In Octavia Butler’s novel Kindred, Dana’s motivation to escape stems from several intense factors that reflect her struggle for survival and autonomy within a brutal historical context.
Firstly, Dana’s primary motivation is rooted in her instinct for self-preservation. After being transported back to the antebellum South, she quickly realizes the dangers she faces as a Black woman in a society that systematically dehumanizes and oppresses her. The constant threat of violence and the harsh realities of slavery push her to seek freedom for herself and her ancestors.
Additionally, Dana’s desire to maintain her identity and sense of agency also drives her. As she interacts with her ancestors, she grapples with the weight of her heritage and the struggles they endured. The horrors of slavery challenge her understanding of self, making her desperate to escape not only to survive but to reclaim her own narrative and identity.
The gradual escalation of violence she witnesses and endures reinforces her need to escape. Each harrowing experience serves as a painful reminder of the vulnerability and lack of control faced by enslaved individuals. These moments of trauma galvanize Dana’s determination to return to her own time and environment, where she has freedom and the ability to shape her life on her own terms.
Ultimately, Dana’s motivation to escape in Kindred is a complex interplay of survival instinct, the desire for identity, and the quest for freedom against the backdrop of a violent historical reality that seeks to strip her of both.