Which character in your novel do you identify with the closest, or which character do you have the hardest time identifying with? How does this influence your reading? What characterization led you to this conclusion?
Rufus, for me, is a difficult character to connect with. It isn’t because of his personality, rather how ingrained his societal treatment of black people is. So far we have watched as Dana has changed the way Rufus acts through her few transfers, but it is also visible to see how much his society is still affecting him in: “‘Niggers can't marry white people!’ said Rufus” (Butler 60). I think this was an important moment for us to see. Rufus has been shown to have respect for Dana, however we see here that the part of him that respects Dana is clashing with the parts that grow up and mature in his time on the plantation. Furthering this is, “‘Marse Tom can turn mean mighty quick,’ he said. ‘So can the boy, now that he’s growing up...’” (Butler 68). Do you believe that the author is doing this on purpose? If so I would wonder if the author is setting up for a bildungsroman focusing on Rufus changing to a person who is good by today's standards.
I think that Dana will have a great affect on Rufus and who he will become as an adult. I believe that she will teach him how to treat people with respect no matter what their skin tone is. On page 64 Rufus tells Kevin: “You aren't as bad as I thought you’d be.” he also says, “You were fighting with Dana just before you came here, or... it looked like fighting. Did you make all those marks on her face?” This shows that even though Rufus lives in time where seeing black men and women beat by their owners is socially acceptable, he worries for Dana and her safety and shows her respect. Rufus will grow up to respect people of all skin colors and show love towards everyone.
I agree that Dana will become more of an influence in Rufus life. I think it is hard for a lot of us to connect with Rufus’ because of the culture we live in today. We were raised in a generation where everyone is equal. Rufus was raised in an environment where this was not the case and it was very hard to break from that norm. I think that the course of this book that Dana will ultimately change Rufus´ current stigma about colored people which will ultimately lead to him marrying Alice.
The character in Kindred I relate most to is Dana because throughout the book she is terrified because of the transporting to a different time but still does whatever she can to help Rufus and has built a strong relationship with him.. On page 59 Dana transports back to Rufus, who is laying on the ground, in pain, because of his broken leg.”I moved his hands away and as gently as I could, pulled his pants leg up. His leg was discolored and swollen.” After she tells the other boy with him, Nigel, to get help from Rufus’s dad, even though his dad is a slave owner with a bad temper. I have built a lot of strong relationships with family and friends and I would do anything I can do to help them and,as a lifeguard, I would do anything I can to save any little kid, even if I don't know them, just as Dana does for Rufus when he’s drowning. I predict that as Rufus and Dana create a closer bond, she will have a greater affect on him and even risk her own life for his. Do you think Rufus and Dana will continue growing closer or do you think him being a white slave owner will come between them?
I totally agree with you, but I think that they will grow closer over time, and create a good relationship. She may even change his views on how to treat slaves because throughout the book he's grown to show Dana much more respect as the book goes on, so maybe when he becomes the owner he'll treat them differently than his father did.
I think that the author has set up too many parallels between Dana and Rufus to not have them grow closer. I believe, like you, that for this book to work they have to grow closer. I would go further and say Dana is the reason Rufus will think it is fine for him to marry Alice. I for sure agree that they will grow closer and protect each other.
I agree, and adding on to that idea of how Dana is trying to do everything she can to protect Rufus and how you would do anything to help a family member or friend who's in trouble is really admirable.
I least identify with Kevin, the shady husband. This causes me to read into his actions whenever possible. I’ve already talked about how Kevin is shady, granted I could be ready to much in between the lines, but when you say “‘This could be a great time to live in,’ Kevin said once ‘ I keep thinking what an experience it would be to stay in it.’” (97) While I know he goes on to talk about going west, but he pauses to think before that. Is that to think what he meant or to come up with a reason to keep Dana in this position of fake enslavement. Why would he do this you may ask? Well in 1976 he is an equal and she only depends on him emotionally and maybe financially. In the Ante Bellum South her live depends on him. If Kevin isn’t around you see how bad it gets for her, almost get shot, page 14-15, and almost gets raped, page 41-43. This makes me think that he may have a part in what's going on, or is taking advantage of the situation to make her depend on him more.
