In Kindred the aspect of time travel is essential and ultimately extremely confusing at the same time. Dana spend the novel being teleported back in time to what she, and we, believe is to save her lineage so that one day she will exist. This sounds reasonable enough for a fictional novel, but one major flaw exists in the time travel aspect and that is that its impossible to change the past. Some may argue that this is true but in Kindred what Dana is witnessing is more of an occasion of De Ja Vu than of common time travel. The reason she can change the past is because the present is already shaped by her going into the past. So the life she lives before even her first experience back in the old South is existent only because of the reason that she did travel back in time. So in a way shes not changing the past, she is merely living the present. Even in her life in the 1970's she witnesses events of racism and segregation, some events even similar to those of the old South. This combining with her first person viewing of slavery is a perfect example of De Ja Vu. Look at her profession; she works in an office they refer to as the slave market and she teleports to a time that the slave market is still in use, and in full force. It does not have to be the exact same scene to be considered De Ja Vu; it just needs enough similarity in importance to make an impact on the person in the situation.
Another terrific example of De Ja Vu in the novel is between Rufus and his father, so Dana's lineage. Throughout the novel Dana observes Rufus's father get more and more power hungry with time. He progress from a strict controlling master to a type of iron fisted dictator. By the end he is whipping and physically punishing his slaves for simple misdemeanors that could be brushed off. Pertaining to Rufus he develops in the same sort of way. As a boy he does not judge based on his skin color; he befriends blacks and enjoys their company. However, after he inherits the plantation this rush of power causes him to steer away from his childhood beliefs and emotions. He becomes like his father and falls victim to the disease that most white plantation owners had; they were all power hungry. This portrayal of father and son from Dana's point of view is also considered to be an occasion of De Ja Vu.
A cool perspective on Dana's role in the novel, as well as the definition of time travel. A question I had in regards to time travel, was Dana's act of murdering Rufus changing history? or meant to happen?
ReplyDeleteIn class we discussed how Dana's time travel back to the antebellum south is simply an act of observation, that her actions would not directly impact the future. I challenge that statement by asking, was Rufus meant to die at that time anyway? Or was Dana's murder of Rufus a pivotal time in history that changed the future forever? I think it was inevitable by the amount of close calls that Rufus was going to die at some point, so I don't think that the murder was history changing, it was going to happen one way or another.
Good question, Bayliss. In fact, one could imply that the "house fire" in which Rufus was ultimately said to have died was set by the likes of Nigel and others, in order to cover up the murder -- a murder for which there is no longer a perpetrator... though there is an arm left behind. Once again, of course, we are confronted w/ the time travel paradox in that Dana's murdering of Rufus already happened in the 1810s, and so she was called back to that time from 1976 in order to maintain the "history."
ReplyDeleteGood job with the de ja vu of time travel. With regard to Rufus and his father, I'm not sure that I agree. I believe that Rufus, because of his experiences and struggle with Alice (the one he truly loves), is even more of a strict and power hungry person. The only reason he kind of teeters between being human is because he has Dana. His father, on the other hand does not have such a person watching after him and providing somewhat of a moral compass. He is completely a product of his time and yet he is able to over rule this fact and be the kind of figure that respects his word to any person of any skin color. He is rarely violent compared to the slave owners of his time and this is somewhat impressive and very hard. Thats why I see Rufus and his father in completely different light.
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