Most recent public comments by Keagen Leeman https://nowcomment.com/users/130449 https://nowcomment.com/documents/335213?scroll_to=2964597 https://nowcomment.com/documents/335213?scroll_to=2964597 While some characters, such as Weylin and Kevin, thought that Carrie was useless and stupid because she was mute, this scene portrays the wisdom she had and the ability to teach Dana about how they are viewed in society. It not only portrays Carrie's intelligence, but it is also a moment of clarity for Dana because even though the other slaves there don't understand Dana's paradoxical circumstance and reasons for helping Rufus so often, they still understand that she is different and by helping someone who hurt them all as a collective, she is hurting "her people," which in turns creates a tension in Kindred. Fri, 02 Dec 2022 13:14:44 -0500 https://nowcomment.com/documents/335213?scroll_to=2964588 https://nowcomment.com/documents/335213?scroll_to=2964588 These ideas of women being known as "the other," or someone who was supposed to live an operate in "a separate sphere" was emphasized during the antebellum period in U.S. history as well. These ideas are portrayed in Simone De Beauvoir's novel, "The Second Sex" and many other feminist authors' writings. Beauvoir describes how women were seen through a lens in which they were only allowed to preform mundane tasks, which often led to depression and confusion about one's role in life. These ideas are explicated through various tests in order to illustrate the struggles that many endured in this time period. Fri, 02 Dec 2022 13:10:14 -0500 https://nowcomment.com/documents/335213?scroll_to=2964576 https://nowcomment.com/documents/335213?scroll_to=2964576 This concept of literary allowing slaves to escape is important in many novels, such as The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, where Frederick Bailey, later Douglass, describes how learning to read The Columbian Orator, gave him a voice and allowed him to make his struggles and the struggles of so many others known once he achieved his freedom. Dana, being from the present in the 1970s, likely understands this concept, which is why she finds importance in educating the slaves she lives amongst in Kindred. Fri, 02 Dec 2022 13:06:17 -0500 https://nowcomment.com/documents/335213?scroll_to=2964570 https://nowcomment.com/documents/335213?scroll_to=2964570 This internal conflict is not only important in Kindred, but also in other novels such as Beloved, where Beloved's mother fails to see the darkness in Beloved due to their connection as mother and daughter, which ultimately leads to her struggle throughout the novel. This contrasts with Kindred because Dana fails to let Rufus control her anymore by the end of the novel, which allows her to escape from the confines of the abusive relationship she has with her ancestor, unlike Beloved's mother. Fri, 02 Dec 2022 13:03:22 -0500 https://nowcomment.com/documents/335213?scroll_to=2964558 https://nowcomment.com/documents/335213?scroll_to=2964558 Pecola and Alice both face challenging situations in the novels that they are in as they are submitted to violence because of their lower social roles in society. Both also look for better futures wanting to be free or have blue eyes as these are means of establishing themselves in society, as they struggle with personal identity due to racism. Fri, 02 Dec 2022 12:59:13 -0500 https://nowcomment.com/documents/335213?scroll_to=2964550 https://nowcomment.com/documents/335213?scroll_to=2964550 This stereotypical role of women, especially as slaves is portrayed throughout Kindred through Weylin's children with slaves, Kevin's fake slave, and master relationship, and through Rufus and Alice's relationship. Fri, 02 Dec 2022 12:56:48 -0500 https://nowcomment.com/documents/335213?scroll_to=2964548 https://nowcomment.com/documents/335213?scroll_to=2964548 Douglass and Dana are similar in that they both try to follow the ways of the world based on the situations that they are in, but when they are in their darkest moments and are tired of living as slaves, they fight back against those who try to control them. This is an important sentiment in civil rights ideals. Fri, 02 Dec 2022 12:55:17 -0500 https://nowcomment.com/documents/335213?scroll_to=2964541 https://nowcomment.com/documents/335213?scroll_to=2964541 Kindred and Roots are similar in that both focus on the horrors of slavery, specifically Dana being surprised by the games that the children played and the separation of families. This illustrates how it is important to focus on the past at times to better understand and improve the future. Fri, 02 Dec 2022 12:52:23 -0500 https://nowcomment.com/documents/335213?scroll_to=2964536 https://nowcomment.com/documents/335213?scroll_to=2964536 Here, the past and present are supposedly unconnected, whereas in Kindred the whole story is about the connection between the past and present as well as change over time and how this causes a change in attitudes. Fri, 02 Dec 2022 12:50:34 -0500 https://nowcomment.com/documents/335213?scroll_to=2964534 https://nowcomment.com/documents/335213?scroll_to=2964534 In Kindred,these stereotypes are explored but made known that the stereotypes are false based on the influence Dana has as well as Kevin's ability to lighten the atmosphere of the past. Fri, 02 Dec 2022 12:49:15 -0500 https://nowcomment.com/documents/335213?scroll_to=2964528 https://nowcomment.com/documents/335213?scroll_to=2964528 It is interesting that many authors writing about racism in the U.S. focus on forms of science fiction to convey their stories. I can see many connections between Morrison's Beloved and the influence Beloved has over the mother and Dana's interactions with Rufus in Kindred. Fri, 02 Dec 2022 12:46:23 -0500 https://nowcomment.com/documents/334246?scroll_to=2956821 https://nowcomment.com/documents/334246?scroll_to=2956821 Wed, 16 Nov 2022 14:13:09 -0500 https://nowcomment.com/documents/334246?scroll_to=2956676 https://nowcomment.com/documents/334246?scroll_to=2956676 Wed, 16 Nov 2022 13:05:51 -0500 https://nowcomment.com/documents/334246?scroll_to=2956658 https://nowcomment.com/documents/334246?scroll_to=2956658 Wed, 16 Nov 2022 13:03:52 -0500 https://nowcomment.com/documents/334246?scroll_to=2956643 https://nowcomment.com/documents/334246?scroll_to=2956643 Wed, 16 Nov 2022 13:01:21 -0500 https://nowcomment.com/documents/334246?scroll_to=2956630 https://nowcomment.com/documents/334246?scroll_to=2956630 Wed, 16 Nov 2022 12:58:11 -0500 https://nowcomment.com/documents/334246?scroll_to=2956596 https://nowcomment.com/documents/334246?scroll_to=2956596 Wed, 16 Nov 2022 13:15:09 -0500 https://nowcomment.com/documents/334246?scroll_to=2956589 https://nowcomment.com/documents/334246?scroll_to=2956589 Wed, 16 Nov 2022 12:53:36 -0500