I agree that Kevin was not thinking about Dana when he said "This could be a great time to live in"(69) and was not thinking about how bad it would be for Dana. He has a also been proven to be very supportive and protective of Dana. He always listens to everything Dana has to say when she transports back and provides her with everything she needs if she goes back. He also worries about her safety and protects her when they transport to Rufus together.
I think that, when you look at who they are, he is more mesmerized by the opportunity that he has here. I don't think that he was thinking what would be bad for Dana about staying there, but rather he was thinking like the scholars they both are. As a white man in the Ante Bellum South, he does not get to spend a lot of time with Dana so I believe that he may be getting forgetful like Dana thought would be possible when she thought, “‘...some part of this place would rub off on him.’” (Butler 77). I don’t think that he is doing this on purpose, but rather is getting used to not caring about blacks, because that is how he is surviving now.
Is he mesmerized or have something else in mind . Is he saying one thing and trying to do another? It seems at times that his support is flat and just I love you, no panic just I love and let’s protect you by getting you into more potential trouble. Again I’m referencing page 44 quote of “‘You were gone two or three minutes this time. I didn’t know what to think. You don’t know how good it is to have you back again.”(44) and later when he offers her a knife, which would get her killed if history shows us anything. It seems that either the author wants to portray him as a person who puts little thought into ideas or is trying to do something else. Kevin could be someone with a level head or his seemly calmness is because he either knows what's going on or saw a very good opportunity to become dominant in a relationship. Sarah the mute’s mom says Dana is in control of Kevin when she says, “You can make him do just about anything you want him to do.” I think that he wants something out of this because of previously mentioned reason of he’s shady and the quotes that come with that, pages 16 and 44.
I agree with Sophie, Kevin shouldn't be seen as a bad guy because he does support her and try to protect her as much as he can. What do you think he wants out of everything?
I think I least identify with is Rufus, because his personality is much different from people today, because of this I feel it’s harder to connect with. I think the type of society were in makes all the difference because in his Dana can’t be married to Kevin, “Niggers can’t marry white people!” (60). And in today's world it’s completely socially acceptable but isn’t in his. Which I feel makes it much harder to connect with him.
I agree, I definitely connect all the text (especially this topic of race and education) in the world and society we will in today. We all except each other and education is a law and a thing now and back then these things were definitely a lot different than now. I think its cool to see the change from then and now, but it suck that back then is was much worse than today and I feel bad for the people that struggled.
I completely agree. It is extremely hard for me to connect with a person who was raised in a society where the mistreatment of a person was due to their color, not their personality or actions. Times are completely different now so it is a very hard concept to grasp. Do you feel that the mistreatment of the Muslim religion could connect with the mistreatments of slaves back in the 1800ś?
I agree that it is hard to connect to Rufus due to the fact that he believes it is normal to discriminate against a person based on the color of their skin, and this is because of the society he was raised in. I think Butler created Rufus as a character who thinks their is nothing wrong with racism because she wanted to show the parallels between present society and antebellum society.
Dana, the main character, she travels back in time to situations that involved Rufus or whenever he is hurt. Sometimes in my mind when I go through something or am just having a rough day I think about the past as I am “traveling back in time.” As I read I can understand why this is happening to Dana and can understand her feeling of terror, no after I “travel back in time” I don’t come back hurt or wet, but it still makes me think of how she could of felt at that time. The way she thinks leads me to my conclusion.
I agree with you, also I really like how you related yourself with the main character and compared to your own daily encounters. I never thought of theoretically going back in time like Dana is and fixing these type of situations.
