Kindred was an interesting take on the science fiction genre. It used the genre as a vehicle to explore a theory about human nature. The novel begins in the 1970s and takes us back and forth to the 1800’s through the eyes of a African American Woman named Alice. The novel does a great job examining the topic of slavery and the psyche of human nature.
The two Characters Dana and Kevin are displaced from their contemporary society in the 1970s and thrust into a civilization where slavery is the norm. It was interesting to see how jarred they felt but then Kevin ( the non African American husband of Dana) slowly seemed to come to be more tolerant of it. His experience was that it wasn’t as physically inhumane as he thought it would be but, he failed to see the mental abuse the slaves were being treated with. From reading this novel its seems to suggest that human nature has a tendency to be heavily conditioned by the people whom they reside by, and society around with. The children aren’t rebellious because they grew up being conditioned into accepting enslavement as the norm.
Another example of social conditioning is very prevalent in Kevin. Kevin, who was originally a writer enjoying the modern luxuries of technology later on becomes a different character. He is later transformed into a horseback riding man who has grown his beard out. He becomes more hardened overall. He even has a challenge adapting back to the modern age when he and Dana time travel back to their comfortable contemporary society.
I’m convinced that one’s interaction with their surrounding community contributes greatly into shaping and influencing their personality. I know that coming to a place like Ringling has changed my perspective on the world. Maybe if one wanted to become a different person, they should move to a different place?
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