Eyes And The Storyline: Kindred By Octavia Butler

Eyes and the Storyline Everyone does not look at life in the same way, but instead, they look at it individually with their own life experience. Kindred, a novel written by Octavia Butler is a novel about an African-American writer named Dana, who lives in Los Angeles during the 1970’s with her white husband, Kevin. An unknown force however, pulls Dana back into time, where she travels back in the past during the Antebellum South where she is met with the harsh period of slavery in the early United States. With her journeys back in the past, she is always met with the son of a plantation owner, Rufus, whom Dana will see grow into adulthood. She learns that she has been sent back into time for a purpose that concerns Rufus, which she finds
Kindred, a novel written by Octavia Butler, features a first-person view from the main character, but would have had the story impacted if the point of view was changed for the emotions, struggles, and the view of life expressed would affect the storyline. Emotions conveyed by the character can affect the plot depending on whose emotions it is. In the story, the main character and her husband, Kevin, are discussing the things they had so far seen in the Antebellum South. One of the topics that they discuss specifically is how they have seen slave kids impersonate the people around them. The novel states, “ I turned to glare at him and he looked back calmly.” ( Butler 99 ). This quote shows that Dana is looking at Kevin and took note of how he felt. This is significant for it shows that Kevin is pretty calm about the situation he and Dana are witnessing. Whilst Kevin is neutral, Dana is shocked by what she sees. It shows that emotions from different people can change the story. If the story had included Kevin’s point of view, the story would have it’s significant emotions of the scene be stripped away. Dana’s emotions in this scene tell the audience that the events they are witnessing is not right and should be something to have concern for, however, if in Kevin’s
In the story, Dana is trying to find her way down to the cook-house on the plantation. When she finds it, she is met by a few slaves, one being a woman named Sarah. Dana asks if she has any kids, Sarah replies,“ Sold them. First my man died-a tree he was cutting fell on him. Then Marse Tom took my children, all but Carrie. And, bless God, Carrie ain’t worth much as the others ‘cause she can't talk. People think she ain’t got good sense. “ ( Butler 76 ) Sarah discusses what had happened to her and her family, and that now she is only left with one that is disabled. This is significant for it shows the audience of Sarah’s struggles, in where she has lost plenty. In the case of the point of view not being from Dana, but by a different person such as Sarah, the story would change. This is for Sarah’s struggles does not relate to any of the main characters in the story and thus it does not have a majour value to the audience. Sarah’s struggles differ greatly from Dana’s struggle since Dana’s are more connected to the story line due to her being the main character. Another instance in where the story could be affected if from a different point of would be when Dana witnesses some some slaves, particularly one that she knew being sold and taken away. She begs Rufus to stop the selling, but then Rufus slaps her. Dana says, “And it was a mistake. It was the