Genealogy as Time Travel
The title of Kindred illuminates an important aspect of the novel - familial relations. For Dana going back in time, she’s not only sent back to a general time period or place. It’s a very specific plantation, and not only that, it’s her family. Her existence depends on them and their having children. But not only that - the fact that they’re her family makes what she sees all the more powerful. It removes a sense of vagueness when you know something happened in your family. Like you can say, lots of people were political prisoners in the late 40s in Yugoslavia, they were ripped from their homes and endured a lot of physical and psychological torture. But knowing that during that same time my grandma was picked up from her extracurricular activity (Russian culture club) at 18 without a reason or warming and sent directly to prison, that feels very different. When you remember who they were as your grandparents, get told regularly how you look like them, have the same anxious mann...