Analysis on "kindred" by Octavia Butler

Octavia Butler’s “Kindred”

Throughout Butler Octavia’s novel Kindred, there are several examples of female characters who tend to challenge women’s traditional roles. Dana is the main character who should be considered a dynamo considering how independent she is during the point of time she travels to (the 1800s). Women have been seen for a long time as not being independent because they depend on their husbands to support them while they stay at home taking care of the children, I do not believe this to be true. I will give evidence of different reasons why I think that Dana’s presence in this story challenge the traditional roles and views throughout history.

The story starts off taking place in the 1970s where Dana is a newlywed. Dana is an African American woman who is very educated, levelheaded, down to earth, strong willed, hard working and independent. Kevin and Dana are very much in love, and in my opinion this is the greatest reason to get married in the first place. In a sense, Kevin doesn’t know what he is getting into because Dana refuses to take orders from him. Kevin is white, and interracial marriages are more prominent in the 20th century then the 19th century. Kevin is not really a patriarch but I could imagine him being one if Dana let him.

Mr. Tom Weylin owned the plantation that Dana’s great grandfather Rufus was a slave hand on. Dana’s quick wit and ability to think clearly during times of stress are put to the test when “Just as I reached the stairs, Tom Weylin came out of his bedroom. “What are you doing up here?” he demanded.” (Kindred, 89) Further more he presses her for information “For a moment my mind raced, searching for excuses, explanations. Then I realized I wouldn’t need them. I would have met him outside Rufus’s door if he had stayed long enough to hear about Alice. He had probably heard me addressing Rufus a little too familiarly. Nothing Worse” He presses on asking her how old she is and what year she was born which reveals a smart move she made a couple days before “”Seventeen ninety-three.” I had figured that out days ago thinking that it wasn’t a part of my personal history I should hesitate over if someone asked. At home, a person