Kindred: How does Butler confronts us with issues of difference like boundaries of black/white, master/slave, husband/wife, and past/present? | Kindred Questions & Answers

In Kindred, Butler confronts the reader with conflict revolving around issues of race, gender, and relational roles. There are noted similarities between the way women are treated in the 1800's to the way they are still treated in the modern day. The author seems to be stating that while women may have more rights, legally, in a relationship they are most often still relegated to that of a slave, or secondary partner. With the issue of race, when Dana goes back in time she has a rude awakening as she tries to fit in to the framework of being a black woman and being owned as a slave. Things that have been abstract concepts to her are now startlingly real.

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