My name Adoreher, I'm in a college Eng course. In my English class will be editing Kindred by Octavia E. Bulter. --Adoreher (talk) 06:22, 16 March 2014 (UTC)

Summary 1

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The story starts out with Dana being questioned by the police as to how her on that broken. They try to get her to frame her husband, Kevin. Dana told the police husband and not Harm her. In the prologue, The River, and The Fire, it doesn't tell how Dana broke her arm. This seem to be the end of the story in the beginning.

Dana gets some sort of dizzy sickness that bring her back into time. The first dizzy sickness encounter was near a river. Near the river she see a boy drowning named Rufus. Rufus mother screamed and was unable to save her son. Dana jumped in and saved the little boy. Shortly after she saved him, the little boy father appears in front of Dana with a gun. Dana was saved by the dizzy sickness feeling, and was back in the apt. Where her husband found her wet.

Every-time she'd get that dizzy sickness feeling she knew she would travel back in time. The second time it happened, the same little boy Rufus, had started a fire. Dana helps out the fire, and saved him from getting burned and getting into trouble. Dana realized Rufus had gotten couple years older in a short time since she last seen him. This time around she was able to talk to Rufus, while talking to him, she gotten the idea that Rufus might be her distant relative, during the time slavery took place. --Adoreher (talk) 00:41, 17 March 2014 (UTC)

Summary 2

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Dana has more knowledge than she had the last two times she traveled back into time. She knows that everytime Rufus is in serious trouble she gets the dizzy sickness (she thinks it's Rufus calling her). She knows a young girl name Alice, a slave is her ancestor, and also Rufus friend. She know that every-time she get the dizzy sickness feeling Rufus can see her and everything around her before she appears.

This this chpt. Dana no longer have to convince her husband, Kevin, who's white, the truth about her travel experience back into slavery time. The reason why is because the next dizzy sickness she got kevin held on to her, and traveled with her back into time. When they appeared Rufus fell and broke his leg. Together they observed slaves, interact, and co-exist with slaves and slaveholders.

To co-exist Dana played Kevin's slave. Kevin didn't give Dana harsh duties, as her slaveholder, but it saves her from sold, or being treated harshly. Kevin was some sort of protection for Dana. Dana work in the "cook house" and in the house. Tom, Rufus father, hired Kevin to teach Rufus to read and write. Later, it became Dana's job to teach Rufus.

During this time travel Dana conscience bothered her. She felt sorry and helpless that she could do anything to help the slaves. While Dana teaches Rufus how to read and write, a boy named Nigel, a slave, wanted to know how to do the same. After Tom hired Dana , he told her she is not to read unless it's with Rufus. A boy names Nigel, a slave, wanted I know how to read and write. Against Tom orders and the rules during the time period, Dana taught Nigel, how to read in the "cookhouse". The "cookhouse" seemed to be the safest place to teach Nigel because nobody but slaves went into the "cookhouse". To surprise tom entered the cook house and graves Dana to whip her, she mouthed to Nigel to get Kevin. --Adoreher (talk) 00:43, 17 March 2014 (UTC)

Summary 3

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The chapter "The Fight" started out with Dana reminiscing about when Kevin asked her to marry him. To no surprised they both had family members who disapproved, but despite that they went to Las Vegas and got married.

Dana had been home eight days before she got the dizzy sickness again (Rufus age 18-19). When she arrived Rufus was getting beat up really badly by Alice's husband Isaac. Before Dana arrival Rufus tried to rape his long time friend Alice. To help him Dana talk them into leaving Rufus alone, and allowed them to run off. While they was on their run Dana told Rufus to lie and say a couple of whites tried to beat and rob him. Refuse reluctantly agreed to the story. When Dana got to Rufus home she had already gotten the news her husband Kevin moved up north. She thought she'd write Kevin a letter and have Rufus send it ... So she thought. Days later while on errands Rufus comes back with Alice bloody and beaten (she and her husband got caught). He brought her at a jail. Alice husband Isaac got his ear cut off and was sold.Rufus thought he was doing a good thing by buying his friend and bring her to Dana. Dana took care of her until she was well.

When Alice became well Rufus still wanted Alice, he felt like he lived he with her husband being sold, Rufus felt he had a chance with Alice. Now that her husband is gone Rufus felt like he had a chance with Alice. Rufus begged Dana to talk to Alice in the hopes she'll get her to give in to him. Dana morals wouldn't allow her to be apart of a rape or forcing a female to do something such as that. After awhile Rufus become more aggressive when he asked Dana to get Alice to come to him. He told Dana either she give in or she'll be whipped. Dana knew that she couldn't help Alice and longer, there was no more stalling for time for Alice.Dana sends the message to Rufus and let her know the choice is hers. Alice ultimately decided to give in to Rufus despite her feelings.

