Kindred was definitely my favorite book to discuss in class, and it left me thinking for a long time. One thing that I found really interesting and enjoyed discussing in class (over zoom) was the significance of Dana losing her arm from time travel.
As we discussed in class, I think the loss of Dana's arm shows that she can never return as exactly the same person she was before. Part of her now exists in both time periods, and due to the things she experienced in 1815, Dana will forever be missing a part of herself. I really like the way Butler chose to represent this. I think everyone in life goes through things (although nothing like what Dana went through) that tear us down, build us up, and change us. There are definitely people, places, and events in my life that hold parts of myself that are pretty much as significant to me as my arm.
For example, while I'm graduating and going off to college, I still feel like I am leaving a part of myself behind at Uni. As I grow and change through these next 4 years and rest of my life, the memories, stress, victories, and failures will forever remain constant in that century-old building. Just as Dana is two different 'versions' of herself at the beginning and end of Kindred, I feel like I am a totally different version of myself now than I was subbie year. Graduating kind of does feel like leaving your arm behind in high school before taking on the rest of the world, which is why I love the symbolism behind Dana losing her arm through this experience.
While Dana had way fewer good memories living in 1815 than I did at Uni, she was still forever changed by her time there. Eventually she'll adapt to having one arm, grow used to it, and maybe even have moments where she forgets about it. But still, she will always remember that a part of her will eternally belong to 1815.
As we discussed in class, I think the loss of Dana's arm shows that she can never return as exactly the same person she was before. Part of her now exists in both time periods, and due to the things she experienced in 1815, Dana will forever be missing a part of herself. I really like the way Butler chose to represent this. I think everyone in life goes through things (although nothing like what Dana went through) that tear us down, build us up, and change us. There are definitely people, places, and events in my life that hold parts of myself that are pretty much as significant to me as my arm.
For example, while I'm graduating and going off to college, I still feel like I am leaving a part of myself behind at Uni. As I grow and change through these next 4 years and rest of my life, the memories, stress, victories, and failures will forever remain constant in that century-old building. Just as Dana is two different 'versions' of herself at the beginning and end of Kindred, I feel like I am a totally different version of myself now than I was subbie year. Graduating kind of does feel like leaving your arm behind in high school before taking on the rest of the world, which is why I love the symbolism behind Dana losing her arm through this experience.
While Dana had way fewer good memories living in 1815 than I did at Uni, she was still forever changed by her time there. Eventually she'll adapt to having one arm, grow used to it, and maybe even have moments where she forgets about it. But still, she will always remember that a part of her will eternally belong to 1815.
I also find the symbolism very interesting, and it's sad to think the seniors are actually leaving Uni (it doesn't feel real that y'all aren't gonna be here next year). I think it's also important to see how Dana losing her arm affects the people around her, specifically, Kevin. He will also be reminded about their time in the 1820s and the experiences they both went through every time he looks at her; and he, too, will also have to adapt some things in his life because Dana now only has one arm. Yeah, Dana'll be missing a physical part of herself but at the end of the day she developed so much more emotionally from her experience, and I feel like that's something that applies to the seniors as well.
ReplyDelete