By the middle of Kindred, I could honestly say that my feelings for this book had taken a turn for the worst. I thought the way Butler set up the novel made it really redundant. Each chapter followed the same pattern: Dana passes out and goes back in time, Dana endures hardship/helps Rufus, Dana passes out again and returns to the present. I'm not trying to say that the book was completely predictable, because it wasn't. Kindred had it's share of twists and turns, but the situations and circumstances were never shocking, nor unexpected.

One question that I kept asking myself was, "What is the real purpose behind Dana's transportations to the 1800s?" Yes, the book tells us that she must save Rufus to preserve her family heritage, but what difference will it make if she doesn't? Everything up to 1976 has already taken place, so what will the outcome be if Rufus never lives long enough to father Hagar? Will Dana just die if she ignores Rufus' cries for help? I desperately wanted Octavia Butler to address this hypothetical issue, but she failed to do so. Since I saw no real motivation for the time travel, I felt apathetic towards Kindred as a whole. Nonetheless, I took the book for what it was: an easy read. I found myself analyzing the book way too much, and soon decided that the author's intention was never scrutiny as much as it was a general understanding. Thus, I tried to enjoy the book as much as I possibly could by empathizing with the characters and watching them as they matured in Kindred. Despite my disinterest with the plot, there were numerous tidbits of the story that I enjoyed after reading half the novel.

-The indispensable relationship that Dana builds with Rufus makes the book worth the read, in my opinion. The fact that Dana is a black woman while Rufus is white adds an interesting dynamic to the story. Considering the the 19th century time period, their friendship was completely unique. It also becomes evident that these two characters undergo the most change throughout the passing years. As Rufus becomes more like his ignorant and hostile father, Dana evolves into a hardworking and appreciative slave. The two completely depend on each other despite their obvious differences.
- Individually, Dana really grew on me as my favorite character in Kindred. I loved how she always stayed true to herself. She never compromised her intelligence to assimilate with the other slaves. I'm also glad that she made the most of her time in the antebellum south by teaching the younger kids how to read.
-So far in the book, I've gained a lot of personal insight thanks to Butler's realistic situations in regards to slavery. The humiliation and suffering that some of these people went through is disgusting. It's hard to believe that such acts of hatred based on skin color were justified at any point in time.