WELCOME to your online discussion of Kindred!
Together with members of your book group, you’ll be reading Kindred over the next several weeks. Although you're not required to take notes while you read, it would be wise to keep track of important events and characters for your own clarification. You are, however, expected to participate regularly and thoughtfully in an online discussion of FOUR essential questions.
PROCEDURE
Divide your book into three roughly equal sections. You need to have read and blogged about these sections by the due dates below.
There are two kinds of posts in this discussion: responses and comments.
Responses = direct responses to the essential questions below
- Post at least TWO responses for each section of your book (SIX overall).
- You must comment on all of the essential questions over the course of your reading.
- One of your six responses can be a “free-response" post.
Comments = comment on someone else’s posted response or comment
- Post at least THREE comments for each section of your book (NINE overall).
DUE DATES
- Post your first set of responses and comments by Monday, March 23 (Blue), and Tuesday, March 24 (Red).
- Post your second set of responses and comments by Thursday, April 2 (Blue), and Friday, April 3 (Red).
- Post your third set of responses and comments by Thursday, April 9 (Red), and Friday, April 10 (Blue).
ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS
- How does the story (setting, characters, plot, etc.) illuminate aspects of African-American culture? Be specific! (Page references are helpful.)
- How does the story (setting, characters, plot, etc.) illuminate aspects of African-American history?
- In what ways does this book refute the notion of the “single story”?
- How does the story (setting, characters, plot, etc.) reflect or illuminate the current state of race relations in our country? Have we made any progress as a society?
** Free-response option: Address another issue/episode/or passage in the book that you find
significant for any reason.
Assessment: To earn maximum credit, post thoughtful responses that are at least a short paragraph in length—and carefully proofread! Do not misspell characters' or authors’ names! Also, be sure to include specific references to the text (either details or short quotations). Page numbers, too, are always helpful.
I'm enjoying this book!
ReplyDeleteI agree. This is a very good book. Im Enjoying it greatly.
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DeleteIf i understand correctly, I think she is never going to be accepted by the others because she is different.For one, She doesn't talk like the others and dresses like a "man".
DeleteI have found this book very intriguing due to the struggle that Dana goes through. She went from being accepted as an equal in the present time to being looked down on as someone who isn't even considered human.
DeleteMe too! This book is really interesting and helps me get a better idea of what life would be like as a slave.
DeleteI also agree. This book is really good and very easy to get lost in. The book shows the treatment of black people then and now very well.
DeleteThis book is different than other books I have read before and I can wait to see how old Rufus is next time Dana (and maybe Kevin) travel back.
Delete- Michelle Sarber
I think the book is interesting. I is not what I expected it to be, and it is not my most favorite book in the world. It does make me wonder what the ending will be. I also think that it gives an accurate account of the time period.
DeleteThis book is brought alive by the author and is very well done by her.Dana seems to come out of the pages .
DeleteAgreed! :)
DeleteSO far in Kindred Im loving the book. I have felt sympathy for Dana many times. One example is when she was being whipped for the first time. I could almost feel her pain. Another pain i felt is when she came back "home" and Kevin was left there. I feel as if i knew how she felt when she wasn't sure if she would ever see Kevin again.
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DeleteI felt this way as well! I feel like she wanted to come back to see Kevin, but she didn't want him to go with her. I think him traveling with her has made it more stressful because she now has to worry about his safety as well as her own.
DeleteI agree, I feel bad for Dana. It was probably hard enough to be African American in her normal life but having to travel to some other time and be a slave, it must be really hard and painful for her.
DeleteI agree with you Josie. Her whole life she has been privileged and she changed her life within minutes.
DeleteI love the point you put out there Josie.
DeleteI felt horrible when she first got whipped.
I knew how bad things were back then but being put in these situations. I can't believe the horrible things that african american people went threw. I agree with Rebecca and feeling her pain!
DeleteI did not like the book all that much, but do I think that the author was able to make the book come to life with the description of what was happening.
DeleteWhen i started reading this book i was immediatly intrigued with this book. To be honest i'm almost done with this book so i am sorry if i give an spoiler alerts away. I spent my whole sunday reading this book and i'm obsessed.
