essay prompts for kindred

by Octavia E. Butler

Kindred essay questions.

How does Dana's perspective on history change through the course of the novel?

Dana is sent between the past and the present and has to adjust her thinking on history itself. She first has a privileged 20th century mentality and sees herself as a spectator and an outsider; however, as time goes on (literally), she becomes more of an "agent of history," as critic Ashraf H.A. Rushdy writes. She has to make herself a historical subject in the past and see how history is still unfolding in the present. She uses writing to do so, writing in both the past and the present in the most personal way, and linking her family history and community through this medium.

How progressive of a man is Kevin?

Kevin is certainly progressive in many ways. He has married a black woman whom he treats well and fosters an egalitarian relationship; he is intelligent and well-read, excoriates slavery and slaveowners; and he becomes an abolitionist when he is left in the 19th century. However, he is still a man, and sometimes his ideas about his wife seem antiquated. He assumed she would type his manuscripts, and some of his comments about rape are problematic. He also does not seem to see the realities of slavery as Dana does, because he is white. He occasionally allows his privilege that stems from his skin color and gender to blind him to what is actually going on, and to make tone-deaf comments about the time period. He is certainly much better than many other white men, but there are some issues to be aware of.

Why does Dana need to kill Rufus, and what is the significance of this action?

Initially, Dana is unsure about killing Rufus. She wonders if this will destroy her own bloodline and thus obviate her own birth, and she also wonders if his death would be bad for the Weylin slaves. However, when Rufus tries to rape Dana, she does not hesitate, and kills him. This is a way for her to finally assert herself as a black woman; it reveals that she learned the lessons from her time as a slave that she needed to learn. She will not give up her body like she gave up certain other things from her self.

What are Dana's thoughts regarding Sarah, and how do they change over the course of the novel?

When Dana initially meets Sarah she is rather disdainful of her. She wonders why she is mean to the other slaves and why she seems disinclined to be open about her life. The biggest issue, though, is that Sarah seems to have accepted her life as a slave and does not resist in the way Dana thinks she and Alice do. She sees Sarah as a "Mammy" figure, and feels morally superior to her. As time goes on, though, she comes to see that this is unfair. Sarah is doing all she can; this is her form of resistance. Slavery is so abominable and incomprehensible that resistance can take all forms, and Sarah is no exception in this regard.

What is the significance of Alice and Dana being considered two halves of the same woman?

Dana and Alice look the same because they are related, but their similarities are important in other ways as well. Both are smart, independent, wily, and desirous of developing their sense of self. They seem to think the same and have the same fiery spirit. Dana, living in the 20th century, has the ability to manifest these traits much more easily. She says what she thinks, is self-employed, and is in a mostly egalitarian marriage. Alice on the other hand is privy to the whims of her white master, although she chafes at this control. It is very likely that if Dana were actually a slave she would be just like Alice, and if Alice lived in the 20th century, she would be just like Dana. Finally, both women exert a pull over Rufus, and both escape him in their own way–Alice by suicide, and Dana by killing him.

Kindred Questions and Answers

The Question and Answer section for Kindred is a great resource to ask questions, find answers, and discuss the novel.

Why is Isaac fighting with Rufus?

Isaac is fighting with Rufus because Rufus was trying to seduce Alice.

How does she influence him and his attitude toward slavery?

Dana really has no influence on Rufus' attitude towards slavery. Though she meets him when he is a mere child, he still grows up to be a man who abuses and oppresses his slave, and rapes the women.

How long has it been in 1976?

The time span between the past and the present is approximately 150 years.

Study Guide for Kindred

Kindred is a novel by Octavia Butler. The Kindred study guide contains a biography of Octavia E. Butler, literature essays, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full summary and analysis.

• About Kindred
• Kindred Summary
• Character List

Essays for Kindred

Kindred is a book by Octavia Butler. Kindred literature essays are academic essays for citation. These papers were written primarily by students and provide critical analysis of Kindred.