I believe that I can relate to Kevin most out of all the characters. Kevin is sarcastic, empathetic, and a person who would do anything to protect his wife. His sarcasm is shown when he speaks to Dana the first time asking if she, “was high on something or what?” (Butler, 53). I grew up in a family in which sarcasm is considered an unwritten rule. Kevin is also is a logical person and needs to see it to believe it; I am as well. He is astonished when him and Dana both are warped back into the 1800´s and exclaims how he didn't believe it was real before (Bulter, 58). Throughout the text the reader dives into more into Kevins personality and he reveals his protective and empathetic personality. When the two characters are stuck at the Weylin's house he tries to shield Dana from any harm and expresses how he hates that Dana is “playing the role as a slave¨ (Butler, 79). Kevin and I are very much alike due to the characteristics we both possess. This helps me continue reading the book to see what he will do next. I could never imagine the struggles that Dana is experiencing which is why I struggle with a connection to her. Yet due to Bulters use of his indirect characterization I feel a strong connection to Kevin because of his personality traits. I believe that Kevin will become are more predominant character in helping Dana solve the mystery why she is there. How do you all feel about Dana's choice to stay at the Welyin´s house? Do you feel this is going to hurt or harm her in the end?
I completely agree on how you described Kevin and his character traits and I can totally see how you can compare yourself to him as well. I also believe that Kevin help her to understand why this is happening to her.
I also agree with you on Kevin. He is that type of person that wants to see it before he believes it. Maybe that's why Kevin needs to go back more because he needs to understand that things like this actually took place.
The main character Dana I have the hardest time relating too because throughout the book she is transporting through time into different time periods throughout history for example “The room began to darken and spin. “Oh no,” I moaned. I closed my eyes against the sickening dizziness.” (Butler, 58). This influences my reading because it makes me think what I would do differently if I could travel back in time. The author’s use of direct characterization when describing Dana and the events in her life make it hard for me to relate to her because through descriptions of her transporting and meeting her ancestors.
In Kindred, I am the most confused with Dana. I can also connect with Dana in many ways as well. I am most confused with Dana because she keeps time traveling back into the past to see Rufus even when it continues to hurt her. “I lowered my head and closed my eyes for a moment. I was shaking with fear, with residual terror that took all the strength out of me.”(Butler 15). From reading this quote, it seems as if she can’t handle traveling as if it is too rough on her body.Throughout the book so far, it seems like every time she transports it makes her more weak and messes with her head too much. I can also connect with Dana as well because she is very brave for continuing and is determined to not give up. Further in the book, I think that she will run into some bumpy roads and have conflict but that won't stop her. I say this because if she was sent to Rufus for a reason, she’s going to put her mind to it and find out what that reason is and how she can resolve it. When reading about Dana I make sure to completely understand what is going on because she reacts to different things in different ways sometimes. She’s the most important person in this book because she has so much weight of responsibility on her shoulders for not only herself, but others as well. I can back this up by mentioning how she takes Kevin along with her, and she continues to see Rufus. What “roles” do you think Dana has as a character in Kindred?
I personally have a hard time relating to Dana because I simply couldn’t imagine being her position. Unlike Dana, I have never been discriminated against because of the color of my skin. Kevin’s sister disapproved of his and Dana’s relationship because of their racial differences and Kevin summarized her feelings stating “That she didn’t want to meet you, wouldn’t have you in her house - or me either if I married you”(Butler, 110). I think the author made Kevin white and Dana black to create conflict and to show parallels between them and Alice and Rufus because it shows how society has evolved, yet still has problems. Addtionally, she suddenly she was transported to Antebellum south where she was forced to become a slave and face that persecution. I do not believe I could handle the situations Dana has been faced with and how she faces them with courage and strength. Since it is hard for me to relate to Dana, it influences me to try to empathize more with her when reading the book. I predict that Dana will continue to have courage and strength when dealing with her enslavement and her time traveling. Do others agree that it can be diffcult to empathize with Dana because of the differences in our races.
yes it can be hard to relate to the spicific situaition and the different races. But we have expirenced racism and bullying and discriminaition so we can relate to a point.
