In Octavia E. Butler's powerful novel, Kindred, an African American woman that lives in California in 1976 is involuntarily taken back in time to Maryland in 1815. The protagonist, Dana, realizes very early on in the novel that the place she keeps visiting in Maryland is in fact a plantation that her ancestors were slaves on before the Civil War. Dana knows that she cannot change the course of events in the 1800s or else she might cease to exist. Rufus Weylin, the slave master's son, is the reason Dana travels back and forth between the two times. When Rufus is near death, Dana returns to the 1800s, but when Dana's life is threatened on the plantation, she returns to 1976.
Dana is able to see first hand what her ancestors when through as slaves and she tries to teach some morality to the slave masters. However, Rufus began to turn on her and treat her as a slave. But Dana was faces with the problem that if she were to kill Rufus, the man that continuously beats her and holds her from her freedom, she would no longer exist because he is the man who bore Dana's great great grandmother (great grandmother?).
This novel brought up many questions and thoughts within me. What if I were to travel back in time and witness first hand what my predecessors had to endure? Although I am not of African American descent, I am Mexican. And although many people do not study or know this, Mexican American's were treated similarly to blacks. On the west coast, southwest, and into Texas, Mexican American's were lynched, beaten, and worked to the bone.
I did do research on the treatment and discrimination of my ancestors and came to find that when my great grandparents first came from Mexico, they worked in the field year round since they were six years old. The Texas Rangers were white men of power who would travel throughout Texas and beat Mexicans simply because they could. On several undocumented occasions, Mexican Americans were taken from their homes and lynched.
When my grandparents were growing up in Texas, my grandfather (a dark skinned Mexican) was discriminated against almost constantly. He was turned away from restaurants, he was treated unfairly, and was beaten up for no reasons at all; while my grandmother (a light skinned Mexican) was only discriminated against if she spoke, due to her heavy accent, otherwise simply based on the color of her skin, she was treated equally.
I couldn't imagine going through what Dana did, but I can only be thankful for what my predecessors have done for me. This novel opened up my eyes and really made me realize how blessed I am that because of what my ancestors endured, I can live my life with less worry.
Cassandra, I’m sure just like many of us from the class, Kindred by Octavia Butler was a surprise for those who had no idea what the plot was going to be about. Seeing an African American woman on the cover of the book and knowing from Professor Oster that it will be about oppression, my first impression was: “Here comes another slavery and oppression book that will have a serious tone with characters who speak formally to each other and on top of that, it will have women discrimination.” This was my first impression not because I dislike those books nor do I dismiss the seriousness of the topic, but I think it is because we would never expect a science-fiction element fused with slavery.
ReplyDeleteI think that you make a great point on how the story was so well put together that it makes you question how it would be if we were all of a sudden placed in that kind of setting. Based on all the literatures we have read, violence is real in the time of slavery and it is an everyday thing. Based on this, I’m sure many people will have a panic attack just to comprehend the danger, especially if you are a person of color. I know I will.
In my opinion, what made the book really alive and captivating was the fact that Dana is a modern woman. Her reactions and reflections on the events she went through were accurate as of what a modern woman would say. The scene that showed that was in the chapter “Fire” where she witnessed the whipping of a man (p. 36). Her disgust and helplessness displayed how overwhelmed she was, very much of how many of us will feel if placed in a situation we’ve only read about.
Going back to what you wrote about your ancestors, I think it is intriguing what the differences are if books like Kindred were written in various time era and culture. For example, if places like Mexico (one that you mentioned), Asia, Africa, Europe or Middle East were the central topic of this time traveling plot, there would be many differences I’m sure.
Finally, one of my friends was telling me a movie she recently watched and after hearing the synopsis, I thought: Kindred! The movie is “Midnight in Paris” directed by Woody Allen. It is about a modern writer who travels back to the 1920’s where famous American Writer such as F. Scott Fitzgerald is still alive. The movie apparently also deals relationship and the idea of nostalgia. I have yet to watch it but I’m sure you will find it interesting; I am planning to see the movie when I have time.
Cassandra, I really enjoyed the fact that you put your own family background into this blog and incorporated it into the story Kindred. I think this strays from the usual blog which only refers to the text and I was really interested to read about your ancestors as well. I think I enjoyed it so much because I too can relate to being thankful for what my ancestors went through in order for me to have the life I do.
ReplyDeleteI feel like the majority of the class was asking the same question "what would I do if I were put in the same situation as Dana?" It's easy to say you would stand up for yourself if need be and the time came, but would that still be true once you were forced in the actual situation first hand? In the scene where Dana was being chased and almost raped she couldn't find it in her to use any method of protection, she mentions "I had only to move my fingers a little and jab them into the soft tissues, gouge away his sight and give him more agony that he was giving me. But I couldn't do it. The thought sickened me, froze my hands where they were. i had to do it! But I couldn't..." (Butler 42). Why couldn't she find it in her protect herself? This was something I couldn't quite understand but at the same time, no one really knows how they would react if they were put into a similar situation as Dana because even Dana couldn't do what most of us would think would come naturally.