As I make my way through Kindred, I'm struck by how shocked Dana seems at Rufus's reaction to things because really, he's extremely predictable.
Rufus was born into white planter life. He was, from the day he was born, conditioned to believe that blacks were inferior to whites. Dana first talked to Rufus when he was about 10 - at this point, he's already gone through his most formative years, and still has only a small understanding of sympathy and empathy. When she talks to him about his use of the n-word, he seems very confused. Clearly, her message didn't sink in. And yet, when she sees him again after he breaks his leg, she's seemingly shocked that he still uses the n-word. She says, "I don't like that word, remember?" As if a 5 minute conversation with a 10 year old could completely change how and when he used that word. It would be great if that's how the human mind worked, but it's not.
So at this point, when he's dealing with the broken leg, Rufus has two main role models - Dana and his father. They have completely different ideals, mindsets, etc. Rufus obviously wants to please both of them, but by trying to balance the two mindsets, he ends up with a very interesting personality. When he's alone with Dana, he's more likely to be kind towards her, but when they're in the presence of Tom Weylin, he becomes more commanding. This pattern becomes apparent as we see more scenes where the three of them interact. By the end of the section, it seems like she's adapted to it, even if she isn't happy about it. She seems to have some level of understanding of what Rufus is willing to do in order to please whoever he wants at a given time.
Given that background, why was Dana so shocked when Rufus pulled a gun on her? My theory is that she was wedded to the childlike version of Rufus - the one who didn't realize that what he was doing was wrong. The one who was easily convinced into believing what she said. She didn't want to let that go because she felt she had some level of connection to him, and it's hard to protect someone who you hate. On another level, if something were to happen to him, she couldn't exist. So really, her need to have a good image of him in her mind is self-preservation.
We're not shocked that Rufus is proving to be a product of his environment, but Dana has had moments with Rufus that have given her a sense of false hope. When they're alone, she essentially sees a child who she's saved countless times, so I also think that she's attached to a version of Rufus that almost doesn't exist anymore. She's not wrong for wanting to think that he's capable of being a good person, but you could say that she's being naive in hoping for the best in him.
ReplyDeleteI also thought that Dana was really caught up on the child version on Rufus. It makes sense especially because her memories of him don't include all the time in between when she was gone, so him being a child was almost yesterday for her. And, when you have a bond with a kinder version of Rufus who doesn't go to those extremes, it makes it harder to believe that he turned into the person he became if you don't get to see it gradually happen.
ReplyDeleteIt seemed like Dana kept hoping Rufus would change his ways but he only disappointed her over and over again. I think Dana being "wedded to the childlike version of Rufus" is one of the reasons she was shocked that he pulled a gun on her but I also feel that she would be able to understand that Rufus is a violent person. However, I also think that she was shocked because Rufus has been dependent on Dana multiple times to save his life.
ReplyDeleteDana seems shocked that Rufus would point a gun *at her*, but not necessarily that he'd point a gun at *someone*, let alone a slave. She's already seen him behave in appalling ways toward slaves, and she isn't under any illusions about the role he plays on the plantation. This is one more instance where her "special" status separates her from the "real" slave experience--none of them would be shocked if he pulled a gun on them, if they were trying to "escape" (and for her, it's not really an "escape," as even within the fictional frame of her "cover story" Kevin is her "master" and can "take her" whenever he wants).
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