Exploring Interpersonal Relationships Within Kindred
Kindred was a riveting read filled with interesting topics to explore. Among them, I find the manner in which this novel examines power dynamics not only within the context of slave and slave owners but also within interpersonal relationships very intriguing. Butler creates a very intimate setting for her characters to interact. The Weylin Plantation is small, with no overseer (for the majority of the novel), and filled with slaves who often interact with their white counterparts on a personal level beyond their basic slave/master relationship. Because of this setting, readers are offered deep insight into how unequal power dynamics distort relationships among people during this time period. As readers, we see examples of these twisted versions of intimate relationships constantly throughout the novel: For example, Dana and Rufus: The relationship between Dana and Rufus began somewhat on equal footing when Rufus was young and Dana still served as somewhat of an authority figure. But as