Kindred: Slavery and Real Slave Market Essay

Submitted By erya10
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Paragraph Analysis Kindred is historical fiction because it travels through time. African American, Dana, main character and narrator of the story lives with her (American) husband, Kevin in 1976 in Los Angeles. Though her marriage is an unusual in 1976 it’s definitely not allowed in the 1800’s. She travels on and off between 1970’s and 1800’s, but primarily the book takes place in the 1800s where slavery was still in place. The author’s vivid ideas about slavery is clear throughout the book. Slavery was common all around the U.S with the exception of several free states such as New York. Slavery mainly took place in plantation farms where the author describes the cruel conditions and high expectations from slaves of all ages. African Americans were constantly denied basic rights. Runaways are slaves who tried escaping and if caught were beaten harshly by owners. Also slaves would normally be separated from their family. Some parents would have their own infant sold and never have the chance to see them grow. The author also points out that it wasn’t the “masters” such as Tom Weylin (owner of a plantation) that he treated African Americans the way he did, rather the system he lived in and was raised into that made slavery okay. I think, Octavia, author of Kindred, wanted to really emphasize slave marketing and the great impact it had on young African Americans. There is a scene where Dana and her husband are walking in the woods and encounter themselves with several slave children who are reenacting what would happen in a real slave market. One child would be the slave and they would supposedly be getting sold just like an auction and the other children would be bidding. Slaves were pretty much treated like animals! It’s horrible that even the children knew what their fate was set out to be and how easily they accepted it because in their eyes
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