Children Exposed In Octavia Butler's Kindred

“No one is born hating another person because their skin color, or his background, or his religion. People must learn to hate…” In this quote, Mr. Nelson Mandela is saying that no one was born to hate someone just because of their skin color, background, or their religious beliefs. Children are like sponges, they model everything they see and incorporate it into their own life; they have to be taught by another person to hate these thing. Otherwise, it can be detrimental to a child’s development. In Kindred, the author Octavia Butler exhibits these beliefs throughout the novel. Kindred is a remarkable science fiction novel where the main character Edana Franklin, who is black, often times travels back into time to a Pre-Civil War Maryland plantation

Rufus is playing with Nigel, a slave child at his plantation, and falls out of the tree and breaks his leg. When Edana and Kevin arrive, Edana has Nigel run and get help from Rufus’s father Tom Weylin and tells him to tell Mr. Weylin to bring the wagon to support Rufus’s broken leg. While they are waiting for Nigel to return with Tom and the wagon, Rufus asks Kevin for his name, and also asks if Edana is his property. Kevin introduces himself and informs Rufus that Edana is in fact not his property, but she is his wife. Rufus confusedly and angrily yells, “Niggers can’t marry white people!” (58-60). Rufus is befuddled because he is taught and gives the idea that black people, or “niggers”, and white people cannot marry. Shortly after, Edana grabs Kevin, keeping him calm, and it stops him from uttering something. Edana explains, “The boy learned to talk that way from his mother...And from his father, and probably from the slaves themselves” (58-61). Edana is telling Kevin that Rufus learns the idea that blacks and whites cannot marry, and he also learns to talk the way he does using prejudice and insulting language such as “nigger” from the way that he is brought up, from his parents, and even some of the slaves themselves. This suggests that Rufus’s prejudice ideas about

Rufus and Edana are discussing how she works in the kitchen with, “Aunt Sarah”. Rufus asks Edana if Sarah has hit her because she is angry. She is angry because his Father Tom sells her only two sons causing her to react badly and hit the last girl that worked with her in the kitchen. Edana tells Rufus that she understands why she did it, and she doesn’t blame her for it. Rufus sadly agrees, “Neither do I. Her boy Jim was my friend. He taught me how to ride when I was little. But Daddy sold him anyways” (86). Rufus is upset because his father sold his longtime childhood friend Jim, Sarah’s son, knowing they that they were close and that they share a strong bond. Yet interestingly enough, whenever he gains control of the plantation, he does the same thing to Edana knowing how it awful it feels. Edana is furious and upset because Rufus sells many slaves including her dear friend, Tess. Tess is a good slave, a hard worker, and always does what she is told. It horrifies Edana seeing them shackled together in chains. Rufus sees Edana outside trying to get Tess’s attention and orders her to go in the house. She ignores his orders, and walks up to Tess as if she has intentions of liberating her. Before she gets the chance Rufus grabs her and hustles her in the house. Edana questions Rufus, asking him why he would do such a thing. Rufus furiously screams, “They’re my