Time Travel in Kindred

10/16/08
Kindred

In Kindred, Butler breaks away from the typical time travel story. Similar to many time travel stories, Dana travels back in time to somehow aid in the making of history. For example, in the novel, A Conneticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court, Hank travels back in time to help King Arthur protect Camelot. Like Hank, Dana is set back in time, but only to help a racist, white ancestor whenever he is in trouble. The difference between the two, is that at the end of Twain's book Hank is considered a hero and everyone at Camelot praises him as such. Dana, on the other hand, does not get any praise for her actions, and is instead beaten, whipped, and treated like a slave by the father of the boy she saves repeatedly. Butler seems to want us to see depsite the fact Dana helped Rufus, slavery and racism in the antebellum South is much too powerful to overcome. This is idea is much in contrast from Twain's novel, although a comedy, which allows a modern man to blend into a fifth century society. It seems that Butler wants us to see the reality in time travel and that modern citizens would have a difficult time adjusting to living only a century ago, especially a black woman. Butler shows us that despite numerous attempts to change the past and be a "hero", a person sent into a time of oppression would continue to be punished.