Indelible Race Memories and Subliminal Epigenetics in Octavia Butler’s Kindred
Octavia E. Butler’s Kindred highlights complexities beyond those related to a tale of time-travel and a painful slave narrative. It allows us to reimagine definitions of “race memory” and “trauma” along the lines of genetic ancestry that is explored through the real and numinous lives of Dana and Ke...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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University of Bucharest
2018-12-01
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| Series: | Intersections |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.intersections-journal.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/5.-Dutta-article.pdf |
| _version_ | 1811277170785386496 |
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| author | Dutta, Suchismita |
| author_facet | Dutta, Suchismita |
| author_sort | Dutta, Suchismita |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Octavia E. Butler’s Kindred highlights complexities beyond those related to a tale of time-travel and a painful slave narrative. It allows us to reimagine definitions of “race memory” and “trauma” along the lines of genetic ancestry that is explored through the real and numinous lives of Dana and Kevin from the Maryland of the 1770s to 1976 California. The inescapable web of power, racial and gender disparities disturb Dana and make her undergo the agonizing process of transcending the limits of the present world to enter the past. The legacy of antebellum slavery that Butler records through this repeated transcendence is transhistorical and can be studied as scientific racism. This essay offers ways of reading Dana’s time-travel as the recuperation of biological memories caused due to epigenetics or trauma transmitted transgenerationally. Through several epistemic moments that validate the anguish and abuse endured in the past, this essay opens avenues for lived transhistorical trauma to demand both literary and medical attention. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-13T00:10:55Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-03072bec48ba4d238b9579aa2db006bc |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2068-3472 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-13T00:10:55Z |
| publishDate | 2018-12-01 |
| publisher | University of Bucharest |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Intersections |
| spelling | doaj.art-03072bec48ba4d238b9579aa2db006bc2022-12-22T03:11:05ZengUniversity of BucharestIntersections2068-34722018-12-012186103Indelible Race Memories and Subliminal Epigenetics in Octavia Butler’s KindredDutta, Suchismita0University of MiamiOctavia E. Butler’s Kindred highlights complexities beyond those related to a tale of time-travel and a painful slave narrative. It allows us to reimagine definitions of “race memory” and “trauma” along the lines of genetic ancestry that is explored through the real and numinous lives of Dana and Kevin from the Maryland of the 1770s to 1976 California. The inescapable web of power, racial and gender disparities disturb Dana and make her undergo the agonizing process of transcending the limits of the present world to enter the past. The legacy of antebellum slavery that Butler records through this repeated transcendence is transhistorical and can be studied as scientific racism. This essay offers ways of reading Dana’s time-travel as the recuperation of biological memories caused due to epigenetics or trauma transmitted transgenerationally. Through several epistemic moments that validate the anguish and abuse endured in the past, this essay opens avenues for lived transhistorical trauma to demand both literary and medical attention.http://www.intersections-journal.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/5.-Dutta-article.pdfepigeneticstransgenerationalscientific racismpost-racial traumarace memories |
| spellingShingle | Dutta, Suchismita Indelible Race Memories and Subliminal Epigenetics in Octavia Butler’s Kindred Intersections epigenetics transgenerational scientific racism post-racial trauma race memories |
| title | Indelible Race Memories and Subliminal Epigenetics in Octavia Butler’s Kindred |
| title_full | Indelible Race Memories and Subliminal Epigenetics in Octavia Butler’s Kindred |
| title_fullStr | Indelible Race Memories and Subliminal Epigenetics in Octavia Butler’s Kindred |
| title_full_unstemmed | Indelible Race Memories and Subliminal Epigenetics in Octavia Butler’s Kindred |
| title_short | Indelible Race Memories and Subliminal Epigenetics in Octavia Butler’s Kindred |
| title_sort | indelible race memories and subliminal epigenetics in octavia butler s kindred |
| topic | epigenetics transgenerational scientific racism post-racial trauma race memories |
| url | http://www.intersections-journal.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/5.-Dutta-article.pdf |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT duttasuchismita indelibleracememoriesandsubliminalepigeneticsinoctaviabutlerskindred |