A Mother to her Ancestors

Kindred is one of those books I want to keep reading but can't read right before I go to sleep. It's too emotional, and even in the bright daylight I get teared up at the cruelty of the early 1800s, especially in the South. But to me what makes Dana's story seem so real despite defying every bit of logic we have learned to accept is her pure motherly instincts and unconditional love. Rufus is messing up her life, calling for her every time he perceives himself to be in a dangerous situation. Dana could be bitter towards him, hate him for putting her in so much danger, although he is not aware of the power he possesses. But Dana develops a certain fondness for Rufus, a need to protect him. This innate protective instinct, which we see across cultures, across generations, across species for that matter, is in my mind part of what gives us such a strong sense of being alive.
      This is of course ironic because Rufus is in fact her ancestor. Following classic legends, books, and even musicals such as the Lion King, the ancestors are supposed to watch over the living from the stars. When she first saves Rufus from drowning in the river, we see that she is an empathetic person willing and ready to act to save another human being. But the connection deepens from there. When she goes back the second time she delays her escape off the Weylin plantation in order to collect the burned drapes so Rufus can put them in his fireplace and hopefully not be caught by his father. The third time, when Kevin is eager to tell Rufus the truth about their situation, Dana actually places herself in a hurtful role of a slave in order to protect Rufus' innocence. She feels he is too young to have to comprehend the time travel and even more so the issues of racial identity, that are so prevalent in her life and that even she struggles to understand.
       She hesitates before telling Rufus what year they are from because she does not want to burden him with this knowledge. Rufus pleads to hear an explanation, saying "I already don't understand.... My leg hurts so much I can't even think about it"(Butler, 61-62). Dana, just as a good mother would, replies, "Let's wait then. When you feel better...." (Butler, 62). ALthough her and her husbands lives are in danger, and although Rufus understanding the situation may be essential to her life, Dana feels sorry for the boy because of his leg. Her ability to not panic and instead be lead by her normal emotions proves both her strength and motherly instincts, and through this I am drawn close to her as a character.