Kindred By Octavia Butler: Literary Analysis

In Kindred, by Octavia Butler, Dana a modern black woman, is constantly being oppressed due to her gender and race, she is looked down on by Kevin, her husband and Rufus, the son of a plantation owner. Rufus and Kevin’s action reflect the idea that women were and are still inferior to men. In the antebellum south, Dana must deal with the segregation that comes with being an African American and a woman. Similarly in her present time, Dana is still being silenced due to her gender. The act of both men asking Dana to be a secretary, and only write down a man’s thoughts instead of her own represents the idea that men were thought to be smarter and women’s ideas should not be heard. Dana notices a similarity between Kevin and Rufus when Kevin finally returns from the antebellum south after five years. Dana is listening to Kevin as he searches their apartment and recognizes his accent, “and I heard him cursing. …show more content…
Nothing really noticeable, but he did sound a little like Rufus and Tom Weylin. Just a little” (Butler 190). The act of Dan comparing Kevin to Rufus Weylin represents the physical and mental similarities between the two. Both are white men, giving them an obvious privilege when compared to Dana. Although Dana states that the accent Kevin has acquired is subtle she still notices enough to compare him to the plantation owners. The parallels drawn between Kevin and Rufus by Butler represent the same connection between the two very distinct time periods. Even as time has progressed, life has still not improved much for the minorities. Although in the 1970s, slavery has been banned, Dana is still facing similar oppressive actions by men. The similarities in Rufus and Kevin’s actions reflect the never-ending cycle of oppression that continues on even as time goes