• Chronotopic Shaping and Reshaping in H.G. Wells' The Time Machine and Octavia E. Butler's Kindred
• The Concept of "Home"
• Cultural Trauma Narratives' Use of Supernatural Elements
• The Many Forms of Home
• Individuals that Transcend Time: Non-linear and Fantastical Narratives of Kindred and The Rag Doll Plagues

Lesson Plan for Kindred

• About the Author
• Study Objectives
• Common Core Standards
• Introduction to Kindred
• Relationship to Other Books
• Bringing in Technology
• Notes to the Teacher
• Related Links
• Kindred Bibliography

Wikipedia Entries for Kindred

• Introduction
• Main themes

“Kindred” by Octavia Butler Literature Analysis Essay

• To find inspiration for your paper and overcome writer’s block
• As a source of information (ensure proper referencing)
• As a template for you assignment

“Kindred” is a book that tells the story of slavery, survival, and love. Octavia Butler employs the thriller genre to present her slavery narrative. Butler’s narrative can be summarized as the main character’s journey in which she meets her ancestor, saves her ancestor, and then kills her ancestor. “Kindred” does make use of strong emotions such as those used in Tony Morrison’s book “Beloved.”

Also, the author does not invest too much in her characters as Hailey did in “Roots.” However, the book manages to present the reader with a realistic possibility of being involved in slavery. The author of “Kindred” labels the book as a work of science fiction even though the book fits more into other genres such as thriller, time travel, black history fiction, drama, and love story genres.

The book begins in 1976 when a couple is moving into a new house. The couple consists of Kevin, a white novelist and his wife, twenty-six-year-old African American aspiring writer Edana Franklin. When the two are unpacking their belongings, Dana starts feeling dizzy, passes out, and finds herself in an unfamiliar world. Dana finds herself in front of a river where a white boy is drowning. Instinctively, she jumps into the river and saves the boy.

This is in spite of the fact that the boy’s mother is yelling to Dana to “get her black hands off her son” (Butler 11). The boy’s father points a gun to Dana’s head, and before he shoots her, she is taken back to her apartment where Kevin is looking at her in awe. Dana’s husband informs her that she had been teleported, but even before she processes this information, it happens again.

Dana meets with the same boy while he is trying to burn down a house and manages to rescue him in time. This time Dana manages to ask some questions, and she learns that she is involved in time travel and the little boy is his ancestor. Dana has been picked to be the one who keeps the boy alive until he can start his ancestry (Butler 24). Therefore, if the boy dies before starting a bloodline, Dana’s existence will be in jeopardy.

In the course of her time travel episodes, Dana comes face to face with many misfortunes including almost being raped and killed. Her biggest challenge is to identify herself in 1815 because she does not have the necessary identification documents (Butler 78). In the next few weeks, Dana is involved in various instances of time travel where she is supposed to rescue Rufus, her ancestor.

In the course of these events, she becomes close with some of the slaves in Rufus’ plantation. Also, she is involved in several adventures, including time traveling with her white husband. For instance, at one time, her husband is left stranded, and Dana “has to go back five years to rescue him” (Butler 135).

The book mostly relies on the main character when telling the slavery story. The main heroine is a knowledgeable African American woman who is married to a white novelist. Dana’s wide knowledge of historical and social matters is very instrumental during her time travel episodes. The author uses the heroine to explore black history. When Dana is transported to the past, she adapts to that environment with ease. Her intellect helps her in understanding the plight of a nineteenth century black woman.

During her time at the plantation, Dana faces her predicament with dignity. In spite of all the things that happen to Dana, she just shrugs them off and keeps on going. She avoids getting involved in any of the modern Civil Rights palaver. It would be correct to assume that any person from the Civil Rights’ Era would be too eager to preach the equal rights gospel to the stakeholders of slavery. However, the author chooses not to delve into this angle and creates a character who understands the history and the scenarios surrounding slavery.

Moreover, Dana’s attitude towards the characters she encounters during her time travel is civil and compassionate. Dana’s role is to be an observer of slavery and not a critic. The main character recognizes that her protests will not change either the past or the future. All she needs to do is to ensure that the past is not distorted so that her current life is guaranteed.

For instance, she does not try to ‘change Rufus’ behavior’ during her interactions with him (Butler 102). By not being vocal against slavery and the other injustices she encounters, Butler’s main character acts as a trustworthy slavery observer. Dana seems to understand that the characters she encounters are a product of their time, and that is why she carries on with her life unperturbed by people’s actions.

Nevertheless, Dana is not ignorant of the challenges she witnesses during her time travel. This is in line with the author’s aim of exploring slavery from the inside while still maintaining a periodical distance. The same applies to Kevin when he travels back to 1815. Although he has the advantage of not being mistaken for a slave, he does not try to alter the dynamics of the past. The only radical activity Kevin engages in is “aiding escaping slaves” (Butler 199). However, this was a common practice during the slavery period.

