Question

1.) Discuss the conflict Dana and Kevin face with their families on pages 108-112. What is paradoxical about

each family's reaction? What do you think Butler is suggesting about interracial relationships in this section?
2.) Analyze the complex connotations of the word "home” on both page 115 and in the novel as a whole.

Answer 1

When Dana returns to the past and gets closer to Weylin's house, she feels at home.

Step-by-step explanation:

• Kevin is a progressive man. In the 1970s, when casual racism was still common in the United States, he saw racial equality as mandatory and was shocked and surprised by the prejudiced beliefs of other people. He married a black woman over the objections.

• Because he is a white man, he is not exposed to the kind of horrors that Dana, a black woman, must confront. And because he can be self-involved and insensitive, Kevin doesn’t make it his business to understand these horrors.

• Kevin’s experiences in the South suggest that only the most extraordinary members of any ruling class can fully empathize with oppressed members of society.