Blog # 7
Aframerhist.wikispaces.com
We are reading the book Kindred by Octavia Butler. After finishing chapter "The fight" in class we were told to choose one question out of four and write on it.
I have finished reading the book Kindred by Octavia Butler. As i read the book I noticed that Rufus simply an alteration of his father for so many reasons. Tom Weylin is the owner of thirty eight slaves on his plantation. He is very cruel with his slaves. He whips them if they do a little mistake and never sees them as a human being. He sells slaves to pay off his depts. He does not allow the slaves to learn how to read and write. As a white man, he is less educated. He does not want black people to get educated. In that way he would feel inferior to black people. He is even so cruel to his own son. He whips his own son like a slave.
I don't think if there any major evidence of Dana's influence on the young Rufus in his adult character. Dana tries enough to make Rufus into a good man but still he does what he wants. He imitates his father towards the slaves and even Dana. He whips her, sends her to the field to teach her a lesson and even attempts to rape her at the end. He whips the slaves like his father and also sells them to pay off his debts.
Because of his father's influence Dana could not change Rufus behaviors towards the slaves.
I agree that in many ways Rufus is like his father, but in some ways he can be persuaded to be a bit different, as when he freeds his children with Alice.
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