The metaphor of time travel is used extensively in this book. The author uses time travel to subdivide the sections in her book. Each time-travel episode in the book gives a complete section of the story. The time travel metaphor is not used as a scientific aspect, but it is used to show the passage of time. The author does not explain the mechanisms of time travel, but she uses it as an interface between the past and the present. The simple nature of this time travel shows how people consider slavery as a simple occurrence.

At the beginning of the book, time travel is a little shocking, but as the book progresses, it becomes mundane. The metaphor of time travel shows how easy it is for people to get used to the institution of slavery in the same Dana gets used to time travel and slavery.

The main character’s inability to control her time travel episodes is a metaphor for how the people who were entrapped in slavery were unable to control their fate. Dana moves back and forth in her time travel episodes, just like the people who were involved in slavery were moved around by its events.

“Kindred” is more about fantasy time travel than it is about science and fiction. First, the author does not try to explain the metaphysics behind the time travel aspect. This implies the science behind the time travel is irrelevant to the story being told. Butler’s characters just find themselves in a tricky situation, and they try their best to maneuver through their predicaments and come out alive. The essence of time travel is to allow the plot to develop.

The author explores how modern people would fare in slavery, Maryland irrespective of their race. In one instance, Dana claims that reality in 1815 is “a sharper and stronger reality” (Butler 191). The author uses Dana and her husband as a thought provocation mechanism. Through these two main characters, the reader can contemplate what it would be like to survive through the most difficult days of slavery. Also, readers can think about how this experience would change their historical outlook.

Depending on whether the reader is white or black, his/her survival chances would vary. The question of how an individual might react to the slavery environment also comes up. Several people would react differently to how Dana reacted. For instance, most people would be too eager to demand their rights and freedoms, while others would most likely urge the enslaved characters to revolt.

The author makes Dana’s quick adaptation to slavery seem easy. However, readers find it hard to believe that an ordinary human being would adapt to such hardships with ease. The author wants the readers to believe that the main actor easily adapted to her new environment with few reservations. For instance, Dana observes that “the slaves seemed to like Rufus and fear him at the same time” (Butler 229). However, this outcome is quite unlikely in such a scenario.

Although the book is fictional, it would be more realistic if the main character put up a resistance against her new predicament. The author fronts her book as a work of science fiction. However, her work ignores the parameters of science fiction. Science fiction readers would find the book substandard in various aspects. The author also seems to misuse several literary genres in a bid to pass her message across. Science fiction is one of the genres that the author associates her work with but fails to abide by their disciplines.

Moreover, the author touches on time travel and love story genres but does not fully commit to these genres. The author avoids abiding in any specific genre in a bid to remain true to her core themes. However, the author risked producing substandard literary work by not abiding by any specific genre.

The book’s author presents a near accurate 1815, but her 1976 is too idealized. According to the author, the main character has not encountered any major racial prejudice in her life. This would be an unlikely development in 1976 because racial prejudice was common. Therefore, Dana would have encountered racial prejudice in the course of her education, her social encounters, or her part-time job.

According to the author, Dana could have been “the little woman who knew very little about freedom….the female Uncle Tom” (Butler 145). This assumption prompts the reader to speculate that the main character was living in a 1976 Utopia. This would also mean that the book was a challenge to African Americans who are ignorant of their slavery history.

Although the author makes several genre-related oversights, “Kindred” is a fascinating and thrilling time-travel account. The author strikes a perfect balance between fiction and human drama. The author relies on her well-balanced main character to deliver her message to the readers. Overall, the book is a well-researched time travel cum black history account on the effects of slavery on a modern white or black American.

Works Cited

Butler, Octavia. Kindred , New York, NY: Beacon Press, 1988. Print.

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Bibliography

IvyPanda . ""Kindred" by Octavia Butler Literature Analysis." May 8, 2020. https://ivypanda.com/essays/kindred-by-octavia-butler-literature-analysis/.

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Personal Response Prompt

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Traditional understanding of the slave narrative paints a clear-cut oppositional relationship between Black people that were held as slaves and their purported owners, yet Kindred tells a much messier story of power dynamics, compromise, and love. How did you feel about that messiness and its impact on Dana’s thought process?

Teaching Suggestion: The most difficult part of Kindred for many audiences will be Dana’s Stockholm-like relationship with Rufus, and many may read her as passive—even complacent—about the goings-on of the Weylin household. This question is intended to help students work through the difficult situation Dana was in; the lack of utter brutality on the part of Rufus creates a power dynamic based on his need for love, highlighting The Complicated Power Dynamics of Slavery .

