Read the novel- Kindred by Octavia E. Butler (I attached the PDF)
Themes:
Love/power
Dehumanization
Rape
Value of life
Kindred/Family
Freedom
Resistance to power, slavery
Ancestors
Contexts: American Slavery, treatment of slave women, 19th century, 20th century.
Either topic will depend on close readings that can be argued with specific, quoted evidence.
Explore the issue of love for 1 enslaved character in Butler’s novel. What do we learn about the ways in which slaves are/are not valued by the American slave system, or about the ways in which enslaved people strive to love and value themselves/their lives? What kind of damage does the system of slavery do to love and to people’s sense of power, and in what ways does this character resist and strive to define and reclaim this love and/or power?
Focus on 1 slave major character in relationship with one or more other characters, major or minor; incorporate specific key themes (see list above) in your thesis. (**If you want to focus on two minor slave characters to answer this prompt, that will also work).
Make sure your essay:
•Has 1250-‐1500 words.
•Has a thesis that directly responds to the prompt/follows thesis criteria. Highlight your thesis statement.
A strong thesis:
Responds directly to the prompt, answering the key questions. In doing this, it takes a position on the topic (i.e., does not simply restate the topic!)
Is specific (i.e., it’s about something concrete and real which you will be exploring in each section of the paper)
Can be argued and developed in each body section (i.e., by the end of the paper you and the reader have seen new ideas that weren’t previously visible).
•Develops an organized line of reasoning in the body to explore and support the thesis.
•Shows that you have done close readings of key passages.
•Develops arguments in the body ¶s using the “4 steps” method
Step 1 State your point (your argument, position, insight, claim).
Step 2 Provide Evidence (quotes, anecdotes, statistics, concrete examples, research).
Step 3 Explain and Explore the evidence (discuss your interpretation and reasoning here and how the evidence supports it). Be both creative AND logical.
Step 4 Connect this point to your thesis: show how you are proving and deepening your understanding of the ideas in your thesis.
•Uses direct quotes and MLA style documentation
•Has a WORKS CITED page
•Transitions at 3 levels: between sentences, between ¶s, and between sections … and does not use plot to transition .
Kindred.pdf