Kindred Essay

Bun Tsukamoto

English C block

1/29/17

In Kindred, the corrupting influence of power is the main theme of the book. There are

-many circumstances -in which white people abuse black people and force black people to

follow them. Rufus, who is a power-drunk slave owner and also the father of one of Danas

ancestors, is a big example of the corrupting influence of power because he believes that he

has a right to control the lives of others.

Rufus is a warm and humane kid in his childhood. Despite the fact that his skin color

makes him superior to all African American people, Rufus deals with Alice and Nigel with

respect and friendship. However, Tom Weylin, who is the father of Rufus, influences Rufus and

changes his attitude toward black people as Rufus grows up. When one man asked a question

to Tom Weylin, he answers You keep your mouth shut and watch the road, (129 Weylin). In the

book, Tom Weylin uses violence to make people follow him. He whips his slaves for very tiny

things such as talking back to him. These actions influence Rufus and change him.

When he becomes a slave owner, he starts to believe he has a right to control the lives

of others. He always expects things to go his way and when things dont go his way, his

behavior becomes brutal. He whips other people just as his father does and he also rapes

women. He understands raping is a horrifying act, but instead of ending this behavior, he

assuages his guilt by forcing his victims to fake eagerness.

Despite the fact he is a brutal slave owner, he wants to be a good man but he is not

willing to do any dirty work. Often times, he asks others to do his dirty work in order to distance

him from using violence. Instead of changing his behavior, he continues to harm others and

shows his regret after he hurts others. At the end of the book, he continues to rape women, be

selfish, and use violence. When Dana says Let her go Rufus (163 Dana), he responds as
Shell never get away from me again. Never! (163 Rufus). His selfishness and brutality gets

worse as he becomes older.

In conclusion, the book tells us about the corrupting influence of power, and Rufus is a

good example of it. He starts out as a good kid, but as he gets older, his behavior becomes

worse, influenced by his father. The corrupting influence of power has enormous influence over

others, just as Rufus is influenced by his father.