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How Does Octavia Butler Use Magical Realism

589 Words3 Pages

Become immersed in the enchanting world of Kindred, where magical realism and history combine to reveal the story of Dana Franklin’s ancestry and growth. With the assistance of Magical Realism, Octavia Butler strategically juxtapositions the 1800’s and 1900’s without creating a distraction from this crucial historical time period. In the novel Kindred, Magic Realism escalates Butler’s purpose through deepening ancestral connection, and highlighting her transformative journey throughout the novel. Butler’s consistent use of magical realism strengthens the connection between Dana and her ancestors in the novel. Additionally, she grew closer to her ancestors and gained a deeper understanding of their time period. For example, Dana remarked “I …show more content…

At first, Dana couldn’t comprehend the connection between herself and Rufus, besides blood. However, as the novel advanced, Rufus and Dana began to grow closer and began to connect on levels that would not have been possible without Magical Realism. Furthermore, Dana achieved a better understanding of the life of her ancestors and their time period. Another example of Dana’s newfound connection is when Kevin and Dana observe the cause of Dana’s call to the 1800’s: “Then. Rufus’s fear of death calls me to him, and my own fear of death sends me home.” (Butler 50.) Not only does this quote demonstrate the cause of the Magical Realism Dana experiences, which occurs while transporting Dana back and forth between time periods, it also reveals irony. Rufus's fear of death draws Dana to the 1800's, believing that she can save him and prevent his death. However, Dana is ironically the cause of his death. Without the concept of Magical Realism, Dana would never have had a close connection or understanding with her ancestors, or the historical time period they lived in. Additionally, information from an outside source further supports this information: “From the start, she had questioned the nature of her relationship to

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