I can’t relate to Dana because the difference in our lives and life experiences is so drastic. She comes from a much different place than I do and she is a complex character. The life experiences that I mentioned mostly have to do with racism and discrimination. That is something that I have never dealt with and is also something that I see as a common part of life here in Wisconsin. That makes it hard for me to relate to Dana both in the present time and especially in the 1800’s. For example, “And know I knew why Rufus’s father used his whip on “niggers” as well as horses.” (Butler, 27). I think because it is hard to relate to Dana and her struggles, it makes it easier for me to judge her situation. It is not clouded by my person experiences and opinions on the issue. A lot of the same for these other characters. Kevin if anyone is most easily relatable for me because he is a logical person and is almost a “doubter” of what Dana says occurs until he experiences it for himself. Does Dana be hard for me to relate to help or hurt my understanding of the book and what we are supposed to learn from it?
I completely agree with your point of view on how it is hard to relate to Dana. I don't think it necessarily hurts our understanding of the text because we can't relate to her, instead I believe it gives us an outside perspective.
I agree with your statement. It is hard to relate to someone in this situation when one hasn't experienced it. Maybe we haven't experienced the plot but perhaps the feeling?
Which character in your novel do you identify with the closest, or which character do you have the hardest time identifying with? How does this influence your reading? What characterization led you to this conclusion?
I can relate to dana most because of her compassion for others and her high tolerance. She has mercy for others and wouldn’t harm others on purpose. Similarly to me, I am selfless in hard situations because I will always put others before myself. She sacrifices herself and her time to help others willingly or against her will. The lengths I go for people is shocking sometimes, even when they don’t necessarily deserve it. In some situations, Dana does things for others despite what she thinks. I can relate to this since that’s what i do as well. I do what my friends tell me to because there’s no use in arguing. I relate to Dana because I know what it feels like to have no power or control in what you say or do. Dana has a master and I have friends. Both of us do what someone orders us to do without putting up a fight. “My mind had caught up with my mouth by then, and I kept quiet”(Octavia, 230). Here it exclaims how Dana wants to say something, but makes the better choice and decides to not speak since she is not in control.
Rufus, for me, is a difficult character to connect with. It isn’t because of his personality, rather how ingrained his societal treatment of black people is. So far we have watched as Dana has changed the way Rufus acts through her few transfers, but it is also visible to see how much his society is still affecting him in: “‘Niggers can't marry white people!’ said Rufus” (Butler 60). I think this was an important moment for us to see. Rufus has been shown to have respect for Dana, however we see here that the part of him that respects Dana is clashing with the parts that grow up and mature in his time on the plantation. Furthering this is, “‘Marse Tom can turn mean mighty quick,’ he said. ‘So can the boy, now that he’s growing up...’” (Butler 68). Do you believe that the author is doing this on purpose? If so I would wonder if the author is setting up for a bildungsroman focusing on Rufus changing to a person who is good by today's standards.
ReplyDeleteI think that Dana will have a great affect on Rufus and who he will become as an adult. I believe that she will teach him how to treat people with respect no matter what their skin tone is. On page 64 Rufus tells Kevin: “You aren't as bad as I thought you’d be.” he also says, “You were fighting with Dana just before you came here, or... it looked like fighting. Did you make all those marks on her face?” This shows that even though Rufus lives in time where seeing black men and women beat by their owners is socially acceptable, he worries for Dana and her safety and shows her respect. Rufus will grow up to respect people of all skin colors and show love towards everyone.
DeleteI agree that Dana will become more of an influence in Rufus life. I think it is hard for a lot of us to connect with Rufus’ because of the culture we live in today. We were raised in a generation where everyone is equal. Rufus was raised in an environment where this was not the case and it was very hard to break from that norm. I think that the course of this book that Dana will ultimately change Rufus´ current stigma about colored people which will ultimately lead to him marrying Alice.
