Examples Of Oppression In Kindred

Oppression has been used for years by a controlling group or person as a tool to keep a certain population in line. There have been many examples of oppression being used throughout history, such as the United States’ use of slavery. In Octavia Butler’s Kindred Dana is forced to witness the tactics used by slave owners to keep slaves in line. The reader learns alongside Dana about the history of slavery, and the brutal ways that slaves were kept. Octavia Butler writes Kindred as a way to educate people on oppression and slavery, in a more modernized and obvious form.

Slaves were often beaten by their masters or overseers in order to keep them in line and stop them from disobeying their masters by instilling fear and a constant physical reminder

As shown in Kindred slaves were often bought and sold for a wide number of reasons. During a Christmas party, after spotting Dana talking to a man, Rufus approached Dana, asking, “‘Found somebody you want to jump the broom with?’ [Rufus] asked [Dana]... ‘What would you do if I had found someone?’ [Dana] asked. ‘Sell him’” (Butler 230). Later in the book, Rufus had caught Dana talking to the man, Sam, again. Rufus kept true to his word and had Sam sold, causing Dana to become furious with Rufus. This feeling that you could be sold for anything and that you were only worth as much as the money that was offered is an awful feeling, making you feel as though you weren’t human, only a product, or a tool. Earlier in the book, Sarah had told Dana that Carrie was, “‘My fourth baby. The only one Marse Tom let me keep’” (Butler 76). Tom Weylin had sold Sarah’s other children when they were only children, barely able to work. It isn’t expressly said why he sold them, but it had the effect of separating a family, keeping Sarah in line for the sake of Carrie, and likely scarring those children for life, and making them wonder what their worth truly was. If you can take away someone’s humanity, you can control their worth, and that is exactly what slave owners did to their

This created a delicate balance where the slave refused to run away for their own good, unless something truly harrowing happened. Tom Weylin would occasionally give slaves gifts, though only when they ultimately benefited him, in hopes of keeping his slaves sedate and in line. When Nigel had a child, effectively giving Weylin another slave, he “called [Nigel] into the library and gave him a new dress for Carrie, a new blanket, and a new suit of clothes for himself” (Butler 161). Weylin did this in hopes of making Nigel hate him a little less, and also as a way to thank Nigel for providing him with future money. Earlier in the story, we learn that Alice’s father was enslaved, but was secretly visiting his wife, who was free. Weylin would occasionally allow him to leave to see his wife, under watch, as a reward for his hard work. This wasn’t enough for him though, and he snuck out to visit her. He paid the price, by getting beaten, and this showed just how quickly masters will change their tune. They will be kind to you until you mess up, and then they will beat you. Toeing the line between hate and fear was a delicate balance for slave owners, but it kept their slaves in line effectively, and scared them to where they didn’t want to run