If Dana convinces her to sleep with him without struggling, she will escape at least the whipping. Dana has a conversation with Sarah the cook about slaves running away. Dana is right to be wary, as her unfamiliarity with details of life in the past (such as what hoof-beats sound like) could be very dangerous. endobj She is persuading her readers to encourage the youth into steering away from the interracial relationship as they mature.In the article, she does this in criticizing tone. Two unexpected characters in Harper Lees, To Kill a Mockingbird, clearly have many similarities along with differences. The cousin sees her and assumes Kevin has been beating her. All in all, while Things Fall Apart, Fences, and All My Sons all examine how a husbands failures and how the wife responds to those inadequacies, each female character in these books responds in a markedly different way because each woman exemplifies the attitudes of the environments in which they. Carrie helps everyone and doesn't make waves. Latest answer posted October 09, 2019 at 7:45:03 PM. How has Rufus changed since the last trip? Alice has some amnesia and she doesn't quite remember Rufus' attempt to rape her. Her ability also correlates to the struggles that people go through in todays society. There was no shame in raping a black woman, but there could be shame in loving one "(p.124). Dana needs to keep saving Rufuss life. You'll be billed after your free trial ends. Continue to start your free trial. Detailed explanations, analysis, and citation info for every important quote on LitCharts. Dana now understands how savage the world of the past is and what she might have to do in order to survive there. Rufus can't believe what he's reading. After warning Alice that she might not want to know the answers to these questions, she tells Alice about her history: Because she helped a slave escape, she was made a slave herself. Likewise, Kevinas a white personis more distanced from issues of race and can ignore things that Dana has to deal with daily. And this is how their story ends. The undercurrent of the white mans conversation with Dana suggests that he came back in order to take advantage of Alices mother sexually. arm." Dana's torment begins when she suddenly vanishes on her 26th birthday from California, 1976, and is dragged through time to antebellum Maryland to rescue a boy named Rufus, heir to a slaveowner's plantation. Dana can tell by Rufus' looks that several years have passed since she was last transported. Detailed quotes explanations with page numbers for every important quote on the site. My students love how organized the handouts are and enjoy tracking the themes as a class., Requesting a new guide requires a free LitCharts account. This notion is expressed when Dana puts her bodily pain to the side in order to sexually usher love and welcoming to Kevins five year journey in Antebellum south (Butler 190). The man is given no chance to explain and receives no fair trial before white men attack him, and the use of the whip underscores how unbalanced the power dynamics are in this interaction. Only then does she see the fireplace in the room where she could have safely let the drapes burn, but luckily the curtains land . Dana intervenes before the black man can kill Rufus. He tells Dana to throw the book in the fire because she'll be whipped if she's caught with it. She pays for betraying her fellow slaves, however. Soon, after, her body began to fade back into the present time. PDF downloads of all 1699 LitCharts literature guides, and of every new one we publish. In "Seek Success: Marry Someone like yourself," an article by Sue Richardson in The Dallas Morning News published, March 14, 1993, describes the chances of happiness is zero to nothing in a relationship that has interracial or "too many differences". We'll take a look right away. Rufus tells Dana that "he'll buy Alice and let them sell Isaac". He convinces Rufus and Tom Weylin to let Dana sleep in his corridors and pretends to be Danas owner so he can control what she does, instead of letting Rufus or Weylin control her. Rufus, however, doesnt know that he seems to have the power in this situation, much like many white males in America are unconscious of their privilege unless forced to acknowledge it or become aware of it due to some outside force. Perhaps, despite what Dana thinks, the spiritual death that results from capitulating to Rufus is more damaging to Alice than the bodily harm caused by refusing him would be. Alice calls her a traitor to all black people. . Jude binds Nigel and Carrie more closely to Weylin. I think Butler chosen to write the book this way because we see how the relationships between races have changed between then and. % Dana needs to keep Rufus alive long enough, so that Rufus and Alice could have Danas ancestor. (one code per order). Yes, President Obama made great strides toward equality but it was nothing impactful like the things he campaigned for. Although Dana hopes that she can influence him with her insight, conversation, education, and compassion, in the end Rufus is dominated by the world in which he was raised and makes no effort to change his ways. But once again, Rufus stands in the middle of the road to prevent Dana from leaving. 