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Human Emotions In Kindred By Octavia E. Butler

725 Words3 Pages

Kindred is a novel about many different themes and human emotions. This novel was made by Octavia E. Butler and is about a woman, Dana who is called back in the past by an ancestor whenever he is in danger. This novel explores many different feelings and ideas such as Yearning. Kindred explores Yearning in various forms such as the slaves from this era wanting freedom, the people wanting power, safety, and their home, and the feeling of yearning longing for something a change in their lives that they cannot control. The novel Kindred explores Yearning in people that were slaves in forms of love, freedom, and family. On page 36 of kindred a man that is Alice's dad is a slave that left without a pass and got beat for it while he just wanted …show more content…

The slaves are often warning Dana to be careful how she talks as it is dangerous to be educated or free since in this society black people are oppressed and enslaved. “Sold them. First, my man died - a tree he was cutting fell on him. Then Marse Tom took my children, all but carries. And, bless God, Carrie ain’t worth much as the others ‘cause she can’t talk. People think she ain't got good sense.” This quote is an example of an enslaved woman who has had her children sold. She is grateful her kid is considered a defect since they took all her other children and sold them as they have no rights or freedom. This woman longs for her kids, she yearns for their safety and freedom as she misses them and it pains her. Yearning is a feeling that extends to anything like freedom, love, and …show more content…

Tom Weylin along with his family fits into that category of yearning, Tom Weylin is a businessman that wants to own and feel powerful. On page 80 Dana is warned about the risks of being an educated person around Tom Weylin, how he is insecure about his own education and doesn’t like someone like a slave, someone he sees as below him being smarter than him. Tom Weylin runs a plantation and longs for that feeling of power and ownership he makes sure to not let his slaves feel freedom or get any ideas of freedom to keep his power and tyranny. “Weylin stood whirling his whip and biting his thin lips. Suddenly, he brought the whip down across the slave's back.” This quote is an example of Weylin using harsh methods of punishment for just talking back and liking it. Kindred depicts yearning and longing for different things in different

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