ReplyDeleteI was too! This book is so interesting and intriguing I'm glad I chose it!
DeleteYeah this setting is really interesting; reading about how black people had to handle this torture and rebel against it is very intriguing. What were whites thinking back in that time period though? Owning humans isn't right...
DeleteIn Kindred it goes away from the single story of slave owners by having Rufus, the son of the slave owner being very kind to the slaves. He was even good friends with a black girl named Alice.
ReplyDeleteI see that too. I like how Dana is trying to get Rufus to not become his father and treat slaves like human beings because they are.
DeleteI think in the end Rufus is going to change and be a completely different person and protect the slaves.
DeleteI wonder in the future will something change that.
DeleteAbby! I agree with you. I feel like there's a connection between Rufus and Dana.
DeleteThe story's setting illuminates African American culture because there are African American slaves in a house and field in the South which she keeps going to.
ReplyDeleteIn this story the main character goes to this house where she's a slave because she is black. But now that is illegal and even though they still aren't treated equally they aren't slaves. You can tell we have made improvement because if we didn't then African Americans would still be slaves and would have no rights unlike they do now.
ReplyDeleteAnd American as made even more improvement with the Jim Crow laws in the South after slavery, too.
DeleteI like how throughout the beginning she's learning what goes on when she goes back in time. It's like we're learning with her.
DeleteWe have made a lot of progress since the 1800's. Since the 13, 14, and 15 Amendments were passed, black males were given freedom, citizenship, and the right to vote. Even though there is discrimination and racism today, there is less now than there was in the past.
ReplyDeleteIn the beginning of the book, when Dana meets Rufus for the second time, Rufus calls Dana a nigger without hesitation. Dana asks why he said that and replies that it is what all people call black people. Rufus then shows Dana his scars from when he got whipped by his father. Dana asks why would he do such a thing. Rufus says that is what happens to people who are bad, and especially black people.
ReplyDeleteAfrican Americans have had discrimination against them for centuries and been used as slaves for years.They have been beaten and mistreated by others that are cruel.It's kind of Ironic that G.Washington had slaves when there is a right to no Cruel or unusual punishment in the bill of rights.They also used to be counted as 3/5 of a person to up population of people.
ReplyDeleteEven thought George Washington had slaves he treated them fairly. He and his wife released them after their deaths, and they educated they so that when they were free the slaves could make their way through the world.
DeleteI wonder if Dana is going to try help the slaves or do something on Rufus's father's plantation? And is the lady in the cookhouse is going to help because of the father taking away her kids?
ReplyDeleteWell, i believe that kevin is going to soon be out of the picture.
DeleteIn a way I would like the cookhouse woman to take action against the slave owners. I think that she deserves some revenge for the master taking away her children.
DeleteKindred in some ways doesn't have the single story with Rufus, but in other ways Kindred does. When Dana first saved Rufus from drowning, Rufus's father didn't stop to thing of what had happened, he just pointed a gun at the black woman who was the only other person there other than Rufus's mother. Also when Dana first started speaking when Rufus's father was near by, he looked at her like see wasn't allowed to hold any knowledge for intelligent thought about any problems along with being able to read and write. And I know most slaves weren't taught how to read and write, but that's what Rufus's father was thinking because of the single story.
ReplyDeleteI loved the part where she saved him from drowning.
DeleteI have a question.....Does Dana ever age when she goes back and forth? if so does she age like the others or????
ReplyDeleteI don't think that she ages that much because she ages at the normal rate of her time. Remember that when she was gone for a couple of hours it had really only been a few seconds?
DeleteI think she ages normally but I wonder why the past has not noticed that Dana doesn't age.
DeleteI agree Emily, and I wish the book would address her physical changes throughout.
DeleteSee keeps aging over time in any time period by when she goes back to the present she might appear older because of all the time she has spend in the past.
DeleteYeah I think that she ages as if she weren't going back and forth; the same amount of time is going by; she's just spending it differently than other people are.
