The oppression of women in KINDREDand Identity crises - Essay Example

9 Apr. The oppression of women in "Kindred" and Identity crises: The oppression ofwomen is one of the primary motifs of Kindred. Most readers may perceive the novel to be based on racism of color, which is quite right, but it is important to realize that the novel also projects the racism of gender. For a major part of the novel, (Butler) has emphasized upon the wearisome of being a woman in the life of Dana and many other African American women that are kept in the plantation owned by Weylin.

The cardinal fact about Dana in Maryland is the color of her skin. Although Dana is wise, independent and young, yet she is only recognized by her race by other characters in the novel. That is the fundamental reason why her fate leads her to servitude in the plantation. There, she happens to meet Carrie who makes her realize that she can not change her skin’s color by rubbing Dana’s cheek. Dana has to live with it. Kindred is one of the most bloodiest novels in that there are frequent events of rape, whippings, dog attacks, hangings and similar acts of brutalities.

It is noteworthy that most of these forms of brutality are offered to the women in the novel. The novel perfectly conveys how the African American women were threatened and oppressed in the 19th century. Decisions of the women characters in the novel and their personalities are fundamentally influenced by the oppression there are offered by the white men. Quite often, there are events of rape. The white males feel that they own a right as well as a duty to inflict physical abuse upon the women.

On the other hand, the black women are quite well aware of the fact that their attempts to escape the plantation would be rewarded with whipping on the least. The most fundamental message Butler has tried to pass through his novel is that the oppression women are offered constantly warps them so much both psychologically and physically that they tend to lose self identity. Quite frequently, Butler jumps back and forth between the homes of Dana in the two centuries. One home of Dana is in California and the other one is the plantation of Weylin in Maryland.

By the time the novel nears ending, Dana feels more like at home at the plantation owned by Weylin in the 19th century than her home in California where she lives with her husband in the 20th century. Butler emphasizes upon the fact that with the passage of time, any era in the history and any place may feel like at home to anybody. Situations which initially appear to be hatefully strange become quite simple and comfortable for the victims. In fact, it is the very ability of the characters in the novel like Dana to adapt to the surroundings and the way they are dealt with which makes it possible to survive through the oppression.

The women’s adaptability to oppression gradually leads them to identity crisis. Works Cited: Butler, Octavia. Kindred. Doubleday, 1979. Print.