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'om !o%%ard ha(e a dis!inc! %arallel !ha! is dra+n across !he
!imelines !ha! !he book
%resen!s. While !he )ormer is a !ime !ra(el narra!i(e in !he
con(en!ional sense and !he
la!!er is a s!ory !ha! in )ac! in(ol(es no !ime !ra(el in !he
sal sense !he !+o s!ories
share some!hing in common. 3o!h !he s!ories se! % !+o com%le!ely
di))eren! !imelines
Kindredbe!+een !he #anas o+n %resen! and her %as!
andArcadiabe!+een !he %as! and
)!re e(en!s !ha! are !aking %lace in a cer!ain hosehold. Wha!
makes !hese !imelines
%arallel is !he )ac! !ha! !he in)orma!ion !ha! !he reader can
gain abo! bo!h !he !imelines
are essen!ially cyclic. 'he reader learns abo! bo!h !he
!imelines !hrogho! !he s!ory b!
ins!ead o) !hem being one a! a !ime +here !he book is di(ided
in!o !+o dis!inc! sec!ions
!he )lo+ o) e(en!s )rom bo!h !imelines are sca!!ered !hrogho!
!he !e*!. n a s!ory !ha! is
%resen!ed in !his +ay !he reader +ill o)!en )ind !hemsel(es
al!erna!ing be!+een one
!imeline and !he ne*! each +i!h i!s o+n se! o) charac!ers. 'his
is %ar!iclarly im%or!an!
becase in books !ha! ha(e !hese !+o %arallel !imelines !he )ocs
is shared be!+een !he
!+o so charac!ers in bo!h !imelines are e/ally im%or!an!. !
shold also be no!ed !ha! in
mos! books +i!h %arallel !imelines !he (en!s in !he !+o
!imelines are sally rela!ed !o
each o!her and ha(e ei!her similar signi)icance or are sed as a
medim o) con!ras!ing !he
!+o !imelines.
Kindred in %ar!iclar is sca!!ered +i!h %arallels !ha! are dra+n
be!+een #anas
%resen! and her %as!. 'he racism !ha! #ana )aces in !he !ime
+here sla(ery +as s!ill legal
is bla!an! b! !here are ins!ances in !he book +here !he racism
!ha! 4e(in and #ana )ace
in !he %resen! +i!h bo!h !heir )amilies and !heir co-+orkers is
sho+n in !he %resen!. 'he
commen!s o) 355 +ho re)erred !o !heir !ime !oge!her in !he
+ork%lace as 67hocola!e and
(anilla %orn 8"9; and !he reac!ions o) #anas ncle +ho +an!ed her
!o marry 6someone
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+ho looks like him. A black man 8111.; and 4e(ins sis!er +ho
6+oldn! ha(e 8#ana
in her hose8110.; make !he racism %ar!iclarly a%%aren!.
A)!er 4e(ins re!rn )rom his )i(e year &; according !o #ana.
'he %arallels be!+een
4e(in and #ana and =)s and Alice +hile !hey +ere di))eren! in
e*!en! can also be
dra+n in!o !he s!ory. =)s has com%le!e con!rol o(er Alice and he
sho+s !hrogh (arios
%oin!s in !he s!ory !ha! he is no! a)raid !o e*ercise !ha!
con!rol !o bring her !o him.
Al!hogh !he same le(el is con!rol is no! %resen! in 4e(in and
#anas rela!ionshi% like
+hen he said !ha! 6i) 8#ana coldn! do him a li!!le )a(or +hen he
asked. 8he cold
lea(e 810>.; !ha! %lace 4e(in in almos! !he same ligh! as a
modern day =)s. 'he s!ory
o) Kindred is +ri!!en )rom #anas %oin! o) (ie+ b! as +e look a!
!he %arallels dra+n
be!+een !he !+o !imes i! becomes more a%%aren! !ha! =)s is
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be!+een !hese e(en!s !ha! !ake %lace in !+o com%le!ely se%ara!e
or linked !imelines can
%ro(ide !he reader +i!h a more concre!e idea o) !he message !ha!
!he a!hor is !rying !o
ge! across. ! also o%ens % a ne+ +ay o) !hinking abo! %arallel
!imelines +here
o%%osed !o (ie+ing !hem as com%le!ely di))eren! +orlds +e can
(ie+ !hem as a series o)
e(en!s !ha! are in some +ay connec!ed +hich can add !o !he
o(erall lineari!y 8in !erms o)
ideas o) a s!ory.