Dana found out that Rufus didn't send the letter she wrote to Kevin as he said he did. Dana made a bold decision to run away. Someone saw Dana leave and told Tom, Rufus's father. Tom and his son Rufus find Dana and bring her back for her "punishment". After Dana recovered Rufus showed her a letter that Kevin replied to o his father stating that he was coming back. Dana told Rufus that she found out he didn't send the letters, he realized that's way she ran away. Dana realized certain things about Rufus that she couldn't trust.

When Kevin came back Dana was still sore from her punishment from running away. She and Kevin was happy to see each other. He told her to pack her things he wants to leave. While on their journey Rufus blocks their passage way and threaten with a rifle that Dana and Kevin go to his house for dinner. Rufus told them that his father have something he wanted to tell Kevin. Rufus wanted Dans to stay. Dana tried to use reverse physiology, but it didn't work on Rufus and he was going to shoot her. Dana once again was saves by the dizzy sickness.Adoreher (talk) 07:14, 23 March 2014 (UTC)

Butler Biography assignment

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a)The lead section is okay. b)In the early life section, second paragraph I noticed that there wasn't a reliable source. The scholarship and fund section should be removed. c) d) The sections aren't well blend. There are some sections like the "interview" was really short. e) f) there are some unreliable

Summary 4

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Dana got the dizzy sickness feeling and she and Kevin got send back home. Keven haven’t been home in 5 years (Rufus time is faster, than his time) and has an extremely hard time coming back to normalcy in his time. The change in time makes Kevin on edge, and even separates himself from Dana, his wife. Dana wondered if Keven blamed her for his difficulty coping with the time change.

Dana got the dizzy sickness again, this time Kevin didn’t go with her. When she transcend back in time, she sees Rufus face down in a puddle. Dana was exhausted after she dragged Rufus half way home. She left him and walked to his house to get help. Nigel help Dana get Rufus home. Tom sees her, and said he wants to talk to her in the library. Being that Tom has a clearer understanding of why Dana reappears in his time; Dana tells Tom that if he beats her she will not help Rufus the next time he needs her.

Dana job was to aid Rufus to recovery. Dana advised Tom to get a Doctor for Rufus, but Tom left the responsibility of his son recovery to her. Dana is no Doctor is no doctor, there isn’t much she can do. Tom has an heart attack, and once again, the responsibility is put on Dana to perform miracle to save him from his heart attack. When Tom died Rufus blamed Dana, for letting his father die. As a punishment he sends her to the field to work. Although it wasn’t Dana’s fault that his father died, he just wanted someone to blame. Rufus later takes Dana off the field and orders her to talk to him. To apologize he told her she didn’t have to work for the rest of the day, and that he wants her to look after his sickly mother.

One day while in the woods, Dana sees Tess in chains, she was being sold. This bothered Dana, she felt guilty for saving Rufus life. She felt like Rufus was no different from his father. She was so upset that Rufus sold Tess, that she avoided him. When they finally spoke, Rufus told Dana that his father had depts. that needed to be paid off. He explains to her that he didn’t wanted sell Tess, but he had too.

Rufus and Dana always threaten/reminded each other that needed get other, to try to get their own way. Dana Rufus liked her company, maybe more than just associates. Alice even questioned her asking if she’s slept with Rufus. Alice claims Rufus is much nicer to her when Dana is around. Alice says she and Dana looks alike, and that Rufus liked her in bed, and liked Dana out of bed. Alice is pregnant. There was a party and at the party Rufus jokenily asked Dana if she sees anybody she’s like to marry. Dana says why are you going to sell them? And Rufus said yes. Dana realized that Alice and her gut feeling was right Rufus doesn’t like her more than associates. At the party there was a man named Sam that tried to talk to Dana. Dana noticed that Rufus was watching him. In fear that Rufus might have Sam sold, she told Sarah to tell Sam not to speak to her directly, to pass an oral message. Sam didn’t listen to Sarah advice passed from Dana; he came up to Dana and asked Dana if she’ll teach his kids to read and write. Rufus saw them conversed, and had him sold. Dana tried to stop Rufus, and for the first time ever Rufus hits and screamed get in the house. Dana runs up to the Attic and cuts her wrist. She soon got the dizzy sickness feeling and got home.