1. It turns out that neither Dana nor Kevin's families were pumped about the interracial marriage. Discount, Discount Code Your subscription will continue automatically once the free trial period is over. Dana is smart enough to be wary of handing Rufus this knowledge. Renew your subscription to regain access to all of our exclusive, ad-free study tools. Kevin clearly cares only for Danas well-being when he suggests taking her to the hospital, but also respects Danas choice not to go. Rufus tells Dana, with anger in his voice, that Isaac and Alice will be. Check out our Privacy and Content Sharing policies for more information.). That night, Dana runs away. This harsh scene of violence is devastating for Dana to witness, but unfortunately a common occurrence for slaves in the Antebellum South. Fill in the sentences with que, quien, or quienres. He says people laughed at Rufus for paying so much for Alice, who was half-dead. Although Bob and Atticus are both seen as outcasts, their contradictory opinions on the education system prove that all outcasts dont fit the same stereotype. 20% The man is also wearing 6-inch heels. "We're going to have to fit in as best we can with the people here for as long as we have to stay. Danas inability to nurture Rufus into a more socially enlightened man cause her to question, Those individuals are the ones who have been most effected by reading this book, seeing as how it helped them learn more about their hometown, and its history. There have been attempts to end discrimination, however, none of these attempts warranted any long-term solutions. Rufus (the boy Dana has saved once more) starts to show his complicated relationship with his father. Compare Dana's professional life in the present with her life as a slave inKindred. to start your free trial of SparkNotes Plus. Rufus warns Dana about making the same mistakes she made last time she was in 1815. 2023 Shmoop University Inc | All Rights Reserved | Privacy | Legal. $18.74/subscription + tax, Save 25% on 2-49 accounts, Save 30% During the conversation, Alice recovers her memories of what Rufus did to her and what happened with Isaac losing his ears. They say: "We're in the middle of history. Rufus says it hasn't been long enough for Kevin to get the letter, but Dana insists. Gradually, Alice begins to gain awareness of her surroundings and ask questions about her past. Though Alices mother sees the danger that housing a runaway might bring, she still risks herself in order to help another person. The only thing that Dana knew about Rufus and Alice were their names, meaning that she is surprised to find out that Rufus is white and that her ancestor Alice was a free black woman. Reflect on your editing: How does using voice and mood for effect strengthen your writing? Kevin wanted her to get rid of some of her books so she could move in with him. own limits. Unbeknownst to Dana, this older boy truly is Rufus aged years though Dana herself has only been away for hours. As such, Rufuss father appears to be a cruel man in general, beyond being specifically racially motivated. Octavia Butlers novel Kindred is a science fiction time travel novel, but Kindred is not like other science fiction novels. It looks like the black man is going to beat Rufus to death. Butler also underscores the emotional trauma of slavery in the disregard for family ties. Essentially Danas body politics do not exist in a state of paradox because through Butlers textual portrayal of embodiment, she was and still remains as an, Dana Franklin is a strong, independent woman who has made a name for herself as a published author. This allows our team to focus on improving the library and adding new essays. "How does Dana influence Rufus and his attitudes toward slavery in Kindred?" 