The Strengths And Weaknesses In Octavia Butler's Kindred
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The Strengths and Weaknesses of Alice, Rufus, and Dana The act of having power can be beneficial or dangerous, and that all depends on the choices you make. In Octavia Butler’s novel, Kindred, the choices all of the characters make greatly affect their future, and reveal their strengths and weaknesses. Dana’s survival is dependent on every decision she makes, and whether she uses her strengths to her advantage or not. Every choice Dana makes will also influence her life, because of how she is tied back to her ancestors. Alice, Rufus, and Dana all demonstrate their strengths and weaknesses through the many obstacles they face together. Dana has always used common sense to help her survive the difficult obstacles that were thrown at her throughout…show more content… Rufus was always caring as an individual. That trait was developed by Dana’s presence. Dana has always cared for Rufus during his troubles, and Rufus is returning the positive actions. Rufus’s main strength is his caring heart and forgiving nature towards the people he loves. He has developed a love for both Alice and Dana, but their relationships are completely different. Rufus has unexpectedly fallen in love with Alice, but he shows it all in the wrong ways. He does not know how to let go of the people he cares most about, because he is selfish and does not want to be alone for the rest of his life. Dying alone is Rufus’s worst nightmare, and he will do whatever it takes to keep the people he love in his life, no matter what he has to do. Rufus’s definition of love is totally different from what we expect. Rufus “loves” Alice so much that he rapes her repeatedly until she loves him back. Rufus almost kills Dana for leaving him because he “loves” her. Rufus is inconsiderate of other people’s feelings which turns his good intentions into bad actions. Another one of Rufus’s weakness includes his lack of independence. Rufus was taught growing up that he could rely on his parents for everything, and that led to his need to have someone to rely on. After his parents’ disappearance, the only people that Rufus had left was Dana and Alice. Rufus relied on Alice’s physical…show more content… She is similar to Dana, in which she is strong both mentally and physically. Alice had the courage to deal with Rufus’s actions, and as well had the courage to run away in order to save her own life, and the life of her child. Alice puts her child in front of herself, because she knows that would be the only way that the child will live a free life. She wants the best for her child because she has a bond with him like she has a bond with no one else. She reaches her breaking point when Rufus has hold her he sold her children. From the reading, you can tell that it is very lonely living on the plantation, and creating a bond with someone is how you keep your sanity For Alice, her kids were her sanity, and any relatives she would ever have on the plantation. Although Alice remained strong, she was not strong enough to endure the rest of her life with Rufus. “The whipping didn’t matter much. But when he took away her children, I thought she was go’ die right there,” (Butler250). Rufus had taken away the only thing that Alice had a true bond with. That act was her breaking point, and Rufus knew that. She was strong for as long as Rufus would allow her to be, which lasted as long as Alice was with her children. Another weakness that shows Alice’s character includes her not being able to control her emotions and actions. Alice always has expressed her thoughts, and did not keep what she