Kindred

In the final chapters, we see several examples of mirroring and recurring events. We have seen Rufus in bed recovering from an illness or injury three times now: first, after his fall; second, after his fight with Isaac; and in “The Storm,” from dengue fever. Each time, Dana nurses him back to health. Both Dana and Alice have also been in his place, recovering from injuries in his bed and taking turns nursing each other. The recurrence of this theme elucidates the characters’ connection to each other. More than a love triangle, they are tied together in sickness and in health, in a sort of three-person marriage. The mirroring of recovery also highlights the inequality of their roles in the relationship: Both Dana and Alice recover from beatings for attempting to escape, while Rufus recovers from injuries and illnesses garnered through his exercising of freedom. Still, illness and injury are an effective equalizer, proving that no matter your social position, your body can succumb to physical trauma.

Furthermore, Alice clearly mirrors Dana; she is Dana’s doppelganger. Like Dana, Alice is strong, outspoken, and just trying to survive. They are kept apart from the man they love by Rufus. They both resort to self-harm to escape Rufus. However, while Dana is quick to forgive Rufus for his cruelty, Alice is more stubborn and must be worn down into submission. Their differences point to the significance of environmental influence. Dana wonders several times if she would have turned out like Alice had she been born and raised in slavery like Alice was. Because Dana was born in the present, she developed differently. Her lack of experience with slavery makes her more forgiving, and Alice’s painful loss of her family makes her more bitter and resentful. They look alike, but more importantly, as pointed out by multiple characters in the novel, they are also like two sides of the same coin, two halves of one woman.

Additionally, Dana’s relationship with Rufus sometimes mirrors her relationship with Kevin, while at other times, it mirrors Rufus’s relationship with Alice. Just like Kevin tries to persuade Dana to type his manuscripts in a flashback, Rufus wants Dana to write his letters to creditors for him. More meaningfully, Rufus tries to rape Dana like he did Alice. Thus, by mirroring various characters and events throughout the novel, Butler successfully illustrates natural, historical recurrence. She aims to show that the harmful past might repeat itself unless we become aware enough to stop it.