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 Rufus ages and Dana stays the same, the power imbalance brought on by the racial climate of this time becomes more evident.
During the beginning of the novel, Dana could instruct Rufus to do something or ask for something (telling him not to call her the N-word, for example) and Rufus would comply with little objection. This falls in line with how a child would comply with the requests of an authority figure. But as the novel advances, Dana's requests lose their authority and importance to Rufus, much like how the petitions of a slave would be of little consequence to a slave master.
Additionally, the power imbalance within the relationship of Dana and Rufus becomes further magnified through Rufus’s growing objectification of Dana. As Dana spends more time with Rufus, Rufus struggles to see her as a person rather than a possession. This is exemplified through Rufus’s language and actions towards Dana. Rufus constantly tells Dana she can’t leave, he beats her when she doesn't do what he wants her to, and he constantly manipulates her emotionally. These actions show that Rufus doesn't consider Dana when it comes to their relationship; he only thinks of what he wants and the best way he can get it. Furthermore, Rufus' constant plea to Dana that she can't leave him speaks to his feelings of possession towards Dana.
These actions, compounded with the unique way Rufus and Dana attempt to interact with each other, distort what they believe their ‘friendship’ is. Dana and Rufus have an unconventional relationship. Rufus feels like Dana is his friend and confidant while Dana sees Rufus as a friend and someone who will look out for her. When this relationship is tested by the racial divides present in this time, Dana is faced with the conundrum of writing off his actions as a byproduct of his environment or holding him accountable. Problematically, if Dana chooses to ignore Rufus's appalling actions, she is left trying to justify them; and if she holds him accountable, she has to partake in the blame for some of his actions as she actively enables him.
This relationship is just one of many that highlights how the intimate setting of the Weylin plantation paired with the time period largely contributes to the moral dilemmas faced by Dana and many of the other slaves in close relationships with their masters.
Other examples of complicated relationships within Kindred:
Nigel and Rufus
Alice and Rufus
Sarah and Rufus
Dana even states herself how slavery of any kind fosters complex relationships (I forget the exact quote) and having Kindred be set on a small plantation really reinforces this idea. I like how you phrase it: "because of this setting, readers are offered deep insight into how unequal power dynamics distort relationships among people during this time period." This book is just one example of a slave narrative and obviously it can't encompass the experiences of everyone, but I think it's an important depiction. It really gives more understanding of the manipulative tactics that were used against slaves in a society where they're already so powerless. With Rufus using Alice and pretending to sell her children to test her complacency, it really tells a deeper story that goes beyond the traditional violent slave and master relationship that's often depicted in textbooks. You do see Dana really try and justify Rufus' behavior because of the personal connection she has with him, but in his elevated position, it's just leverage and more control over her. Nice post!
ReplyDeleteI guess with taking the thread about Alice and Rufus, its established these two were childhood friends and would always play with each other. Naturally, kids are just drawn to other kids, but how each of them are raised is crucial. As they grow older, their relationship is driven further and further apart due to the racism of the era and what would be vastly different upbringings, but there's still a little bit of sympathy between them as 2 childhood friends being drawn apart. But that gap between them only grows ever larger when Alice doesn't reciprocate Rufus' feelings, and Rufus doesn't really see her as a human with autonomy and the right to consent, so he chooses to impose his will on her, using his hierarchical + social + racial status to continuously emotionally manipulate and force a romantic and sexual relationship between them.
ReplyDeleteI agree, I think the fact that the Weylin Plantation is relatively small when compared to other plantations of the time is an important detail of the story that makes possible many of the interactions we see happen between enslaved people and slave owners in the novel. Through this unique dynamic, unlike many other slave owners, Rufus and his father have a greater stake in the lives of the slaves on the plantation, particularly in making sure they stay alive and further the family line, and as such, they are forced to form at least a superficial relationship with them. Additionally, this makes it so that at some level, slave owners are forced to see the humanity in a group of people they are systematically tought to objectify and oppress, which leads to complex interactions where, mostly Rufus, battles with societal expectations and the morals of human decency he largely learns from Dana.
ReplyDeleteKindred does explore some very complicated, intimate interpersonal relationships, and I like how you pointed out how the small setting of the Weylin plantation contributes to fostering these relationships. I like how you listed other complicated relationships at the end- I think exploring the relationship between Alice and Rufus would be very interesting. Like his relationship with Dana, there is a huge power gap and racial divide that defines pretty much every aspect of their relationship.
ReplyDeleteI think examining the relationships in Kindred can yield lots of interesting information. In particular, Dana and Rufus' relationship and its evolution throughout the novel is especially interesting to examine. Thanks to your post, I can definitely see how Rufus and Dana interact and how it changes based on their age and race. Dana being faced with the tough decision of whether to reprimand a close friend for his behavior knowing it may be a byproduct of his environment is one that clearly affects her deeply.
ReplyDeleteAs we moved through the novel, I also saw how Dana was increasingly getting treated less and less humanly. This made me wonder how Dana and Kevin's relationship would have changed after Kevin had stayed in the past years longer than Dana did. While Kevin was a pretty progressive person because of his time period, staying in an environment like that has to have drastic effects on a person. It's hard to always ignore all that bigotry around you and the privilege of being so far above people of other races. Had the book gone into more detail after Dana came back from the plantation for the last time, maybe we would have known more about this complicated interpersonal relationship.
ReplyDeleteThese are all very good examples of incredibly complex relationships between Rufus and the people on his plantation--all of which are in some way affected by Dana's influence on him as a young kid. As we see with Alice especially, it's not at all clear that this influence has been, on balance, a good thing--she might have been safer, or even remained free, if he had NOT developed his obsession with being in a somewhat conventional romantic relationship with her (which is of course impossible within the constraints of the system).
ReplyDeleteI am especially interested in the "strange relationship" between Nigel and Rufus, which is glimpsed throughout the novel but not explored as deeply as the Alice dynamic (because it isn't as crucial to the Dana's-family-line plotline and because Dana doesn't have as direct an influence on it). These guys are buddies on more or less equal footing as children (a time when Rufus is also subject to occasional "whippings" by his father), and they seem to remain "friends" of a sort throughout the rest of the story. We see Nigel able to "joke around" with Rufus, teasing him and throwing a clod of dirt at him, playfully. But what kind of "friendship" can this possibly be? Isn't this friendship just as impossible as a "marriage" between Rufus and Alice? At one point, after his child is born, Nigel comments in passing that, now that he has a family, Rufus has more leverage over him--he is much less likely to attempt escape. It always blows my mind that, amid this "friendship" but before the child enters the picture, "escape" would have been on the table. Real friends don't contemplate *escape* from each other, and we're reminded how tenuous this "friendship" really is.
It would be fascinating to have Nigel's version of this story.
I think it is very true that Dana and Rufus' relationship negatively evolves as the story progresses; perhaps it's interesting that as the years get closer and closer to the present, the racism and mistreatment shown to us gets worse (rather than better). I think another dimension that adds onto the complexity of Dana and Rufus is not just the simple fact that they depend on each other in the present but that Dana's existence might be presupposed by Rufus' existence - perhaps this compromises Dana's ability to further extend her agency?
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