Octavia Butler's Kindred: Supernatural and Emotionally Grounded
The institution of slavery was based on the premise of a distinct racial hierarchy in which blacks were to be considered and treated as the property of whites. A concept alien to us a century and a half hence, the principle of human ownership based upon skin color is a dubious one when one considers the ambiguity of racial categorization, the unnatural condition of this subjugation and the essential immorality in denying one the freedom of his own life. That notwithstanding, slavery and racism are two very distinct elements of American history and identity, with the institution and its eventual banishment both contributing directly to the cultures of both blacks and whites, even all this time later. It is, in fact, the gap in time which has caused the obscurity of the slave experience, with the fragile racial parameters of modern America persisting with infrequent acknowledgment of their origins. Science-fiction author Octavia Butler utilizes an unusual vehicle to close this gap. In her 1979 novel, Kindred, Octavia Butler uses the device of time-travel to bridge the divide both between the slave and the modern black woman as well as between blacks and whites. Using Dana's experiences in the antebellum south, the author explor
And once again, there is an interesting parallel between the two races that underscores Butler's dual intention to remark upon the universal human condition ruling both. es the impact of the physical abuse, psychological conditioning and familial dependency which supported the institution of slavery, revealing a system which has had an indelible impact on shaping our current racial culture. In Dana, an empathetic quality of identifiable normalcy helps to make her time travel and believable and palatable occurrence. This impact is made clear by Butler's use of racial ambiguity to discuss the unfounded justification for physical abuse which marks the slave era. The author accomplishes this by placing such emotionally grounded characters as Dana and Kevin into an extraordinary situation, using the emotional connection between reader and character to allow the former to willingly suspend disbelief concerning the plot devices. The middle-ground which she finds in Kindred allows for a fully unique reflection the psychological implications of America's racialist history. Aside from providing the story with the primary fabric of Dana's struggle, concerning her identity and her responsibility to her history, this offers a unique and difficult subtext when discussing the physical abuse of enslaved blacks. I could remember the scars, thick and ugly. " (77) This is a meaningful remark in that it draws a direct correlation between psychological conditioning and survival. Light-skinned and educated, Dana is the product of a racial truth which was perpetuated even in the antebellum era. This means that both the slave's acceptance of his servitude and the master's fulfillment of his duties would be contingent upon a culturally enforced perception of a natural racial order. " (113) Coming to truly understand the experiences of her ancestors, Dana is here learning of the routine abuse to which they were subjected. I had seen old photographs of the backs of people who had been slaves. It was cut to pieces, really, but the pieces were stuck to me.
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Acceptance Essays