9. Dana resists, but she worries that even if Alice refuses to go to him willingly, he will simply resort to rape. Rufuss fear of death in both the river and the fire seemed to trigger Danas appearance. Although I understand, the reason why most people discriminate and don't approve is mainly because of how complex things were in the past. When Dana wakes up, she's tied up. (including. The book is told in first person by the main character Dana, a modern day black woman as she travels between her time 1976, and the antebellum South. This was peoples reality for thousands of years, and continue to be. . Kibin, 2023. http://www.kibin.com/essay-examples/the-relationship-between-dana-and-rufus-in-kindred-PrIvZJsF. Rufus wants to keep it that way. It was as if the 1990s fashion came back but with less denim and more varying colors of vinyl fabric. Members will be prompted to log in or create an account to redeem their group membership. Dana takes care of Alice, who is incontinent and disoriented. Dana returns this time after 5 years and Rufus is now 19 years old. experiences there, she finds that a wall springs up between them. Essays may be lightly modified for readability or to protect the anonymity of contributors, but we do not edit essay examples prior to publication. Dana sees Kevin as her home, tying home to a person rather than a place. finds herself plunged into the antebellum South of the nineteenth She can't go around teaching slaves how to read and write or she might get herself killed. Whatever the reason, or combination of reasons, Dana proves herself repeatedly unable to predict outcomes that Butler makes obvious to us. How does he address opposing points of view? She uses stinging pickle brine to keep the wounds on Alice's back from being infected. The fact that Dana agrees to talk with Alice and make Rufuss case for him does not mean that she has capitulated or that the system has broken her. View Kindred Notes from AA 1Intersectionality: The interconnected nature of social categorizations such as race, class, and gender as they apply to a given individual or group, regarded as creating He also neglects to mention that Isaac and Alice have run away. The Fall 1. For instance, when Dana saved him from drowning in the river. for a group? for a customized plan. Slavery and racism were both supported and undermined by adultery, laws, and separation of races throughout interracial relations. It's a pretty ugly scene, as you can imagine. Dana influences Rufus to different degrees throughout the novel. Revise your writing to show your understanding of voice and mood by adding or substituting for effect. Solano Verde Water District. Rufus and Dana are equally unaware of how this magic works, but while Kevin supports Dana through her strange experiences, Rufuss family seems to ignore and actively discourage any talk about what is happening. Kibin does not guarantee the accuracy, timeliness, or completeness of the essays in the library; essay content should not be construed as advice. Latest answer posted June 14, 2008 at 5:26:23 PM. So Alice and the black man (named Isaac) take off and Dana waits for Rufus to regain consciousness. Nevertheless, Macy probably hopes this book will serve as an eye-opener to those who are ignorant of that past, and its effect on the future. SparkNotes Plus subscription is $4.99/month or $24.99/year as selected above. how can dana protect herself in rufus timegovernment jobs for math majors. Eventually, Dana and Kevin got sick of dealing with their families and eloped to Las Vegas to get married. Brady states that in her marriage, she is expected to earn an income while her husband pursues a higher education, she is expected to perform all parental duties exclusively, tend to all housework, her husbands sexual needs and desires with no regard to her own, and be a hostess while keeping quiet and doing all the above pleasantly. She asks Rufus why he would try to rape Alice. 6. She may feel familial sympathy for him, since he is her ancestor. Dana has to hang out with Alice in the cook house while Sarah takes cares of things with Carrie. By entering your email address you agree to receive emails from SparkNotes and verify that you are over the age of 13. Sometimes it can end up there. And she had to keep running. In my view, interracial marriages during the Civil Rights Movements were dangerous as revealed in To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. After initial questions, Kevin returns to supporting Dana unconditionally. She promises that she'll get Rufus to lie and say he was attacked by white men. This also illustrates how Dana believes she can have a lasting effect on Rufus, to steer him away from the ways of his father. She is whipped, insulted, slapped, threatened with being sold, and yet, she faces it all with dignity, a strong sense of self-preservation, and compassion for those around her, In chapter 8, Woke: Unlocking the Chokehold Butler opens the chapter by informing the reader that racial inequality is something that has been around for some time. Dana sits on a bed and watches a small red-haired boy, who looks like an older version of Rufus, accidentally set fire to the drapes with a burning stick.Realizing the danger of a fire in a wooden house, Dana gathers up the curtains and throws them out the window.
