Themes: Enduring Impacts of Slavery
The devastating consequences of America's slave system are issues that each generation of Americans must confront. These effects are long-lasting and cannot simply be erased. The urgent question is whether it is possible to prevent these crimes from recurring, especially since some people still strive to perpetuate them. Certain individuals persist in committing such acts, with the aim, for example, of keeping a large segment of the global population in servitude—a goal ingrained in all determined forms of capitalism. Furthermore, it is especially frustrating that, even in the late twentieth century, women still do not experience equality with men.
Expert Q&A
Why did Alice want to name her daughter Hagar in Kindred?
Alice names her daughter Hagar in Kindred after the Biblical Hagar, a slave who was freed, reflecting Alice's hope for her child's eventual freedom. Dana, aware of her ancestor named Hagar, anticipates this naming. Despite Rufus finding it unattractive, Alice chooses Biblical names, aiming to imbue her children with a sense of freedom. Dana, however, questions the wisdom of this, fearing Rufus might eventually understand the names' significance.
What are the role reversals when Dana explains to Alice that she is a slave in Kindred?
Alice's babies' deaths and the circumstances surrounding Alice's death in Kindred
Alice's babies died due to the harsh realities of slavery, where infant mortality was high and medical care was inadequate. Alice herself died by suicide after being manipulated and abused by Rufus. Her death was a tragic consequence of her desperation and lack of control over her life as a slave.
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