In Kindred, when Dana travels back in time to the age of American slavery, she knows she's going to encounter some violence. Yeah, she's not disappointed. What she doesn't realize is just how much this violence has become a part of everyday life for the slaves she meets. It doesn't take long for this violence to find its way to her, either. Whether it's Tom Weylin pointing a shotgun in her face, whipping her, or kicking her, Dana has almost no option for asserting her rights as an individual without some white person hurting her.
Questions About Violence
- Who tends to commit the most violence in this book? Why?
- Who tends to be the biggest victim of violence in this book? Why?
- What are some of the strategies Dana uses to avoid violence? Do they work?
- What leads to Dana's final decision to use violence on Rufus? How does it turn out?
Chew on This
Try on an opinion or two, start a debate, or play the devil’s advocate.
In Kindred, Octavia Butler shows us that sometimes the only way to respond to violence is through violence.
Kindred shows us that violence travels in a big circle without ever actually accomplishing anything.