Rufus Is Not That Bad

As a white male plantation owner during the past in which Dana visits, it is not too hard to be a monster in the eyes of a modern American. The treatment displayed back then was in no way humane, and since Rufus is inherently placed in the role of a slave master it is not expected that he would show any respect to African-Americans residing on his plantation. However, within the dark and dismal dynamic of slavery, Rufus allows faint rays of light to shine through. We constantly see signs of how he shows compassion and genuine human emotion to Dana that make some of us question how that is even possible for a slave owner of the time. Haven’t the history books taught us to think of plantation owners as cruel unforgiving men that do not let their “property” go without constant beatings?

One specific scene that calls my attention towards Rufus is his decision to sell Sam to the deep South, because it raises many questions about who Rufus really is, and where is values truly lie. “He went. That was all. Innocent -- completely innocent. But three days later, a trader led Sam away in chains.” As the book describes, Sam does not do anything outrageous, rude, disobedient or purposefully against his master, Rufus. He is innocent, but Rufus just feels the personal need to send him away, and does not apparently care for the consequences this indicates for Sam and his family. Dana on the other hand sees the tragic events of a harder life for Sam that is to come clear as day, and so she runs and screams towards Rufus. She begs him not to sell Sam, and after a few moments of this plea, Rufus hits Dana. At that moment, Dana knows that an “unspoken agreement” between the two of them has been broken.

Events such as this show the unpredictability Rufus is capable of expressing. His overall treatment of slaves is not that bad generally, but when he strikes, he strikes hard. And, as stated, the worst of it is that the slaves have no bearing to know how to maneuver around these instances. All is based solely on the rash emotion of Rufus, and no one can do anything about it. The actual selling of Sam was just because Sam had talked to Dana, which Rufus found offensive. In comparison to Tom Weylin, Rufus is much worse in a way because of his dangerous unpredictability. Tom Weylin had a set of rules that were harsh, yet simple. Every slave knew them, and had the opportunity to live by them (however hard that may be) as opposed to the system of Rufus. Once Dana is hit, that is another sign of how fickle Rufus is in behavior. Dana is in fact quite surprised, and goes off to slit her wrists. Not only is she hurt physically, but also mentally, because she realizes yet again that she is viewed as an inferior being, one who is owned.

While there are aspects that portray Rufus in a negative light, the event involving Sam also shows how positively unique Rufus is as a slave owner. Throughout the whole novel I have appreciated the innocent side of Rufus, even if it does fade as he grows up. When Butler narrates how Dana feels when she is hit, the thought that came to mind was that it is amazing that they had the basic agreement in the first place. Their relationship is absurd for a slave master and black woman, but Rufus allows it to happen. I am aware of the fact that he may be purely tolerating Dana just so that he can survive, but I do acknowledge the (strong) possibility of his partial compassion. I believe that Rufus is different than those of his time, and although he has grown up with and is fine with his society, he has an easier time accepting Dana than any other white person. He is aware of the fact that Dana believes they are equal, but he is soft on her. His minimal violence towards her should not be ignored, but it does not outweigh the way he interacts with her. Just one example of this is that she calls him “Rufe” all the time.  He asks her for her opinions, and as readers we are made aware of his dependence on her. He is dependent on her for his life at times, but I am referring to the conversational dependence he has. Any truthful person-to-person sharing he needs to pour out, he does so with Dana, and he is not ignorant of this fact. The incident with Sam was a shock to Dana because she expected better of him. That expectation existing says a lot about who Rufus is.