I definitely seem to be in the minority here, but while I did enjoy the book and finished it very quickly, unfortunately I do not see why it's hailed as a masterpiece.
-
the prose is overly simple, too simple to really do justice to the horror of slavery and how Dana would feel being forced to live it, particularly the emotions that must have come with having to pretend her white husband is her master for 2 months
-
whilst I didn't need a full explanation for the time travel I thought there'd be some sort of pay off or consequences
-
I didn't really understand the point of the novel. Was it just to show how easily Dana accepted being a slave in order to save her own life? If that's the case then I don't think she did really, she knew she was going to return home each time, she didn't get treated like the rest of the slaves, she didn't allow Rufus to treat that way
-
I think Butler missed a trick with Kevin. She could have shown how easily well intentioned white people also accepted slavery and had his attitudes changed, even if slightly. Perhaps he subconsciously thinks he's better than Dana when he comes back or she finds out he's participated in slavery somehow to survive
-
while Rufus being attracted to Dana was creepy enough, no acknowledgement of the fact he's her great great great grandfather?
-
the relationship between Dana and Alice wasn't shown enough. Sarah says they're like sisters and Rufus says they're one half of the same woman but that didn't come across through the writing at all
-
none of the people in the past asked Dana any questions about the future? Really?
Anyone feel the same?
by [deleted]
5 Comments
It’s years since I read it so I can’t give a complete accounting of these points, but I do have a few comments. I would also add that this book is widely studied at the school level, and if you search for educational materials about it you are likely to find resources that address some of these questions in more detail.
> whilst I didn’t need a full explanation for the time travel I thought there’d be some sort of pay off or consequences
> none of the people in the past asked Dana any questions about the future? Really?
The fact that I don’t recall if she actually discussed the time travel in the past aside, I think up to a certain point you have to judge a book on its own merits. This isn’t a hard sci for book, and if you were looking for one then you will almost certainly be disappointed – but that’s not to say that the author wanted to write hard sci fi, and it would be more fair to judge it on what it is trying to achieve than in the genre you were in the mood for at the time.
> I didn’t really understand the point of the novel. Was it just to show how easily Dana accepted being a slave in order to save her own life? If that’s the case then I don’t think she did really, she knew she was going to return home each time, she didn’t get treated like the rest of the slaves, she didn’t allow Rufus to treat that way
For me the main theme of the novel (though not the only one) was the complexity of the relationship between slaves and masters. A lot of slavery fiction depicts slave owners as unrepentantly evil which is a totally fair position to take, but an unfortunately persistent component of slavery discourse is the question (usually but not always from racists) of whether slavery was good for slaves who had benevolent masters. This book shows a story about a slave who genuinely loves her master but in the end decides to kill him anyway, and a master who genuinely believes he treats his slaves as well as possible, but in the end decides to rape her anyway. I think the point the author is trying to make is that there is no such thing as benevolent slavery. The slave never wants it, and the master can’t sustain it in good faith.
> I think Butler missed a trick with Kevin. She could have shown how easily well intentioned white people also accepted slavery and had his attitudes changed, even if slightly. Perhaps he subconsciously thinks he’s better than Dana when he comes back or she finds out he’s participated in slavery somehow to survive
I don’t remember so much about Kevin, but Sparknotes has this summary:
“Kevin also has a blind spot where the slaves on the Weylin plantation are concerned. He does not understand that even the most placid, least violent forms of slavery are shocking and degrading. He thinks about the big picture and as a result wants to affect all of history, rather than struggle to improve the lives of those around him. He does not see many of the slaves as Dana sees them: as individuals with their own histories and lives.”
I think this is pretty much consistent with the themes I thought I had found as discussed above.
Horses for courses but I had quite a different reaction to the book as I think there were some huge existential questions and ideas raised within.
Wasn’t the point of the book Dana coming to terms with the fact that she is the product of slavery and without the historic slavery happening, she would never have been born. The guilt and trauma of that realisation was, I felt, fairly profound.
Complexity of prose doesn’t equal quality of prose. I think the simplicity of prose was reflective of a) Dana’s modernity and deliberately juxtaposes with the expectations of the typically flowery style of the 1800s and b) the shock and overwhelm of the whole scenario would give not be conducive to anything more complex, and the simplicity also reflects a kind of numbness.
She did exactly what you suggest with Kevin.
There’s no need for explanation or consequences of time travel as it’s more philosophical and psychological thought experiment than hard science fiction.
I’m literally about to run out of the house to go my family’s for Christmas but I have to say real quick: I COMPLETELY AGREW
Dana is a modern woman who knows all the reasons slavery is wrong but existing in the system, she’s basically unable to exert these modern influences. Meanwhile little slave children play games where they auction each other off. In addition to the great points raised in other posts, I really think it makes a point about systems and how we participate in them even if we know they’re not good.
There is also the point that Dana is a modern woman – rather than it being a straight historical story from a slaves perspective (a la Book of Negroes) and I really think the way slaveries impact on the world continues to be felt was another important point
If you’re interested r/EarthseedParables might be for you. 🌍🌱