DeleteI think that the characters illuminate aspects of African-American history by really being a person that represents what has most likely happened to many other slaves. All of the slaves have different personalities. Luke for example, does whatever he wants within reason and he doesn't care if he gets whipped anymore. He represents the slaves in history that gave up hope to go through life unscathed by their masters. This is also the same with Sarah, who is the cook for the slaves and the masters. She had her sons sold when they were just babies and that broke her down a lot. She is also a representative of all of the slaves that had their families torn from them.
ReplyDeleteI think that their has been a definite improvement in the ways that the whites treat the blacks. The book shows this by Dana's astonishment at the difference in the way people treat her.
ReplyDelete-Maggie Field
I think that the book displays the history of the slaves well. It gives an image of the their living conditions, the way that they talked, and how they would have lived their lives. Even though during those days their lives were considered to belong to someone els.
ReplyDeleteDana has been so lucky so far. Will her luck continue? She has been in the face of danger many times but escaped them thanks to the "transportation".
ReplyDeleteWhen Dana ran away to go and try to find Kevin, she was found by Rufus and his father. Because it was them, Dana wasn't treated as badly. I feel like there is a weird connection between Dana and Rufus. I feel as if Rufus is very protective of Dana in a weird sort of way. I feel as if he loves her. He feels for her in some sort of way. What do you think? I just know that Dana has been pushing her luck and she's either going to get away with it or the worse will happen.
In the start,Dana's was arm crushed into the wall so
Deleteher luck might skate on thin ice.
I think that she really has been very lucky throughout the book with all of the close calls. I think that maybe towards the end she will get into trouble and not be able to teleport out of it.
DeleteTHAT WOULD BE SO SCARY
DeleteI think that her luck is running out. Each general heading of the book is another trip to the past. I think that something bad is just about due to happen.
DeleteHow does the story (setting, characters, plot, etc.) reflect or illuminate the current state of race relations in our country? Have we made any progress as a society?
ReplyDeleteIn this book, I think that it does illuminate the current state of our country and it highlights it’s past. It shows how far we’ve come, but it shows how long we took to get there. But if you look at it, she was beat. Tons of people were beat and it’s completely not okay. It shows how it really used to be, and even though now most people don’t do that. The fact that our ancestors ever did sounds insane. When I read about her getting whipped I nearly cried. And thinking about how that actually happens to people made me truly disappointed in society.
Rufus seem to be connected to Dana and can relate to her.Rufus's father is harsh to him and kind of makes me wonder as Rufus grows up,what kind of person will he become.
ReplyDeleteSo far, not a very good person from what I have read. It's kind of sad, I had so much hope for Rufus.
DeleteI had high hopes for Rufus too! He has been acting like his father so much but i do feel like he will change. I think dana will change him.
DeleteI want rufus to be one of the better people in the book, but I think that that might be to much to hope for. Dana only spends a few months out of the year with him, but Rufus spends all the rest of the time with his Father.
Delete
ReplyDeleteHow does the story (setting, characters, plot, etc.) illuminate aspects of African-American culture? Be specific! (Page references are helpful.)
It shows how things used to be. How saying ni**er was just a common phrase towards black people. How whips were used without hesitation. How life would just be about waiting until you finally die or escape. How sleeping arrangements are something you're not allowed to talk about.
It makes me realise that America and its culture has come a long, long, way over the years. And for the best, I think.
DeleteI find some things so weird that were acceptable now but were not then and vice versa.
DeleteI found it funny that Kevin can not remember what a pencil sharpener is after only 5 years in the past. I don't think that a lifetime of current day appliances would be forgotten in just five years.
ReplyDeleteI totally agree with you. He was looking at the stove like it was a foreign object. But i guess if you think about it, it was. Kevin spent five years without using any of these items. Just think how weird it would be to come back to that.
DeleteI can't believe Rufus has become a man were he goes behind Dana's back with the letters and forces Alice's hand to get what he wants. I thought at the beginning of the book, that Rufus and Alice would have a baby and maybe become married, out of love.
ReplyDeleteI thought the same thing! I was truly shocked by how much Rufus has become like his father and how he hasn't been as affected by Dana as she thought he would be.
DeleteRufus as kid was a bit more caring to Alice but I think that his father has had such a impact on his life that he's becoming his father.(If that makes sense to you).