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Post-Reading Analysis

Octavia E. Butler was a groundbreaking Black science fiction writer, yet this book uses a science fiction premise to present a work of speculative historical fiction, making Dana’s present in the 1970s the future of the novel’s main plot. How does this impact the plot of the novel? Does Dana’s present “matter” in the context of Black life under slavery?

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Octavia Butler, Kindred Lesson plans and teaching resources

Discussion points for readers of Kindred An extensive set of discussion questions organized by category: the author and her craft, characters and motivation, issues and themes, and speculative questions.

Essay on Racism Audio file of an NPR interview with Butler. Follow the link to the text of her essay.

Essay Topics Scroll down on the page for a list of 10 possible essay topics.

Inverting history in Octavia Butler's postmodern slave narrative Critical commentary on Kindred .

Kindred This reading group guide includes a summary and discussion questions.

A Teacher's Guide for Kindred by Octavia Butler 10 days of lessons, including pre-reading journal and discussion questions; work with irony, paradox, and foreshadowing; comparing and contrasting characters, writing assessment options. Common Core standards indicated throughout. 22 pages; Adobe Reader required.

Travelling into the Antebellum South: Reading Kindred by Octavia Butler A 5-week unit designed for grades 11 or 12. Students work with primary source documents accessed online via the Library of Congress. The unit includes handouts for literature circles, found poems, writing prompts, and assessment rubric. This 25-page document requires a word processor for access.

Home / Essay Samples / Life / Family / Kindred

Kindred Essay Examples

Oppression, possession, and violence: analysis of kindred.

In the novel, Kindred by Octavia Butler, the perspective of the author was told through Dana, the protagonist of the novel. It initially started as she found herself in a dangerous situation where she needed to save a boy, named Rufus, which is in imminent...

The Harmful Effects of Trauma and Abuse in Octavia Butler's Kindred

Octavia Butler's writing about the Ante-bellum South in Kindred highlights the consequences of American slavery and the continuous racism and prejudice that still resides in modern-day America. Dana is exploited throughout the novel-- subtly by her husband, Kevin Franklin, and severely by her 'master' and...

The Merging of Times in Kindred by Octavia E. Butler

One of the longest and most pivotal transformations the United States has been through is the abolishing of slavery and Jim Crow laws. However, race and gender inequality still persist in many avenues of society ranging from the streets to the workplace. To showcase the...

Literary Analysis of the Novel Kindred by Octavia Butler

“Kindred” is a novel by Octavia Butler that includes aspects of the time-travel genre and is based on a slave narrative perspective. The book is written in the first-person perspective of an African-American woman, named Dana, who finds herself being transported between ‘present’ time Los...

The Issue of Race and Gender in Octavia Butler’s Kindred

While Kindred by Octavia E. Butler is primarily a novel exploring the slavery of blacks in the United States, it also takes a secondary theme of exploring the lives of women in general in the South during this time. The contrast between Dana and the...

Analysis of Dana’s Empathy Throughout the Novel Kindred

Empathy allows a person to place themselves in the shoes of another. Often, being in someone else’s shoes allows for an entirely different perspective. In Octavia Butler’s novel Kindred, the main character displays empathy that may be difficult for the reader to process. Butler’s purposeful...

Neo-slavery and Time-travel Genres Within Octavia Butler’s Kindred

When writing fiction novels; many authors of the last century tend to incorporate more than one genre, to explore different and intricate ways a message can be delivered. Octavia Butler's novel Kindred, has a multifaceted analysis of different genres which help her express the overall...

Estrangement and Cognition in Kindred by Octavia Butler

Can it be said that SF genre has only scientific probability? Most people are beginning to see SF as a movie, animation, or game. However, few people can clearly distinguish what exactly SF means. As people call it Science Fiction, they will guess that SF...

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About Kindred

June 1979, by Octavia E. Butler

Neo-slave narrative

The book is the first-person account of a young African-American woman writer, Dana, who finds herself being shunted in time between her Los Angeles, California home in 1976 and a pre-Civil War Maryland plantation.

Kindred looks at the practice of slavery in the American South from the perspective of a Black woman in the 1970s. Like many of Butler's other books, this one engages the reader with themes of race, power, gender, and class through the use of skillful storytelling.

Edana (Dana) Franklin, Rufus Weylin, Kevin Franklin, Tom Weylin, Alice Greenwood, Sarah, Margaret Weylin, Hagar Weylin, Luke, etc.

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