Kindred by Octavia E. Butler

ISBN: 0807083690
Publisher: Beacon Press (1979)
264 p.

Reading Level: Adult (crossover).

Summary:
Dana, an African-American woman living in California during the 70s with her husband, suddenly feels ill, dizzy, and then vanishes, only to re-appear in the antebellum South. There she manages to save a drowning boy, Rufus. As she is about to be shot for saving this young boy, she disappears once again and reappears in her home, wet and shivering. This marks the beginning of Dana’s being drawn back to Rufus’s era, time and time again, during the 1800s in the antebellum South. Each time, she is unable to get back home for longer and longer periods of time. Dana eventually learns that she is continually saving Rufus because she is interconnected with him, for he is her direct ancestor. She continually saves him, even after it’s no longer safe for her to do so. This novel is a lyrical, fascinating, and thought-provoking science fiction novel that reads as both an historical slave narrative and a modern look at how racism still persists.

Critical Evaluation:

This novel, written in the first person, has certain themes that run throughout and are still serious issues in our own day. Rufus’s obsessive love for both Alice and Dana cause both women to lose hope and, in some cases, their very lives or limbs, ending with Rufus’s succumbing to his obsession. The novel mainly concentrates on and explores both the horrors of slavery and the racism that continues to permeate Dana’s life in the present day. Such a juxtaposition emphasizes how, although humanity has made great strides forward, there is still a long road left to travel for all people to be and feel free. Even more poignant is that this is still true 31 years after this book was published. Although there are moments of love and lightness in the story, the tone is dark, and the reader is always anxiously waiting for Rufus or his father to abuse one of the more beloved characters. Even though this novel is hard to read at times, it is important to know what the past was like and learn from it. Although this is a science fiction novel, the fact that it can also be read as an historical slave narration makes this a magnificent tale from which readers can learn many important, lasting lessons about both history and themselves.

Reader’s Annotation:

“Fact then: Somehow, my travels crossed time as well as distance.
Another fact: The boy was the focus of my travels—perhaps the cause of them” (p. 24).

Author Biography:

Born on June 22, 1947, Octavia Butler was an only child whose father died when she was young. She overcame dyslexia during her school years, wrote stories at ten years old, and discovered science fiction when she was 12. Butler received an Associate of Arts degree from Pasadena City College and also attended California State University, Los Angeles, as well as UCLA. Interestingly, “she credits her success to nonacademic programs, though. Two of these programs are the Open Door Program of the Screen Writers Guild of America and the Clarion Science Fiction Writers Workshop” (Retrieved from http://www.pasadena.edu/about/history/alumni/butler/butler.cfm).

Butler won several awards, including a Hugo and a Nebula, which are the most prestigious awards in the realm of science fiction. In 1995, she also won the MacArthur Foundation Genius Grant which is decided upon by fellow authors and pays $295,000 over five years. Overall, she wrote 13 books and won numerous awards. Unfortunately, her life was cut short at the age of 58 as a result of head injuries after a fall. She will be missed, but her legacy will live on as a wonderful author and the first African-American woman to gain acclaim as a science fiction writer.

Genre: Science Fiction/African American Literature/Historical Fiction

Curriculum Ties:

This would make a fantastic edition for an English Literature class. The combination
of history and science fiction not only makes this novel an interesting read, but it also opens up any class discussion of the themes presented in the book.

Booktalking Ideas:

-As Rufus grows, how do his feelings for Dana change?

-How are Dana’s experiences in the 1970s comparable with her time as a slave?

-How does Dana’s letter to Kevin serve as foreshadowing?

Read-Alikes:

-Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl by Harriet Jacobs.

-Ilium by Dan Simmons.

-Parable of the Talents by Octavia E. Butler.

Challenge Issue:

Although this novel is filled with violence, it is historically accurate, as far as I can tell from my other research and readings on the subject of slavery, as well as interviews with the author. I have found no mention of this book being on a “banned book list” and would direct a parent to historical documents during the time of slavery, if they had any questions.

Reason to include in blog:

I discovered Butler a few years ago. I believe the blend of science fiction and history will interest both male and female teens. Not only do they learn about the slave era, but they will also be able to compare that time with how life was for African-Americans in the 1970s. This novel also has my very favorite first line of any novel I’ve ever read: “I lost an arm on my last trip home. My left arm.” (Prologue).

References:

Butler, O. E. (1988). Kindred. Boston: Beacon Press. 
 
Pasadena City College. (2010). Octavia Butler. Retrieved at

     http://www.pasadena.edu/about/history/alumni/butler/butler.cfm