Kindred shows many values and morals between people. The book shows the slaves feelings and point of views on slavery. Octavia Bulter uses plot events in order to develop the themes of Helpfulness to saves lives, Disobedience that causes pain, and Racisms that cause pain/suffering in her 20th century American novel, Kindred.
One theme that is used all throughout the book is helpfulness saves lives. One part in the beginning of the book that shows helpfulness is where Dana saves Rufus from drowning. Drowning I reacted to the child in trouble.... now I went to the child pg.14. Dana starts mouth-to-mouth resuscitation found on page 14. This shows that Dana tried an attempt to save Rufus. "He's alive" cried the woman pg. 14. This shows that Dana saved Rufus's life. Another plot event in the novel is when Dana saves Rufus from burning the house down. Then I woke up, pushed the boy aside, caught the unburned upper part of the fripperies and pulled them down pg. 20. I picked them up quickly and threw them out the window pg. 20. "I put out the fire, didn't I?" " Yeah." Pg 25. All these quotes show that Dana keep the house from burning down because she threw the drapes out window where they would be less likely to catch something on fire. The last example is helpfulness saves lives is towards the end of the book when Dana saves Rufus from drowning in a ditch. I grabbed him and pulled him out of the water and over to a tree that would shelter us little from the rain pg. 198. He was alive. As I moved him he threw up on himself and partly on me pg. 198. Without Dana saving Rufus every time his life was in danger Rufus probably wouldn't have survived.
The second theme that is very important in Kindred shows was disobedience causes pain and hatred. The first plot event that takes place is Dana is whipped for teaching Carrie and Nigel to read and write. Carrie nodded; she wanted to learn all right pg. 105. He...