full title Kindred
author Octavia E. Butler
type of work Novel
genre Bildungsroman, historical fiction, science fiction,
dystopia
language English
time and place written Maryland, 1979
date of first publication 1979
publisher Doubleday
narrator Dana
point of view First person
tone Spare, straightforward, sober
tense Past
setting (time) 1976 and early nineteeth century
setting (place) California and Maryland
protagonist Dana
major conflict Dana struggles to survive in antebellum Maryland.
rising action Dana is taxed with saving Rufus’s life.
climax Rufus attempts to rape Dana.
falling action Dana kills Rufus.
themes The corrupting influence of power; the bondage of familial
love
motifs Violence, home, race
symbols Whips, birthdays, maps
foreshadowing Sarah’s warning foreshadows Rufus’s failure to mail
the letter; Dana’s fear of Rufus’s jealousy foreshadows Sam’s sale
