“Exploring the Complex Relationship between Rufus and Alice in Octavia Butler’s Kindred: A Critical Analysis”

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ASSIGNMENT INTRODUCTION;

As you draft your post, I recommend that you use this checklist: Before you submit your work, ensure that you have:1) Clearly explained your points2) Addressed each part of the prompt and met the word count (300+ words)3) Included support (direct quotations or cited paraphrases) 4) Carefully proofread your work. Important- Your posts must address Kindred. Please see the Discussions section of our syllabus for directions. If you do not have a topic in mind, you may wish to consider ONE of the following:
1) How does the supernatural or mystical enter this novel? What events are unbelievable? How and why does Butler blur the boundaries of time and space?
2) How does Butler depict Rufus? What might be the cause of his destructive behaviors? In what ways does Dana’s initial interaction with Rufus shape their relationship?
3) What kind of partner is Kevin? How would you describe Kevin and Dana’s relationship? How is Kevin shaped by his time in the past?
4) Consider how the relationship between Rufus and Alice develops. What point might Butler be making here? How do we see the character of Rufus change throughout this text?
Note: If you submitted Discussion 1, you must select a different topic for Discussion 2. I’ve attached my discussion 1 so use a different topic. To stress, you should respond to ONE prompt (not all four). Your Primary Post must be 300+ words and you need to do one Reply Post which must be 150+ words. Please be sure to check out the Discussion Grading rubric as your draft your posts. For the discussion posts, I am looking for you to select a narrow topic, formulate an argument, support your claims with quotes/cited paraphrases from the text, and closely analyze relevant passages. The focus is on analysis/critical thinking as opposed to a summary. If you do not have a topic in mind, I recommend consulting the posted prompts.Please be sure to cite using MLA format-Quotation with the author’s name in the sentence:Wordsworth stated that Romantic poetry was marked by a “spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings” (263).Quotation without the author’s name in the sentence:Romantic poetry is characterized by the “spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings” (Wordsworth 263).Paraphrase with the author’s name in the sentence:According to Freud, actual but unacceptable desires are censored internally and subjected to coding through layers of condensation and displacement before emerging in a kind of rebus puzzle in the dream itself (7).Paraphrase without the author’s name in the sentence:Actual but unacceptable desires are censored internally and subjected to coding through layers of condensation and displacement before emerging in a kind of rebus puzzle in the dream itself (Freud 7).*I cannot stress enough the need to provide textual support. Including support is an easy way to ensure that you do not lose valuable points. It is essential that you cite ALL ideas that are not your own (even if you are paraphrasing). All instances of plagiarism will result in a grade of 0 for the assignment AND reporting to the Dean of Students Office. You can prevent this by citing appropriately.

HOW TO WORK ON THIS ASSIGNMENT ( EXAMPLE ESSAY/ DRAFT)

For my discussion post, I have selected prompt number 2: How does Butler depict Rufus? What might be the cause of his destructive behaviors? In what ways does Dana’s initial interaction with Rufus shape their relationship?

In Octavia Butler’s novel “Kindred,” Rufus Weylin is depicted as a complex character who is both a victim and a villain. He is the son of Tom Weylin, the plantation owner and a slave master, and is characterized by his cruel and abusive nature towards the enslaved individuals on his family’s plantation. Throughout the novel, Rufus’s destructive behaviors are caused by a mixture of his upbringing and environment, as well as his own personal demons.

Rufus’s upbringing on a plantation surrounded by violence and abuse, as well as his exposure to his father’s cruel nature, has led him to believe that it is acceptable to treat people as property and subject them to violence. This is evident in his interactions with the enslaved individuals on the plantation, where he is prone to fits of rage and cruelty, such as when he beats one of his slaves, Alice, with a whip.

Dana’s initial interaction with Rufus shapes their relationship in a profound way. When they first meet, Rufus is just a child, and Dana is shocked to see the cruelty and violence he is capable of, even at such a young age. However, over time, as Dana continues to visit the past and interacts with Rufus, she begins to understand his motivations and the root causes of his behavior. Despite this understanding, Dana is still unable to reconcile her compassion for Rufus with his abusive nature and the harm he causes to others.

In conclusion, Rufus is depicted as a complex and contradictory character in “Kindred.” He is a product of his upbringing and environment, as well as his own personal demons, which lead to his destructive behaviors. Dana’s initial interaction with Rufus shapes their relationship in a significant way, forcing her to confront the complexities of his character and the root causes of his behavior.

Works Cited Butler, Octavia. Kindred. Beacon Press, 1979.

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