One of the themes of Octavia E.

Butler’s novel, Kindred, is the influence of one’s

surroundings. The unique timeline of the book especially highlights the way a person’s

surroundings can shape a person over time. Changes in a person’s character usually occur

gradually, but through Dana’s ability to time-travel, it is easier for the reader to notice the

changes that have occurred.

Rufus is an excellent example of someone whose character has been influenced by his

surroundings. Through the various time-skips between when Dana arrives to save him, we can

see Rufus grow from a prejudice-free child to a harsh slave owner. The first time Dana is able to

speak to Rufus, he is still a child. Despite his use of words not considered derogatory, Rufus

himself does not appear to think of himself as belonging to a superior race. When asked if he

knows Alice, a free black girl, Rufus replies, “‘Sure. Alice is my friend’” (Butler, p.28). This

statement, while simple, is significant in that it shows that Rufus has not yet fully adopted the

prejudices common in those of his time. As he gets older, however, we see that Rufus eventually

comes to conform to the expectations held for him as a white male in his time. After Rufus hears

that a slave named Sam may be interested in Dana, he sells him. He only watches as Sam’s

family stands “a few feet away from him crying loudly” as he is taken away (Butler, p. 238). At

this point, it is evident from his lack of reaction that Rufus feels no sympathy for his slaves. As

seen by the way Rufus changes as he ages, we can guess that had he grown up in a different time,

or even just a different state, Rufus would have been a very different person.

Kevin’s character also changes while living in the antebellum south; these changes however,

are not as drastic as Rufus’s. After only a short amount of time in the early-1800s, Kevin starts to

believe that the slaves’ living conditions are not as bad as he’d first thought. He states this
opinion quite clearly to Dana: “this place isn’t what I would have imagined. No overseer. No

more work than the people can manage…” (Butler, p. 100). It is clear from this statement that

Kevin is starting to adopt the belief that slaves had what they needed. He did not see, as Dana

did, their true suffering. Although he might not have been able to understand the full extent of

the slaves’ sufferings, Kevin still understands that slavery is wrong. As his years living in the

antebellum period go on, Kevin is able to help slaves escape. He explains this to Dana when they

have been reunited and returned home after Kevin had lived in the early-1800s for five years.

Dana notices that “He sounded angry, almost defensive about what he had done” (Butler, p.

193). This also shows how the culture of the 1970s has shaped him. Because Kevin did not grow

up with the prejudices of the antebellum south around him, he retains most of his ideals and it

can be inferred that he had at least attempted to convert others. Though he might not have fully

resisted the ideas of his Southern surroundings, Kevin does not change completely. This can be

attributed to the fact that he grew up in more modern times.

Dana’s changes are perhaps the most subtle of the main characters. This is in part because she

is the narrator. Sher herself may not be able to notice gradual changes as they happen. When

Dana first starts to work at Weylin’s house, she makes the decision to do as she is told to avoid

trouble. As she is forced to suffer more and more abuse, Dana becomes increasingly desperate.

When Dana discovered that Rufus lied to her about sending her letters, she resolved to run away.

Even when she was caught, she “acted like [she] was a wild woman.” She tells herself, “I had

never in my life wanted so desperately to kill another human being” (Butler, p. 176). This marks

a change from Dana simply keeping out of trouble to her deliberately considering and planning

every action to keep herself and others from being hurt. By the time Alice hangs herself, this has
shifted again. When Dana is threatened with rape the first time, she makes up her mind that

should he face that danger again, she would kill her attacker. Despite this, when Rufus tries to

rape her, she considers forgiving him. In her words: “He was not hurting me...I would never be

to him what Tess had been to his father” (Butler, p. 260). While she does in the end, kill Rufus, it

is clear from her hesitation that her surroundings have changed her. Both Tess and Alice had

gone through it, so she could have too. Dana was influenced by her surroundings whether she

noticed it herself or not. Even she was not immune to the early-1800s’ expectations of slaves.

All of Butler’s characters are written to show the effects of one’s surroundings on their

character. The three main characters, though we’d hoped they would resist the expectation put

upon them, unfortunately conformed at least partially.