Rufus's Confusing Personality
If there's one thing Octavia Butler is good at, it's creating a book that'll make you feel all sorts of different ways. Throughout Kindred , I struggled with my feelings about Rufus's character. How are you supposed to feel about a somewhat sympathetic slaveowner? See, I'm kind of a softie. Not overly so, but I'm pretty easily touched when people are sweet or thoughtful or emotional, especially if they're not typically so. Rufus slowly coming to love his children and care for them touched me a little bit. By the last part, Joe was calling him Daddy. He wouldn't even entertain the idea of selling his children. I think he did mean to free them in the end, even though Dana forced his hand a bit. He was talking about sending Joe to school in the North and completely approved of educating him. But that was really the nicest aspect of Rufus. He's a possessive person and won't let anyone he "loves" go. When he comes into possession of his f...