DeleteI think it is too bad that the author ruined Rufus's character. Like Rebecca said Rufus wasn't affected by Dana as much as I thought he would be.
DeleteDo you think Kevin will ever come back to the plantation, or will Dana have to try to run away again and find Kevin on her own?
ReplyDeleteI think that since Kevin doesn't know that Dana is back at the plantation that Dana will have to try to find Kevin. However, I don't think that Dana will go searching on her own.
DeleteDana will go search for him but in the end i think she is going to get caught and brought back to the plantation and punished.
DeleteHow does the story (setting, characters, plot, etc.) reflect or illuminate the current state of race relations in our country? Have we made any progress as a society?
ReplyDeleteI think that the story reflects the current state of race relations by showing the large difference from how it used to be to how it is now. Dana has been so used to being legally an equal person to everyone else. When she goes back to the times where you are whipped if you aren't being the way that your owners want you to be I think that Dana is shocked by that change. I think that we have definitely made progress as a society.
I am still confused by why she is only teleported back when she is in danger....Does anyone have any theories on this?
ReplyDeleteI was wondering the same things. I wonder if in the end if she will be in trouble and she wont be teleported. I wonder this because its starting to wear off. She was being whipped and wasn't transported....what will happen next???
DeleteI may have a theory. fear is a survival instinct that keeps humans alive. fear is passed down through our genes. The fight or flight is a physiologic response to a scary or intense situation. the Hypothalamus activates the 'flight of fight' response. I think that whenever Dana experiences a high stress or fear situation a chemical in the brain triggers a 'flight' response and somehow manages to teleport her back into the future. I believe that this response is wearing off because certain dangers are becoming less scary for Dana because she is getting used to going back the plantation.
DeleteHow does the story (setting, characters, plot, etc.) reflect or illuminate the current state of race relations in our country? Have we made any progress as a society?
ReplyDeleteI think we have made progress in society but not all the way. We still have a very long way to go. People are still being racist, people are still being bullied based on their skin color, WHY IS THIS STILL A HUGE ISSUE!?!??!?! Why cant people just mind their own business and care about themselves. The fact that people judge people because of what they look like makes me livid. We definitely have made progress though. One example is there is no more segregation. We drink from the same water fountains, ride in the same bus seats and use the same bathrooms. We no longer have slavery, but, we still look down on people for no reason.
I totally agree but before you said that i did not think about it like that.
DeleteI think that it's up to your parents to teach about whether or not you're different or not if you have different color skin. So if they grew up thinking that you are different if you have different color skin, then they probably won't think differently.
DeleteThere are many different theories on how life was back in the 1800s and we don't know exactly how bad slavery was (although we have a good idea). This book definitely captures the way everything was portrayed to be back in that time period. Overall this book is great so far and I look forward to reading more.
ReplyDeleteI wonder how different this story would have been if the setting was the same time period, but in New England. The story probably wouldn't have escalated as much because the South was a lot more racist than the North in this time period.
ReplyDeleteThat is such a good thought! I wonder that too, but I wonder if they would need a paper saying there a free slave as well. Because New England did not treat slaves a bad. I think you are right about the story not being as escalated if it was if the North.
DeleteIf the story took place in New England; there might not even be a story because of the north being free.
DeleteMaybe Dana would have become a conductor on the Underground Railroad. But I suspect you're all right: she wouldn't have learned as much about the hardships suffered by her ancestors.
DeleteOr what if she went from being a slave to traveling forward in time to where there are no slaves.
DeleteI think Dana would be treated better and like Ms. Vail said, help out with the Underground Railroad.
DeleteEven though the setting was in Maryland, Maryland is one of the farthest states north and that is closest to New England, that is a slavery state. And in some was New England was apart story when Kevin left for Boston and then Maine.
DeleteHow does the story (setting, characters, plot, etc.) illuminate aspects of African-American history?
ReplyDeleteI feel that it shows how far we have come. I still believe that we need to stop racism because it is a huge part of our world. I wonder how different the story would be if dana was a man and how different the hatred is against a man?
