Introduction
The novel Kindred has written by Octavia Butler in 1979. This is a science fiction novel which contains high literature. The novel has different themes, one of them is ‘obsessive love.' In the novel, obsessive love can be found commonly in various characters. All the characters’ obsessive love is depicted from their acts. The author shows in the novel a direct comparison of Rufus slave owning behavior with his mother who plays an eminent role to spoil him. The ending of the novel is the true depiction that an individual who is on the right path never gets pain and sufferings for the longterm. Although few characters in the novel have faced tragic ending but the right doers lead their lives in peace and happiness (Butler Pp.1-19). This paper discusses the argument on one of the themes of the novel that is “obsessive love’ with respect to Kevin and Rufus.
Discussion
The story evolves around different twists and turns on the respective elements like race, gender, and power. The story commences with a twenty-six years old black women whose name is Dana. She travels back in the time to 1815 in Maryland slave plantation. Sooner, she ables to find out the actual purpose of traveling back in the time. Although she belongs to black American race, she needs to save her white ancestor by going back in the time. His name is Rufus; she saves him while he was drowning. He is the negative character who is considered as the most racist, brutal and selfish person. Even after knowing the reality of her white ancestor, she decides to be with her and saves her from any life threatening incident. She learns while traveling back in time that how to survive in the world of American slavery. She has gone through every thick and thin to improve things back in time. She experienced different things over there, the racist attitude, the slavery struggle, women suppressing attitudes and inhuman activities by the white Americans towards the black ones.
However, the most striking theme which she faced in the novel is ‘Obsessive Love’ by Rufus for two ladies. The novel shows two sides of love; the first one is by Rufus for Dana and Alice and the second one is by Kevin for Dana. The obsession of love is positive, as well as, negative. In Rufus’s case, the negative aspect of love is being shown. The novel depicts that Rufus is the selfish person who has hatred in his heart towards Black Americans. Power is the most dangerous thing which enable human being to involve in the most inhuman activities. If it says that ‘great power comes great responsibility' then it is not wrong. Rufus enjoys yet uses the power in a negative way. In every character of the novel, the struggle for power is quite evident. Rufus devilish acts start from his hatred speech for Black American people. He uses to keep Black American slaves and does physical abuse to them. He involves in two women who belong to the same race and treats them badly throughout the novel. One of them is Alice, who is the slave and the other one is the confident lady who saves his life couple of time. He uses both for them for its purpose. He satisfies his sexual desires with Alice forcefully. He is obsessed to love for Alice and Dana as he sees both of them as one woman with two sides.
Dana is always there to save his life and he never wants her to leave him. On the other hand, Dana is very much in love with Kevin. Kevin cares for her too much that he travels with her back in time so that he can save her from any suffering she might face. The novel depicts that Rufus obsessive love for the women is for his own personal interest. Alice is the Black American slave and Rufus wants to sleep and make babies with her without taking her consent. He uses women like a piece of tissue paper. He never respects and understands the feeling of women. He always treats them disrespectfully for his purpose. He has chosen two independent women who want to live their lives freely. When Alice did not show up interest for him, then he tried to rape her. He gave physical and emotional torture to the lady to whom he claims as her love of life.
During Alice sexual relationship with Rufus, she faces physical and emotional abuse which leads her nowhere but disgrace. He makes lots of babies with her, the torture, disgrace and humiliation towards her ended up with her death. He never respects women and treats them as their slaves. The racist attitude has made things worst for the women surrounded him. The novel depicts the other dark side of Rufus when Alice commits suicide just because she does not loose her children over her husband obsessed love. The ruthless person, Rufus, does not seem regretful for what he has done with the girl Alice instead he considers himself right for all his wrong deeds. He blames women for all the brutal acts he does with them.
The novel has depicted some positive side of obsessive love like Kevin and Dana. These two characters are the example of true love who throughout the novel stand by their sides. Their care and love for each other depict that it is not necessary that a person who has an obsessive love for opposite gender must commit brutal acts. Obsessive love has another beautiful side which makes the life easier and simpler for the souls. Kevin tender Dana, when she travels back from the time, as a princess. The care and affection from both sides are the reflection of their true love. A couple of events reflects true love and care for each other. The time when Dana tells Kevin that she travels back to the time where she witnessed the American slavery period and extreme racist attitude for the Black Americans. After knowing that, Kevin believes her and asks to travel with her just to keep an eye and save her from any unforeseen sufferings. Another incident is when Dana comes back to the present time without Kevin, who left in 1815, she goes back again to the cruel world just to bring him back. They both struggle hard to keep themselves happy throughout the story. At the end, when Dana has to kill Rufus to end up all his evil actions, Kevin goes with her to eradicate all the possible murder evidences (Butler Pp. 1-13).
On the other side, the deep emotional attachment can be sensed in the novel for Dana by Rufus. The attachment shown has the selfish desire, to hold the love without her consent. Rufus realizes his love for Dana since the time she saves his life. He never expresses clearly but expresses it by his actions as he plays different selfish tricks to keep her with him although he knows that her happiness belongs to Kevin. The novel depicts if power is misused then it leads to numerous social problems, as well as, corruption.
However, when Rufus tries to rape Dana, who is different from Alice she defends herself with all the force. The event depicts one of his selfish desire to keep Dana with him when she comes back to time to take Kevin back with her. She asks Rufus to send letters to Kevin but due to his selfish nature he never sends those letter to Kevin. By the time, she gets to know the reality, she asks him and in response Rufus tortures her physically. His evil actions end up when Dana stabs to kill him. She does not have any regret in doing that because he deserves such ending (Stein P.20).
Conclusion
Thus, it can be concluded that obsession to love is not wrong if its in a positive manner like the love of Kevin and Dana. However, if the obsession arouses negative vibes in the human like Rufus, then it can affect adversely. The ending of the novel is justified, the wrong doer Rufus gets punishment by Dana against all his evil acts.
Works Cited
Butler, Octavia E. Kindred. Boston: Beacon, 1988. Pp.1-19.
Butler, Octavia E. Kindred. Boston: Beacon, 2003. Pp. 1-13.
Stein, Tammar. Kindred. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2011. P.20
