“[Tom Weylin] wasn’t a monster at all. Just an ordinary man who sometimes did the monstrous things his society said were legal and proper.”

Octavia Butler’s Kindred is a unique mix between fantasy and non-fiction. On the one hand, Dana’s experiences were to an extent true with slaves during the nineteenth century, but with a twist. Dana can travel back in time from 1976 California to 1800s Maryland. Before, Weylin was seen as a cruel slave holder towards Dana. Dana was Rufus’s slave (Weylin’s son) so anything Rufus says goes. Dana realized that he wasn’t as bad as she thought he was as a person. When Weylin said that he would respect Rufus’s orders of not whipping Dana, Dana noticed. She knows that Weylin isn’t the best human being, actually far from it but, Dana thinks that she has consider and judge Weylin’s behavior and attitudes during the 1800s, not 1976. Because she’s from 1976, Dana can see Weylin’s inhumane features clearly. Dana threw away the bias and took into account her current time in the 1800s. At the time, it was the norm to own and mistreat slaves. Because of the society’s economic and social norms, Weylin is only doing of what he was raised to do. Of course, mistreatment  and dehumanization of other human beings is beyond cruel, but its the 1800s and is typical among slaveowners. If Weylin’s behavior was seen in 1976 California, it would be unacceptable. Another possibility for Dana’s thinking on Weylin’s actions might be from staying in Maryland too long. Slaves born and raised into slavery saw it as a way of life, so seeing white masters beating slaves was just how their life was supposed to be according to them. Being a slave as well, Dana’s judgement might have evolved over her subordinance for Rufus.