I think that the hatred would be more towards a man because they pose more of a threat than a black woman does. I don't think that Rufus would've been allowed to form as strong of a bond with a black male because that could be seen as a threat to his well being. Even though they know that Dana is intelligent, because she is a woman they think that she is weaker and less harmful.
DeleteI think to stop the racism people need to talk. But also, I don't think that would help what so ever because there are millions of people in the world and just a hundred people talking wouldn't do any good. I hope that our generation, who will soon be leaders of the world can change that. I believe our generation is the most open minded yet. Most don't have any issues with gay marriage and certainly some do not look down upon colored people. If we are this openminded i wonder how open minded the next generations will be. Racism will probably decrease a lot, But, i would never say racism will completely disapear..
DeleteThank you Rebecca I defiantly agree that the relationship between rufus and dana would not work. And Abby I see what you're saying and thank you that is very true that it will never go away. I hope that our generation dpes change things for the better.
DeleteThis might be a stupid question, but why doesn’t Dana ever bring a silenced weapon back to the past? What if one of the patrollers came back and the time travel thing didn't work? And can someone explain paradoxes for me??
ReplyDeleteParadox: A situation, person, or thing that combines contradictory features or qualities.
DeleteI think Dana never brought a silenced weapon is because when Dana was in her time, she was too scared to ever leave the house. And I don't think there was ever a weapon bigger than a knife in Dana's house.
DeleteI wonder what would happen if Dana ended up taking someone from the plantation back to her own time with her. They would be safe in her time, but all the changes might scare them. That might have been a cool twist in the book that the author could have used
ReplyDeleteThat would actually be so cool. I think it would really mess with the system and everything but what if she brought Rufus back with her?
DeleteIt would take forever to teach the person from the plantation about the world and how it has changed.
DeleteThe guy from the plantation would be freaking out and wondering what all this new technology is. The guy would just be making a fool of himself while Dana was rolling her eyes at him; can't you see it?
DeleteIt would cause so much stress and confusion for the person from the plantation, I think it would be hard to calm them down. But maybe after awhile they would settle down and then appreciate that she took them back with them. But I think it would mess up the system.
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ReplyDeleteThis story illuminates lots of aspects of African-American history. Rufus, the son of Mr. Weylin, and many other people question why Dana is dressed like man. People thought she was a man because how she dressed. She work a short-sleeved shirt and pants. Back when there were slaves, women slaves wore gowns while the men wore shirts and trousers. A woman dressing like a man was rarely a thing.
ReplyDeleteHow does the story (setting, characters, plot, etc.) reflect or illuminate the current state of race relations in our country? Have we made any progress as a society?
ReplyDeleteMy answer would be yes we have made progress but with a high body count. What I mean by that is there have so many lives taken by discrimination and slavery. We will make more progress on the problem of race but there is no easy answer. But if we can see other worlds, soar the face of the earth and visit other countries, eradicate measles then bring them back for some reason, and drive in water powered vehicles then solving the problem of race shouldn't be so difficult to deal with.
This book refutes the notion of the "single story" by showing that slaves didn't face one problem and one stereotype. Slaves had many problems and many stereotypes about them. One stereotype that is used today, is because what happened back when there was slaves. The stereotype is that black people eat watermelon. This started because watermelon was what slaves had a lot of, so they ate it for food and water.
ReplyDeleteThis book makes me wonder what it would be like to travel back and live around my ancestors. I'm sure back then tons of things were acceptable whereas; nowa' days they aren't. Like back a hundred years ago it wasn't alright to be gay or trans but now it's a thing. Sometimes a fad. I wonder what I'd do to try and make people more comfortable with themselves. But I also wonder if my opinions would be different if I had been raised a hundred years ago. Can you guys even picture what that'd be like?
ReplyDeleteI think if I went back and live around my ancestors it would be easier then if an African-American did. Because since I'm white I wouldn't really have to adjust to much, but an African-American it would be harder cause they would lose all the rights they have now.
DeleteThe setting of Kindred illuminates African-American culture because the point in time Dana travels back to is slavery in Maryland. All black people are thought of as uneducated people who are only good by serving white people and working in the fields. But while reading this book, I kept thinking that the slaves were a little more lucky than the other slaves. Rufus and his father, Tom, could have been a lot more meaner than they were. And it seemed like some of the slaves were on a understanding level with Rufus; as long as they do what they are supposed to be doing, they won't be bothered.