She wakes up at home, Kevin saw her bleeding and tried to help her as much as he could, then decided to call his friend who’s a doctor. Dana told Kevin she cut her wrist, in hopes to get home. She told Kevin that Hager was born. She told him that during her last visit, Carrie told her that, had she let Rufus die everyone would’ve been separated and sold. Kevin expressed to Dana his concerns with Rufus. He mentioned what Rufus said, that she’s not leaving him the last visit they had together. The 4th of July came and Rufus called Dana after 15 days of being home. Again she went back into time without Kevin.

When she arrived she was on the floor, someone had kicked her, it was Rufus. She realized Rufus hadn’t aged since that last time she seen him. Rufus was angry when he saw her and asked her what she’s doing there. She told him she doesn’t know unless she finds out what wrong with him. He grabbed her arm and brought her to the arm. The same barn that she got whipped in the last couple visits. When she went in Rufus didn’t follow her in. She saw Alice corpse hung by rope. Dana used her knife and got her down. She asked Rufus if she hung herself and he said yes. Dana questioned why, he didn’t answer her and walked around. Rufus later told her that she hung herself, after he told her he’ll sell the children they share. He told her, that as a result for her running away, he was trying to scare her. To further scare her, he send the children to his aunt house in Baltimore, but didn’t tell her, Alice was so hurt that she got sick. Even while she was sick Rufus still didn’t bring the kids back. He tried to make a point to her. Rufus felt really bad, and wished he brought the kids back while she was sick. Dana was disgusted by Rufus actions. Dana suggests that Rufus free the two children. Dana tried to make him feel guiltier than he already did. Rufus let Dana to a court house and he allowed her to watch him get freedom papers for the children.

Dana told Rufus that she cut her wrist to her home, because he had become something she didn’t want to be near. With gone Rufus was in grief and wanted Dana close to more than ever. Rufus told Dana he had nightmare of her leaving him, not saving him when she needed him. Rufus told Dana the same thing Alice told her, that she and Alice are like the same woman. He made it clear to her he doesn’t want her to leave, and he made sure of that by keeping her close to him. While they talked he tried to grab a hold of her and she breaks free and ran to the attic. In the attic she tried to grab the knife to cut her; Rufus afraid that she might do something to bring herself back home, breaks into the room, and gets on top of her. Rufus wanted Dana now; the way he wanted Dana, Dana knew this and tried to fight. Dana realized how easily she can give in to Rufus, and accepted Rufus as her master, but decided she is not going too. They fight, she stabbed him with her knife, and he grabbed her arm refused to let it go. He dies with a tight grip on her arm. When she got the dizzy sickness feeling, she got home with only half and arm. The part of her arm Rufus held didn’t come back with her. Half her arm was stuck with Rufus in the past.

Dana’s arm was well enough, she and Kevin droved to Maryland, where the Weylin house was. The farmer who worked there in present time showed her a newpaper that showed sales of Rufus Weyling estate. She and Kevin went Baltimore to skim the newspaper to see where Margaret, and Rufus kids went. There were no records or the children. Kevin told Dana now that Rufus was dead; she had a chance to stay sane.Adoreher (talk) 21:33, 11 April 2014 (UTC)

Critical Evaluation

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This critical evaluation by Pamela Bedore starts off with the Octavia E. Butler, of the book Kindred, accomplishments. Bedore says Butler includes boundaries of race, gender, sexuality, and history in her novels and Kindred is no different. Bedore describe the theme for Kindred as time travel because the novel the main character, Dana is a woman from the 20th century (a woman from modern time) that travels back in the times of slavery, which is American history. In Kindred Butler include two inter racial couples, one during the times of slavery- Alice and Rufus. The other inter racial couple is Dana and Kevin from the modern times. In both couples there’s as Bedore says a power dynamic. Although Dana seem to more power and a voice than Dana does with Rufus; both Kevin and Rusus seems to have more of a upper hand over their woman. Just as Alice gave up her life to show her power, Dana had to show her power by killing Rufus. Rufus grabed hold of Danan;s Arm, and only a part of her arm came back to present time, which meant what BEdore says “the loss of her innocence in believeing that race relations are different in the present.”

One interesting point Bedore made was “Kevin present-day suggestion that Dana type his manuscripts (she hates to type) or get rid of some of her books (she lives her books) can be seen as a white man subtly disempowering an African American woman.” This shows the power that Kevin has over Dana in the present –day , just as the powers Rufus had over Alice in the past. Both Kevin and Rufus has power over there woman. The times don’t make a difference.Adoreher (talk) 21:33, 11 April 2014 (UTC)