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Examples Of Family In Kindred

1374 Words6 Pages

Support to Survive Family is an important aspect of a person’s life, and as such, has a great effect on the actions one commits and emotions one feels. In the antebellum South, the family was an integral part of society that made slavery a complex and horrible experience for the oppressed. Slaves were seen as property, and thus were encouraged to form families but were also separated if they ever retaliated. This reality is showcased in the book Kindred, following Dana as she travels back in time to secure the existence of her family. In her travels, she finds families to be more than just blood bonds as she debates on whether to be loyal to the slaves or her ancestor Rufus, helping her understand the complexity of family in different aspects. …show more content…

At the beginning of the novel, Dana is loyal to Rufus to ensure her family’s existence. “These people were my relatives, my ancestors. And this place could be my refuge” (Butler 37). Clearly, she feels an immediate connection to her ancestors, even if she hasn’t met them yet. She proceeds to save Rufus’s life many times but with each trip to the past, she learns of the horrors the slaves on their land had to suffer. “I could recall feeling relief at seeing the house, feeling that I had come home. And having to stop and correct myself, remind myself that I was in an alien, dangerous place.” (Butler 190). Slowly, Dana begins to relate to the slaves as she experiences the horrors that come with being a slave. She faces the reality that even those related by blood can hurt her more than those who may be considered strangers. Despite this, she remains loyal to Rufus, saves him, forgives him, and tries to push him to be a moral and open individual because she cares for him. “We could hurt each other too badly, kill each other too quickly in hatred. He was like a younger brother to me” (Butler 180). Her loyalty to Rufus is tested many times, often at the expense of her friends at the plantation, yet she tries to remain loyal to the slaves as well. “And I would try to keep friendship with him, maybe plant a few ideas in his mind that would help both me and the people who would be his slaves in the years to come” (Buttler 68). Trying as she did, she couldn’t control history, Rufus hurt many, and led Alice to commit suicide, and was hesitant to leave his children free from slavery. Her realization of Rufus’s true nature, allowed her to realize that she had to protect her ancestors and the slaves, the true individuals who supported her in her struggle to survive. Family members help one another, the slaves she met in

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