hsitry of fcitnon bogl

    Of the characters in Octavia Butler's Kindred,  one stands out as it forces readers into a particularly uncomfortable moral dilemma. From a zoomed out perspective, Rufus Weylin is just evil. He is a slave-owning Southern man who actively engages in brutal violence including the rape of Alice and the constant threats to beat Dana. However, Butler's narrative constantly provides the smallest slivers of redemption, making Rufus a controversially sympathetic villain that causes clearcut interpretations of him to be completely inadequate in describing him. To call him a one-dimensional monster would be reductive, as he is certainly capable of what seems like genuine affection and kindness (at least, in his time period). He loves Dana in his own twisted way, as she acts as his confidante and supernatural guardian angel, constantly saving him from danger. In some cases, Rufus even shows a desire to be a better person than his father Tom Weylin. But his actions are still obje...