The Weylin Plantation And The Educational System In Kindred By Octavia Butler

Salvador Arguilla
Professor Prado
WGSS 220
9 May, 2016
Parallels Between The Weylin Plantation and the Educational System
In the slave narrative “Kindred” written by Octavia Butler, social inequality plays a vital role in the development of conflicts regarding the equality of access to pivotal resources among classes. When deciphering social classes in the novel, Butler highlights the character’s differences in norms, values, beliefs, attitudes, and access to resources; they can then be used to categorize a characters place within the socioeconomic ladder ranging from lower to upper class. Identifying the extent of the effects of unequal access to resources on the Weylin plantation during the 1800’s can be used as a model in explaining the

In “Kindred” Tom and Margaret Weylin serve as the main sources of education to members in their class, such as Rufus, and the lower class, slaves. For example in a conversation between Dana and Rufus, Rufus explains current social norms he learned from his parents during the 1800’s. Rufus explains “you have to say it… Or ‘Young Master’ or… or ‘Mister’… You’re supposed to” (04). He is referring to the social norm of referring to slave owners as a master to emphasize the slaves’ subordination. The upper class member, Rufus and the lower class members, slaves, were both taught different societal norms regarding social hierarchy. The slaves assimilated the acceptance of their lower status The Weylin plantation’s practice of systematic oppression by social class is similar to the educational system’s method of providing education after segregating social and economic classes. The implementation of social class in the academic curriculum leads to the adaptation to a class’ common lifestyle, preparing them to assume the same status in the future. Educators have grown accustomed to teaching a specific academic curriculum contingent upon a student’s social class, known as the hidden curriculum. Schools that implement the use of a hidden curriculum have the unjust power to limit the development of essential skills that can be use to obtain

Because of distinct socioeconomic differences, the educational system covertly favors the academic advancement of affluent students. Academic institutions provide education according to a students ' socioeconomic background, inadvertently perpetuating inequality. In a conversation between Dana and Nigel, Nigel suggests how “[Tom Weylin] don’t want no niggers ’round here talking better than him, putting freedom ideas in our heads” (11). Leaders on the Weylin plantation only allow slaves to learn and maximize abilities which allow them to be better slaves, but neglect to entice the maximum potential of their intelligence based on their social and economic class. By doing so Weylin 's affluent status in the upper class allows him to further ensure the subordination of the lower class, slaves, by limiting their access to resources that can further broaden their intelligence. Weylin’s subordination of the lower class reflects similarities in current academic institutions. Furthermore, social stratification influences a student’s consciousness by shaping misconstrued ideas of reality leading them to believe their level education is obsolete. For example the lower class members on the Weylin plantation, slaves, and students attending schools in lower class communities similarly have grown to accept failure due to