ReplyDeleteTom Weylin was kind of laid back compared to other slave owner stereotypes from that time period.
DeleteI was kinda disappointed in the ending. I had so much hope for Rufus, and that Dana would be able to change him. Or that she would at leased feel some emotion about stabbing him, when she has saved his life some many times. And I understand that what Dana did was out of self defense, but still I was sad.
ReplyDeleteI was very disappointed in the end also. The ending could have been much better. I honestly felt like Dana was going to get through to rufus and he would have a bright future. I also think dana did the right thing by fighting Rufus. HE was definetly doing the wrong thing and she out of self defense killed him. I overall loved this book and would read it again.
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DeleteI was disappointed too. When I first started reading the book I would of never guessed that would be the ending.
DeleteI was sad that this was how it ended. I truly wanted Rufus to not become like his father. And in the end he became even worse than Tom Weylin.
DeleteAfter all of Dana's efforts I also thought that the book might end well, but I am on Dana's side when it comes to Rufus dying.
DeleteYeah at the beginning I never thought he would have become like him. It's a shame that he did.
DeleteThis book shows how much progress we have made from in her actual time and the time she travels back to. In her time she's treated equally and it's acceptable to marry a white man. But in the time she travels back to there's still slaves and black people aren't really supposed to talk to white people.
ReplyDeleteThis story refutes the notion of the "single story" because you wouldn't expect a little boy who lives on a farm with slaves and who has a really strict father to be like he is. I would expect him to treat the slaves the way his father does because usually kids do what their parents do. But he makes friends with them and is really friendly.
ReplyDeleteYou're right; I'd expect him to idolize his father but it was kind of the opposite, but he still didn't hate his father.
DeleteThe characters in this book illuminates aspects of African-American culture because the slave owners are as expected. They are really mean to the slaves and whip them. That's what we were taught they were like, and that's how they were like in the book.
ReplyDeleteI think that Tom Weylin as a slave owner is actually nicer than a lot of the other typical slave owners I have heard of. I know that he was only nice to some of them because he could get something out of them, but I think that his fear of Dana made him seem nicer than most slave owners.
DeleteThe plot in this story illuminates aspects of African-American history because it shows the time where they were slaves and the time that they weren't. Dana lives in the time where she is free and treated equally. But she goes back to the time where she is a slave.
ReplyDeleteI was surprised by the change that my thoughts went through when I read this book. At the beginning of the book when we found out that Alice and Rufus would have a child together I thought that they would fall in love with each other, with both willingly consenting to it. I was disappointed that Rufus became what Dana didn't want him to become.
ReplyDeleteHow does the story (setting, characters, plot, etc.) illuminate aspects of African-American culture? Be specific! (Page references are helpful.)
ReplyDeleteI think that the culture is shown by showing the way of life in that time period. They had no way to control their own life unless they were free, but they still had their own ways of thinking, and their own belief system.
In what ways does this book refute the notion of the “single story”?
ReplyDeleteThe book shows different views of the situation. Though the book focuses on Dana you still understand that what the people were doing at that time was a normal thing in that part of the country. It shows different perspectives with out the book changing hands to focus on someone els.
This story illuminates lots of aspects of African-American history. In the book, Dana says Kevin is her husband, and Rufus says it's not possible. He says that whites can't marry niggers. Kevin is shocked by this. Because now black people can marry white people now without an issue.
ReplyDeleteYeah I agree, but at this point in the book they should have expected people to be shocked about that. I mean they had been there for a while and had become accustomed to their lifestyles.
DeleteOverall this book was great in my opinion; for a short time reading it I pictured Kevin black and I'm not sure why. Well probably because in 1976 there weren't too many white and black people in relationships.
ReplyDeleteI liked how the story followed Rufus throughout his life, but not too much; Dana was still the main center point of the story. Also, when Rufus turned into a harsher version of his father I was disappointed, but I knew he was heading down that path.
ReplyDelete