Female Portrayal in the Antebellum South

Throughout the novel Kindred, Octavia Butler provides readers with multiple images of life in antebellum South. However, her portrayal of the “mammy” character, Sarah, is starkly different than the typical African American loving and joyful Mammy, as seen in the famous novel Gone With the Wind. Butler provides this explicit contrast in order to undermine the stereotypical image that is seen so often throughout time.

The novel Gone With the Wind also takes place in the antebellum South and illustrates the motherly African American figure that Butler distorts. Mitchell writes, “Mammy emerged from the hall, a huge old woman with the small shrewd eyes of an elephant. She was shining black, pure African, devoted to her last drop blood to the O’Haras.” (46) This description provides the image of a caring and protective large African American woman, dedicated to her master’s family. Mitchell’s portrayal of Mammy’s commitment and love to the O’Hara’s continues as she states, “Whom Mammy loved, she chastened. And, as for her love for Scarlett and her pride in her were enormous, the chastening process was practically continuous.” (47) The depiction of Mammy and her love towards her master’s family demonstrates how the servant enjoys her life and would do anything for the people who have enslaved her, just as other stereotypical “Mammy” figures suggest.

Kindred provides a contrasting view of the “Mammy” character that goes against the popular stereotype prevalent in Gone With the Wind. Butler firsts introduces the female servant, Sarah, when she states, “She was as light skinned as my mute guide- a handsome middle-aged woman, tall and heavy-set.” (64) Here, it is visible that Sarah is described much differently than Mammy. She is not portrayed as “shining black” or “huge” and “old.” Instead, Butler presents Sarah different than the figure in Gone With the Wind in order to fight against the stereotype. Butler also illustrates Sarah differently when she describes her feelings towards her master family. When speaking of Miss Margaret, Sarah mutters “’Bitch!’” under her breath to show her distaste towards Mr. Weylins wife. (64) Butler goes on to illustrate Sarah’s feelings towards Mr. Weylin and his act of taking away her children as she writes, “The expression in her eyes had gone from sadness- she seemed almost ready to cry- to anger. Quiet, almost frightening anger.” She goes on, “If she ever decided to take her revenge, Weylin would never know what hit him.” (68) Here, it is apparent that Sarah loathes the family who owns her. Unlike Mammy in Gone With the Wind, Sarah is serving the Weylins for her own reasons, not because she cares for the family who enslaved her.

The portrayal of Sarah throughout Kindred distorts the stereotypical image of the “Mammy” figure that is seen in Gone With the Wind. Butler uses this depiction of Sarah in order to present an altered view of the glamorized servant role that is so widely used.