DeleteThe character in Kindred I relate most to is Dana because throughout the book she is terrified because of the transporting to a different time but still does whatever she can to help Rufus and has built a strong relationship with him.. On page 59 Dana transports back to Rufus, who is laying on the ground, in pain, because of his broken leg.”I moved his hands away and as gently as I could, pulled his pants leg up. His leg was discolored and swollen.” After she tells the other boy with him, Nigel, to get help from Rufus’s dad, even though his dad is a slave owner with a bad temper. I have built a lot of strong relationships with family and friends and I would do anything I can do to help them and,as a lifeguard, I would do anything I can to save any little kid, even if I don't know them, just as Dana does for Rufus when he’s drowning. I predict that as Rufus and Dana create a closer bond, she will have a greater affect on him and even risk her own life for his. Do you think Rufus and Dana will continue growing closer or do you think him being a white slave owner will come between them?
ReplyDeleteI totally agree with you, but I think that they will grow closer over time, and create a good relationship. She may even change his views on how to treat slaves because throughout the book he's grown to show Dana much more respect as the book goes on, so maybe when he becomes the owner he'll treat them differently than his father did.
DeleteI think that the author has set up too many parallels between Dana and Rufus to not have them grow closer. I believe, like you, that for this book to work they have to grow closer. I would go further and say Dana is the reason Rufus will think it is fine for him to marry Alice. I for sure agree that they will grow closer and protect each other.
DeleteAgreeing with Sophie and Miranda, he has really grown and show Dana more respect than before.
DeleteI agree, and adding on to that idea of how Dana is trying to do everything she can to protect Rufus and how you would do anything to help a family member or friend who's in trouble is really admirable.
DeleteI least identify with Kevin, the shady husband. This causes me to read into his actions whenever possible. I’ve already talked about how Kevin is shady, granted I could be ready to much in between the lines, but when you say “‘This could be a great time to live in,’ Kevin said once ‘ I keep thinking what an experience it would be to stay in it.’” (97) While I know he goes on to talk about going west, but he pauses to think before that. Is that to think what he meant or to come up with a reason to keep Dana in this position of fake enslavement. Why would he do this you may ask? Well in 1976 he is an equal and she only depends on him emotionally and maybe financially. In the Ante Bellum South her live depends on him. If Kevin isn’t around you see how bad it gets for her, almost get shot, page 14-15, and almost gets raped, page 41-43. This makes me think that he may have a part in what's going on, or is taking advantage of the situation to make her depend on him more.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteI agree that Kevin was not thinking about Dana when he said "This could be a great time to live in"(69) and was not thinking about how bad it would be for Dana. He has a also been proven to be very supportive and protective of Dana. He always listens to everything Dana has to say when she transports back and provides her with everything she needs if she goes back. He also worries about her safety and protects her when they transport to Rufus together.
DeleteI think that, when you look at who they are, he is more mesmerized by the opportunity that he has here. I don't think that he was thinking what would be bad for Dana about staying there, but rather he was thinking like the scholars they both are. As a white man in the Ante Bellum South, he does not get to spend a lot of time with Dana so I believe that he may be getting forgetful like Dana thought would be possible when she thought, “‘...some part of this place would rub off on him.’” (Butler 77). I don’t think that he is doing this on purpose, but rather is getting used to not caring about blacks, because that is how he is surviving now.
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteIs he mesmerized or have something else in mind . Is he saying one thing and trying to do another? It seems at times that his support is flat and just I love you, no panic just I love and let’s protect you by getting you into more potential trouble. Again I’m referencing page 44 quote of “‘You were gone two or three minutes this time. I didn’t know what to think. You don’t know how good it is to have you back again.”(44) and later when he offers her a knife, which would get her killed if history shows us anything. It seems that either the author wants to portray him as a person who puts little thought into ideas or is trying to do something else. Kevin could be someone with a level head or his seemly calmness is because he either knows what's going on or saw a very good opportunity to become dominant in a relationship. Sarah the mute’s mom says Dana is in control of Kevin when she says, “You can make him do just about anything you want him to do.” I think that he wants something out of this because of previously mentioned reason of he’s shady and the quotes that come with that, pages 16 and 44.
DeleteI agree with Sophie, Kevin shouldn't be seen as a bad guy because he does support her and try to protect her as much as he can. What do you think he wants out of everything?
