Dana and her role in the 1800s

Throughout the book, we regularly talked about Dana in relation to the events she's witnessing and how that developed. We asked questions, like, what made Dana different from the other slaves? If there wasn't much, did that make her, in essence, a slave herself? How much does her knowledge that she doesn't belong in the 1800s but in the 1970s actually matter? To me, the moment in the final chapter where she kills Rufus in self-defense is the pinnacle of the book, and the development to that point is crucial to understanding it.

When Dana first appears in the 1800s - especially before she knows that she has time traveled - she's more assertive with her beliefs and tries to change the world she's in to fit her - for example, when she tells Rufus plainly that he's not allowed to call her the n-word. When she travels back next, she's with Kevin, which allows them to play-act as master and slave. This, at least, allows Dana to have a sort of barrier between herself and the other slaves - she refers to it as acting a role, but at the end of the day she can go into her room with Kevin and it all fades away. She can still hold onto a sense of individuality, a sense of freedom, a sense that she doesn't belong to anyone. Once she travels back without Kevin, however, she has few choices but to listen to Rufus. She's spent so much more time in the 1800s than the 1970s that the barriers are gone and she is, essentially, Rufus' slave and he her master. However, because of the fact that she knows a different, freer life and that she can travel there, even if it's for a very small amount of time, she is different from the other slaves.

I believe Dana's final action - stabbing Rufus, rather than letting him rape her - was intended by Butler to show what distinguishes her from the other slaves. I don't think she's trying to say Dana is better than them, since she even has Dana critique the idea of the constant criticism of "Uncle Tom"s and "Mammy"s, pointing out the absolute lack of options that slaves faced. In fact, Dana even gets told at one point that one day she'll become a Mammy, and she's criticized by the other slaves for doing all she's told. Butler makes it very clear the hopelessness and absolute lack of options. Dana even attempts escaping to the North but fails. Dana's only real mode of escape is through causing herself pain so much that she's transported back to the 1970s, and that comes with consequences and is only temporary.

And of course, throughout the book many parallels have been drawn between Dana and Alice. Not only do they look so much alike and are called "halves of the same woman" by Rufus, but their situations are rather similar. They're both liked by Rufus, both attempted escape and failed and suffered. The only way Alice is ultimately able to escape slavery is when she kills herself. Similarly, Dana last escaped by slitting her own wrists, and only didn't die because she was able to be transported to the 1970s and given medical attention by Kevin. Alice expressed the desire to kill Rufus rather than let him rape her, like Dana ultimately did. Their difference is the action and the ability to make it. Dana's able to do the action because she has the chance of ultimate escape, unlike every other slave on the plantation, unlike Alice. She knows of a life that isn't slavery and, because of that, is ultimately able to kill Rufus, despite her hesitation. Dana's last action is her grasping on to a freedom the other slaves can't have and won't for years to come - and though it comes with consequences and the loss of a limb forever, she gains it in the end.