It's hard enough for Dana to travel back to slave times as a black person. It's even harder for her to do it as a black woman. Sure, she faces the threat of being whipped or beaten just like the male slaves do. But she also has to deal with the constant threat of sexual violence too. On two occasions she has to fight off a white rapist and at other times she has to convince another slave named Alice to give in to Rufus Weylin's sexual demands. In this sense, Dana is in double danger in Kindred because of her race and her gender.
Questions About Gender
- Does Dana resent having to be "protected" in the past by her white husband Kevin? Why or why not?
- How would this book be different if Rufus were a white woman and Dana were a black man? How would their power relationship be different?
- What does Tom and Rufus Weylin's behavior tell us about the masculine mindset? How?
Chew on This
In Kindred, we learn that being a woman during the slavery era is an even bigger challenge than being black.
Kindred shows us that there are many types of power one person can have over another. But this power can often be a two-way street, like we see with Dana and Rufus.