DeleteI think I least identify with is Rufus, because his personality is much different from people today, because of this I feel it’s harder to connect with. I think the type of society were in makes all the difference because in his Dana can’t be married to Kevin, “Niggers can’t marry white people!” (60). And in today's world it’s completely socially acceptable but isn’t in his. Which I feel makes it much harder to connect with him.
ReplyDeleteI agree, I definitely connect all the text (especially this topic of race and education) in the world and society we will in today. We all except each other and education is a law and a thing now and back then these things were definitely a lot different than now. I think its cool to see the change from then and now, but it suck that back then is was much worse than today and I feel bad for the people that struggled.
Delete
DeleteI completely agree. It is extremely hard for me to connect with a person who was raised in a society where the mistreatment of a person was due to their color, not their personality or actions. Times are completely different now so it is a very hard concept to grasp. Do you feel that the mistreatment of the Muslim religion could connect with the mistreatments of slaves back in the 1800ś?
I agree that it is hard to connect to Rufus due to the fact that he believes it is normal to discriminate against a person based on the color of their skin, and this is because of the society he was raised in. I think Butler created Rufus as a character who thinks their is nothing wrong with racism because she wanted to show the parallels between present society and antebellum society.
DeleteDana, the main character, she travels back in time to situations that involved Rufus or whenever he is hurt. Sometimes in my mind when I go through something or am just having a rough day I think about the past as I am “traveling back in time.” As I read I can understand why this is happening to Dana and can understand her feeling of terror, no after I “travel back in time” I don’t come back hurt or wet, but it still makes me think of how she could of felt at that time. The way she thinks leads me to my conclusion.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you, also I really like how you related yourself with the main character and compared to your own daily encounters. I never thought of theoretically going back in time like Dana is and fixing these type of situations.
DeleteI believe that I can relate to Kevin most out of all the characters. Kevin is sarcastic, empathetic, and a person who would do anything to protect his wife. His sarcasm is shown when he speaks to Dana the first time asking if she, “was high on something or what?” (Butler, 53). I grew up in a family in which sarcasm is considered an unwritten rule. Kevin is also is a logical person and needs to see it to believe it; I am as well. He is astonished when him and Dana both are warped back into the 1800´s and exclaims how he didn't believe it was real before (Bulter, 58). Throughout the text the reader dives into more into Kevins personality and he reveals his protective and empathetic personality. When the two characters are stuck at the Weylin's house he tries to shield Dana from any harm and expresses how he hates that Dana is “playing the role as a slave¨ (Butler, 79). Kevin and I are very much alike due to the characteristics we both possess. This helps me continue reading the book to see what he will do next. I could never imagine the struggles that Dana is experiencing which is why I struggle with a connection to her. Yet due to Bulters use of his indirect characterization I feel a strong connection to Kevin because of his personality traits. I believe that Kevin will become are more predominant character in helping Dana solve the mystery why she is there. How do you all feel about Dana's choice to stay at the Welyin´s house? Do you feel this is going to hurt or harm her in the end?
ReplyDeleteI completely agree on how you described Kevin and his character traits and I can totally see how you can compare yourself to him as well. I also believe that Kevin help her to understand why this is happening to her.
DeleteI also agree with you on Kevin. He is that type of person that wants to see it before he believes it. Maybe that's why Kevin needs to go back more because he needs to understand that things like this actually took place.
DeleteThe main character Dana I have the hardest time relating too because throughout the book she is transporting through time into different time periods throughout history for example “The room began to darken and spin. “Oh no,” I moaned. I closed my eyes against the sickening dizziness.” (Butler, 58). This influences my reading because it makes me think what I would do differently if I could travel back in time. The author’s use of direct characterization when describing Dana and the events in her life make it hard for me to relate to her because through descriptions of her transporting and meeting her ancestors.
