Middle

As I was reading, I got a bit distracted with the way Butler worded things sometimes. The little sprinkling of facts and explanations seemed too like an ill-disguised history lesson. And I felt that everything clicked too quickly for Dana in terms of who everyone was, where she was, and why she was there.
The twists did keep me on my toes, though. Kevin making the jump with Dana added whole new levels to both their relationship and the struggle of daily life in the 19th century. Both of them now have to assume different roles – a reminder of how far into this world they are weaving themselves.
It was long foreshadowed that Rufus would do terrible things, so I was not surprised about this. Rufus still remains a complex character, though. I wonder how much longer his dwindling conscience can still manage to exist. The gun incident could lead to the end of the Rufus with morals (admittedly, not many morals) but somehow I doubt it. I think he will return and we will see him diminish even further. His relationship with Dana has changed as he has; as he becomes the domineering man society expects, Rufus seems to take more pleasure in controlling Dana’s circumstances. He continues to hurt her despite the guilt that comes from it.

Middle

I am not sure that I particularly like the direction in which Kindred is heading. To me, it does not seem that any good can come out of the Dana's current situations. Also, I was hoping that more of my questions would be answered. Why is Dana dragged back and forth throughout time? Why does Rufus need saving? Surely every boy who puts himself into danger does not have a futuristic relative come save him. I mainly want to know why Dana was chosen. In some cases, I am sure that she would much rather give up than be put through different obstacles and trials. I had kind of hoped that Dana would mainly be on the side of Rufus' life helping him, and not actually in it. Of course, I would imagine that it would lead to a very boring book. In any case, I mainly just feel sorry for Dana. She does not have the choice of when she time travels. No one should be forced to live with this unfairness.

middle

After reaching what was about the mid-point of the book, my opinion of the novel changed. I still enjoyed the fresh approach Butler took in addressing the issue of race, but I felt the book was getting slightly tiresome. I think it is well-written and creatively original, but I seemed to experience a kind of feeling as if things were going nowhere. Everything seemed to remain stagnant in the sense that most of the text consists of Dana traveling back and forth from past to present. Maybe that's the feeling Butler intended for the reader to feel, though. It is possible that she hoped the reader would feel as if there was no solution to the problem, no hope for the future, etc. It is certainly a valid argument to raise. I, however, cannot be sure and only know my own feelings after reading this far.

"Slavery was a long slow process of dulling"

Dana's character still interests me. For example, upon learning from Rufus that she was in the year 1815, she did not flip out (I don't think I could say that about myself), but rather, she "sat still" and believed him (pg. 27). At times I thought Butler should have made Dana more jumpy at first so that by the end of the novel, her transformation into a slavemaster-killing-machine would be more apparent.

I noticed that some of the other characters have adapted to a life of slavery, but in a different way. Sarah, for instance, "...had done the safe thing - had accepted a life of slavery because she was afraid... She was the kind of woman who would be held in contempt during the militant nineteen sixties" (pg. 145). I suppose I can say that this novel is about transformation, and that not all transformation is good.

And actually I had a question: What's up with the title "Marse"? Is it short for "Master"?

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.

After Fight

At this point I found myself conflicted between understanding and condemnation for many of the characters. Dana has caused the least conflict as she has reacted relatively rationally given the situation yet their lacks a sense of connection or empathy that usually the protagonist invokes in me.
In many ways I see her as more of a product of her environment then an individual. She reacts but as she comments on earlier in many ways she is an observer rather than a participant. At the end of the fight the issues with Alice and Rufus draw her into a more active role in ante bellum South. She shows strength threw her sense of identity but remarkably foolish idealism as well through her trust in Rufus.
Rufus is the product of his raising as the saying goes. His father desires perfection and obedience while his mother fawned obsessively over him causing an unstable environment and model for relating to people. he employs both his parents styles. His obsession with Dana and Alice which he deems love is akin to his mother's obsession with him but its hardened by his father's apathetic attitude making it a selfish all consuming obsession rather than love.
Rufus's father is a hard man but nit cruel. In his own way as Rufus says he is fair. he has an overwhelming sense of his superiority and authority but his harsh implementation and his reaction to any perceived defiance be it from slave or his son is dealt with harshly and pitilessly. In many ways he is apathetic rather than sadistic making him an enigma and therefore more dangerous which accounts for Dana's instinctive fear of him. His actions are motivated solely by societal standards and society's perception of him.
Dana seems to have reached a breaking point as has Kevin as they both exhibited highly emotional responses especially Kevin. This is a turning point for both as Dana has lost her idealism and Kevin seems to have lost his identity and his time due to his prolonged stay in the South and the acclimation to that lifestyle.
This novel shows society's profound influence on individual's behavior as it promotes and feeds upon the natural instinct to strive for superiority.

The novel has definately taken a much more sinister turn than I initially expected, but I believe it is admirable that it is depicting slavery in what seems to be an accurate way. Dana's assimilation into the Weylin plantation is disturbing to say the least. While Dana claims that "we were simply actors", it appears, especially after the beating and subsequent enslavement, that the "acting" has stopped. The scenes of brutality are especially hard to read, and it is hard to imagine that humans are capable of such atrocities. Dana's comparison of the slave plantation to Nazi Germany is particulary fitting.
Rufus' character developemnt is interesti0ng because, while he has been influenced by Dana, he is much more influenced by the ways of his time. The fact that he is now capable of rape, and that the laws of his time don't punish him, only seems to fuel his tendency to become more like his father. Ironically Dana's very existence depends on the crimes that Rufus inflicts on Alice. Dana seems more and more hardened as time goes on, even to the point she believes herself capable of murder (something she has yet to attempt despite the hardships she faces at the hands of the Weylins). The scene where she goes to tell Alice that she must go to Rufus that night is disturbing, because Dana seems to inform Alice of what she must do with a "determined calm". She realizes that her very existence depends on their "relationship" and therefore she knows what she must do, but it is still hard to imagine allowing Alice to relive her rape again. It will be interesting to see Dana's character continue to develop. The novel as a whole is disturbing, but it tells a gripping story.

Middle

Octavia Butler’s kindred demonstrates every social inequality since the 1800’s. There is the race discrimination, which is the most prominent, but also the limitations of women and even class. I’m enjoying the character Dana. I love the way she establishes her and Rufus’s equality; at least as much as she dares in antebellum south.
Here are a couple of notes I jotted down while reading.

-The book even includes modern day racism. Sort of the after effect of 1800’s.
-I’m assuming the book will end around the time Hagar is born (1831). So 16 years will go by.
-Since Kevin has been stuck in the 1800’s he might spend too long there and learn to adapt and maybe except their way of living. Why doesn’t he attempt to kill Rufus? Though that might make things dangerous for Dana when she returns.
-Rufus feels slavery is essential to social acceptance
-I don’t think Rufus sent the letters. He is used to controlling, or at least having some degree of authority over, the women around him. His mother included.
-Throughout the book Dana has such perfect grammar. Even Rufus called her a walking book. (To which she said, “Then I hope Kevin did a good job teaching you to read”! Ha, I love it!) Well on page 180 Dana says “She forgave him nothing.” Guess she gave in to the southern accent!
-Kevin loves Dana as a mother figure. At one point I found myself pitying him.