Tensions in Kindred

Last week my group gave a panel presentation on an article called “‘Do I look like someone you can come home to from where you may be going?’: Re-Mapping Interracial Anxiety in Octavia Butler's Kindred,” by Guy Mark Foster. We didn’t get to discuss all of our questions in much depth so I’d like to present an important argument to you now. For those of you who weren’t there, I will give a very short summary of what the author argued. One of the biggest points made by the author is that, as a result of reading other books that deal with the topic of racial oppression, we automatically assume that we need to read Kindred in this context as well, because of the characters it deals with. Because of this, we pay little attention to the relatively equal relationship between Kevin and Dana, unless it is under the lens of racial oppression. Foster also claims that many of the anxieties throughout the book come from societal and familial opposition to Kevin and Dana’s interracial relationship. This tension is one that Kevin and Dana hesitate to address, and the author also points out that this mirrors the silence around the subject that was present of the whole nation during major movements regarding racial equality.

We talked in class about the first part of the argument, so I will try to focus on the other points. I definitely think the point the author makes about societal and familial views placing a stress on Dana and Kevin’s relationship is valid. When they tell their respective families that they are going to marry, both families object. In “The Fight” Kevin recounts his conversation with his sister to Dana, and she said: “That she didn’t want to meet you, wouldn’t have you in her house, or me either if I married you.” This seems to introduce a different air of conversation, as Kevin tries to defend and distance himself from his sister and Dana responds dryly. Dana’s description of her uncle’s reaction to Kevin adds even more tension: “He wants me to marry someone like him—someone who looks like him. A black man.” To which Kevin responds with a sad “Oh.” To me, this scene just felt very awkward, and they didn’t seem to be very in sync as a couple.

To illustrate societal opposition to their relationship, Foster brings up the scene in the auto-parts warehouse where Buz asks Dana “You gonna write some poor-nography together!” And later when Kevin is also present he mutters “Chocolate and vanilla porn!” During this scene, it is clear to me that Dana and Kevin are both aware of the situation but refuse to discuss it. First, only Dana hears Buz’s comment, but she does not talk about it when Kevin is confused. After Buz makes another comment, Kevin says that he heard what he said. And that is the end of it. In this chapter, Dana makes her feelings clear to the readers, but she never tells Kevin about them or asks him what he is thinking. 

Overall, I can definitely see the point Foster is making, since both of these scenes made me a little uncomfortable and I think that Dana and Kevin were not communicating with each other very well. It also makes sense that these examples are used to show how the relationship reflects the attitudes of the nation. Even now, there is a silence around the topic of racial equality as many try to not to acknowledge some of the problems that exist in our society.