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Kindred Essays



Essay Option 1: Is Dana an agent or a witness?


Some readers view Dana as a powerful figure who shapes events around her through courage, intelligence, and resilience. Others argue that Dana is more of a historical witness, forced to react to violence and trauma without full control.


Who has more influence over the course of events in Kindred: Dana or the world she is thrown into?


Argue either:

  • That Dana is an active agent, who makes strategic decisions, protects others, and ultimately shapes the outcomes of her journey.

  • Or that Dana is primarily a witness, whose role is to observe, survive, and document history without having the power to change it.


Creative open-ended elements:

  • Students may write a missing scene from Kindred in which Dana chooses not to return to the past. What changes?

  • They may reflect on the symbolism of Dana’s final injury as either empowerment or proof of helplessness.

  • Students may re-frame the story as a journal, asking: What power does the narrator have when the events are already in motion?


Essay Option 2: Is Kevin a partner or a bystander?


Kevin travels with Dana through time and sees the brutal world of slavery firsthand. Some argue that he is a true partner who grows and learns. Others suggest that he remains distant, failing to act meaningfully in the past or fully understand Dana’s experience.


Does Kevin act as a true partner in Kindred, or does Butler portray him as a limited bystander in both time periods?


Argue either:

  • That Kevin is a genuine partner who listens, evolves, and takes moral responsibility for his actions and inactions.

  • Or that Kevin ultimately stands apart from Dana’s journey, symbolizing the limits of empathy across identity and time.


Creative open-ended elements:

  • Students may write a scene from Kevin’s point of view, revealing his doubts or limitations during his years alone in the past.

  • They may analyze Butler’s structural decision to exclude Kevin from the most traumatic scenes. What does his absence reveal?

  • Students can debate whether love is enough to bridge power and privilege across centuries.

 
 
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