of time travel. However, Dana does have greater control over departing Rufus’ messy world and back to her own 1976 timeline, and this is usually when she feels afraid or becomes terrified for her life. Interestingly, it does seem as though Dana has the power to travel through time, but a more keen attention to the facts of the book suggests she doesn’t and is only able to do so because of being summoned somehow, someway into the 1800s by Rufus every time he’s in trouble. Twenty-six years old young female protagonist Dana really does travel back in time on more than a few occasions to save her ancestor from potential life-threatening dangers which, for the most part, are caused by either Rufus himself or his mean father Tom. Themes such as gender, violence, power, abuse, slavery, and marriage, among other things, are given a good amount of time in the book and then there is the time travel aspect which in itself is as intricate as it is perplexing – and usually a stand-alone subject of thought. And despite being written by a Black author, the book doesn’t show signs of pontification.Īfter reading ‘ Kindred’, I’m left with one thought: It’s a brave and courageous book, and Butler must have been a brilliant writer of her time for going so deep and thorough on the themes in less than three hundred book pages. Butler – through ‘ Kindred’ – dares to tackle a range of interesting topics which are considered very complicated and controversial to handle. The book is a complete joy to read and has several takeaways and hidden lessons for readers to walk away with. Butler’s masterly description and art of storytelling – with an easy, minimalistic flow of diction – make the book such an unputdownable piece of art. With ‘ Kindred’, readers observe how Octavia E.
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