ReplyDeleteIn Kindred, I am the most confused with Dana. I can also connect with Dana in many ways as well. I am most confused with Dana because she keeps time traveling back into the past to see Rufus even when it continues to hurt her. “I lowered my head and closed my eyes for a moment. I was shaking with fear, with residual terror that took all the strength out of me.”(Butler 15). From reading this quote, it seems as if she can’t handle traveling as if it is too rough on her body.Throughout the book so far, it seems like every time she transports it makes her more weak and messes with her head too much. I can also connect with Dana as well because she is very brave for continuing and is determined to not give up. Further in the book, I think that she will run into some bumpy roads and have conflict but that won't stop her. I say this because if she was sent to Rufus for a reason, she’s going to put her mind to it and find out what that reason is and how she can resolve it. When reading about Dana I make sure to completely understand what is going on because she reacts to different things in different ways sometimes. She’s the most important person in this book because she has so much weight of responsibility on her shoulders for not only herself, but others as well. I can back this up by mentioning how she takes Kevin along with her, and she continues to see Rufus. What “roles” do you think Dana has as a character in Kindred?
ReplyDeleteI personally have a hard time relating to Dana because I simply couldn’t imagine being her position. Unlike Dana, I have never been discriminated against because of the color of my skin. Kevin’s sister disapproved of his and Dana’s relationship because of their racial differences and Kevin summarized her feelings stating “That she didn’t want to meet you, wouldn’t have you in her house - or me either if I married you”(Butler, 110). I think the author made Kevin white and Dana black to create conflict and to show parallels between them and Alice and Rufus because it shows how society has evolved, yet still has problems. Addtionally, she suddenly she was transported to Antebellum south where she was forced to become a slave and face that persecution. I do not believe I could handle the situations Dana has been faced with and how she faces them with courage and strength. Since it is hard for me to relate to Dana, it influences me to try to empathize more with her when reading the book. I predict that Dana will continue to have courage and strength when dealing with her enslavement and her time traveling. Do others agree that it can be diffcult to empathize with Dana because of the differences in our races.
ReplyDeleteyes it can be hard to relate to the spicific situaition and the different races. But we have expirenced racism and bullying and discriminaition so we can relate to a point.
DeleteI can’t relate to Dana because the difference in our lives and life experiences is so drastic. She comes from a much different place than I do and she is a complex character. The life experiences that I mentioned mostly have to do with racism and discrimination. That is something that I have never dealt with and is also something that I see as a common part of life here in Wisconsin. That makes it hard for me to relate to Dana both in the present time and especially in the 1800’s. For example, “And know I knew why Rufus’s father used his whip on “niggers” as well as horses.” (Butler, 27). I think because it is hard to relate to Dana and her struggles, it makes it easier for me to judge her situation. It is not clouded by my person experiences and opinions on the issue. A lot of the same for these other characters. Kevin if anyone is most easily relatable for me because he is a logical person and is almost a “doubter” of what Dana says occurs until he experiences it for himself. Does Dana be hard for me to relate to help or hurt my understanding of the book and what we are supposed to learn from it?
ReplyDeleteI completely agree with your point of view on how it is hard to relate to Dana. I don't think it necessarily hurts our understanding of the text because we can't relate to her, instead I believe it gives us an outside perspective.
DeleteI agree with your statement. It is hard to relate to someone in this situation when one hasn't experienced it. Maybe we haven't experienced the plot but perhaps the feeling?
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ReplyDeleteWhich character in your novel do you identify with the closest, or which character do you have the hardest time identifying with? How does this influence your reading? What characterization led you to this conclusion?
ReplyDeleteI can relate to dana most because of her compassion for others and her high tolerance. She has mercy for others and wouldn’t harm others on purpose. Similarly to me, I am selfless in hard situations because I will always put others before myself. She sacrifices herself and her time to help others willingly or against her will. The lengths I go for people is shocking sometimes, even when they don’t necessarily deserve it. In some situations, Dana does things for others despite what she thinks. I can relate to this since that’s what i do as well. I do what my friends tell me to because there’s no use in arguing. I relate to Dana because I know what it feels like to have no power or control in what you say or do. Dana has a master and I have friends. Both of us do what someone orders us to do without putting up a fight. “My mind had caught up with my mouth by then, and I kept quiet”(Octavia, 230). Here it exclaims how Dana wants to say something, but makes the better choice and decides to not speak since she is not in control.