Relationship Between The Past And The Present In Octavia Butler’s “Kindred”
Octavia’s Kindred has two main themes: time travel and slaves. The novel was published in 1979 and focuses on a number of issues that occurred during slavery, including abuse of power, gender hierarchies, and racial conflict. Dana, who is black and lives in the 20th century, has the ability to travel back into history to save a white ancestor. She is introduced to the complicated life of a woman who was black in the 1800s, as well as the survival necessities. Octavia’s Kindred is a novel that establishes a strong relationship between the future and past. She does this by presenting traces and a connection of the previous in the now and the existing in the old to highlight the similarities.
In the 1970s there were still tensions among whites and blacks in America. It was not a complete end to segregation. Even though blacks and a whites could coexist, society still saw them as being separate. In the history of the 1960s-1970s, themes of racism, gender equality, and racial superiority were highlighted. Butler’s book includes themes that are addressed in both historical periods. This helps readers understand where the problem comes from.
Dana, who is the protagonist and narrator, is a black woman in 1976 living in Los Angeles. She’s married to Kevin, an author, who’s white. Dana’s twenty-sixth year finds her transported back in time to the antebellum South during the nineteenth century. In this parallel world she must establish her identity and find freedom. Her mission is to protect Rufus in danger or harm to her ancestor. Butler creates a strong connection between her past experience from the 1800’s, and 1976.
Rufus portrays the first relationship between the past and present. As Rufus grows older, the relationship between Dana becomes more complicated. Rufus, as depicted in this book, is not your typical white male of the 1800s. He is not like his father and other slaveowners. His complex past is contrary to what history has said about white men.
Rufus and Dana’s relationship is a good comparison. The relationship is based on respect and negotiation. Rufus has been a fan of Dana since their first meeting. Dana has a different reaction to the exact same situation. Kevin asks Dana, who refuses to do so, to type up his manuscripts. Rufus then asks Dana, and she is forced to do it or face punishment. It is important because it shows racial hierarchies, but it is also significant because a black woman has the option to refuse. In the past, this was considered disrespectful and only women had the right to refuse.
Kevin’s relationship with Dana is crucial to how we perceive the present. Kevin is the white man who lived in 1976, but his ideals are the same as those of today and yesterday. Dana and He fight against the stereotypes that blacks are not able to get along with whites. Marriage to each other can cause problems, especially when there are disagreements in the family about the marriage. Interracial relationships and marriages were still not accepted by society at the time. Butler uses Kevin’s and Dana’s relationship to show how the past is still affecting society. Kevin and Dana’s marriage to black women was viewed negatively by their families in comparison to the time when Rufus could not love a woman of color publicly. This creates a divide between races and reinforces the racial system in the society. Both the main characters attempted to eliminate this in their respective time periods. Kevin and Dana understand both the complexity of each time period and the impact it has on society, where racial hierarchies are the only thing that matters. Kevin and Dana can’t go back into the past like society, so they must use history to explain it. This causes the wound to be perpetuated, because the version that is known today leaves out most details of the Civil War except for the pain and suffering of slavery.
Kevin is introduced in an interesting way by Butler. She hides Kevin’s ethnicity until later in her novel. The reader finally learns Kevin’s race in the first section of “The Fall” when Butler writes “He had an unusually white appearance, with a face that was young and almost unlined. His hair was completely gray, while his eyes were so pale they appeared almost colorless”. Kevin has now become a big comparison to Rufus as both have a significant role in Dana’s daily life. Kevin’s reactions are shaped by the society and his upbringing, even though they are very different. Dana has a similar distorted view of the past. Schmitt asserts that Kevin’s and Dana’s lives are complicated. Schmitt argues that the blandness of Kevin and Dana’s interracial relationship is indicative of Dana having to forget in order to build a meaningful relationship. Schmitt explains that society in general is “forgetting”, and this is happening around Kevin, Dana. Butler draws the reader’s attention to these events so that they can make the connection and work through Dana. Kevin is, in some ways, a reflection. He does see Dana no differently due to her color. However, he views Dana as Butler intended Rufus’s character to be by the novel’s end.
Kevin and Rufus have a similar bond to women of color. Kevin and Dana have a stronger bond than Rufus does with Alice. This is because both of them need each other in order to deal with racial problems, and also the tension of gender hierarchy. Kevin and Dana remain together throughout 1976’s problems. Kevin holds Dana tightly after Dana returns home from the 1800’s. Kevin doesn’t realize that he is hurting her. Kevin helps Dana by trying to comfort her after she complains about his treatment. Butler explains, “We both sat down on the carpet, Kevin wrapped me in a towel with an arm around my shoulders, and we were both calmed just by their presence.” Kevin is concerned that Dana will be safe and remain calm. His actions and questions are full of emotion.
Rufus and Dana’s relationship becomes more complex over time, in comparison to Kevin who focuses on power abuse, gender hierarchy, racism, and the outcomes of the conflict. Rufus initially treats Dana as an equal, but as he matures, his father’s characteristics are revealed in his behavior. Alice, who was once free and became his slave, demonstrates the values that were present at the time. Dana understood that Rufus was acting in accordance with the time and accepted norms of that era. She also saw how difficult it is for her to accept Rufus’ views of black women. Rufus claimed that Alice would have been hurt if she hadn’t allowed him to act as he chose. But he said that his actions were a result of love. Rufus’s claim to love Alice is complicated by the fact that he hurts her and gives her power.
Kevin’s present actions are in stark contrast to Rufus’ distorted understanding of love. Kevin’s actions of concern are not the same as Rufus’, but Kevin is protective and possessive of Dana. There are some comparisons that he shares with men of the 1800s. Dana, in the first chapter of the book, describes Kevin’s look when they move in together. She says, “I knew that his look wasn’t as evil as it appeared.” He had those pale, almost-colorless eyes which made him look angry or distant regardless of whether he actually was. He used his eyes to intimidate people.” The past is present in this case because the historical traits of white men, such as Rufus in the book, are reflected in it. Rufus behaves in the same way throughout. He repeatedly acts harshly toward Dana to then apologize. Kevin is the only man who acts in a protective manner without ever harming Dana. Kevin will stop Dana’s pain if he hurts her, but Rufus uses it to establish his power and to show that he is superior to women. Kevin shows some white male privilege in their moments together, but they are not as extreme as the times when Rufus asserts his full power.
Octavia ‘Butler’s Kindred concludes by establishing a strong relationship between the future and past through presenting traces and connections of the past present and past present to emphasize the similarities. The characters in Kindred are the key to a strong relationship between the past and present. They represent the social, historical, and racial aspects from both times. Butler emphasizes that past events are reflected in the present. Butler shows the importance of racial and gender power and the result of racial conflicts.
