Kindred by Octavia E. Butler - Essay Example

Dana brings out the major themes that are portrayed in the book, which include the theme of obsession, theme of freedom, and the major theme of the story - that of slavery. The theme of slavery is the main theme that the narrator has dwelled on in order to prove the fact that slavery back then was a torture. She uses her position as the main narrator to bring out how slaves endured the hard times of slavery. Dana comes from an ancestry that consisted of people who were given hard work, punished for mistakes and lived in fear of their lives.

Dana knows that she needs to protect her self-preservation and freedom. She explores one thing about slavery that is just about everything that makes slavery a cruel act. Dana narrates with intense emotion about how slavery is the loss of a person’s humanity. Once a slave, a person becomes property just like any other. As a slave, one undergoes a chain of sufferings: there is work which can be on countless hours, then there are beatings that slaves receive, torture, the exchange from one owner to another and ultimately death.

The theme of slavery is what Butler wants to emphasize in this book. She wants to give the readers a vivid picture of what slavery is, that once a property, it is hard to become something else important. In this story, Dana is viewed through different facets. She is happy and contented at times while at other times she fears for her life. She, as the narrator, shows various characteristics of a person at different times. (Butler 30). Through Dana, the reader can see the level of strength and courage that she possesses.

She has passed a lot, yet she stands strong and faces all that is brought her way with a strong heart, dignity, self-esteem, self-preservation and the need to show love and compassion to all those around her. She brings out a unique character of a slave. It is through the main character that the reader comes to see what slavery is all about. She is a true definition of a role model. She shows the will to survive the beatings, insults and threats and also to express compassion to her fellow slaves who are treated more cruelly than her (Butler 49).

Dana is humane; she understands what the other slaves are going through. Even with her master, to whom she has feelings and clearly likes despite the fact that they are handled non-human beings, she manages to save him numerous