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Comparing Two Different Worlds In For Kindred By Octavia Butler

1487 Words6 Pages

For Kindred, Octavia Butler took a different approach on comparing two different worlds. Instead of choosing a simple path to describe two different times, she mashes them together to face reality and show how one relationship could’ve been like the other if they had met in an earlier time. This book shows that you can be from two different times but still be the same just based off your race. Dana and Kevin are from the 1970’s where racism still exist but blacks are free. Rufus and Alice are from the 1820’s where slavery still very well exists and the trading of slaves is still going on.

Kindred is a novel that had powerful relationships within the chapters. Going back and forth from the 1970’s to the 1820’s you see a lot of similarities …show more content…

Rufus comes looking for Alice and Dana to find them in Alice’s cabin and he tells them that they really are one woman (Butler, 228). The thing that makes Alice and Dana different is when Alice tries to run away instead of going to Rufus. Dana says that she’ll go stall Rufus so she can get a headstart, instead of going through with her plan, Alice starts to beg and cry to Dana saying that she’ll go to Rufus. Alice didn’t want to experience running again (Butler, 168). Dana on the other hand ran away in the middle of the night to try to get to the north to meet up with Kevin. She planned everything out thoroughly and made it happen even though she got caught not even 10 minutes after she left (Butler, 170-174). Looking back in the book there are many instances where anyone can see the similarities between Alice and Dana, even in the most simplest ways it’s …show more content…

Many people probably think Kevin and Dana’s relationship isn’t that important but when they go back to their time for a while you can see how important it is. Even though Dana is free Kevin still tries to make Dana do things and try to order her around but she always says no and moves on. With Rufus and Alice, he just demands her around because he can and he knows she has no rights. The two relationships are very similar than we think but they are also extremely different. Kevin and Dana are more relaxed and laid back in their time, while Rufus is being himself and Alice lives in

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