Carrie Character Analysis in Kindred

A slave on the Weylin estate, Carrie is Sarah’s daughter and the only child Sarah has left (as the others have been sold). Carrie is deaf and mute, but finds other ways to assert her power and agency in her own life. Carrie eventually marries Nigel and has three sons, including Jude.

Carrie Quotes in Kindred

The Kindred quotes below are all either spoken by Carrie or refer to Carrie. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:

The expression in her eyes had gone from sadness—she seemed almost ready to cry—to anger. Quiet, almost frightening anger. Her husband dead, three children sold, the fourth defective, and her having to thank God for the defect. She had reason for more than anger. How amazing that Weylin had sold her children and still kept her to cook his meals. How amazing that he was still alive.

Related Characters: (speaker), , ,

Page Number and Citation: 76

Explanation and Analysis:

Dana finds out that Sarah, the Weylins’ cook, has experienced huge losses at the hands of her white masters. In general, one of the worst emotional tolls that resulted from the institution of slavery was the destruction of black families. Sarah’s children are sold with no regard for how it will hurt her to be separated from them. Furthermore, Sarah’s last remaining child, Carrie, is kept primarily to ensure that Sarah will never run away to find her other children or do something to take revenge against her masters. Though Sarah feels this pain deeply, she cannot act on these emotions for fear that her masters will retaliate against Carrie. Sarah’s love for her children is used against her, keeping Sarah obedient despite the awful things that the Weylin family has done to her. As much as Sarah might wish to put something in the food or botch the cooking in a way that makes the Weylins ill (or even kills them), she has to serve them well to protect Carrie’s well-being. Instead of questioning Sarah’s decision not to “fight back” by poisoning the Weylins, Butler comments on Sarah’s strength for restraining herself from doing something rash that would ultimately cause Sarah even more pain by putting Carrie in danger.

Carrie clasped her hands around her neck again. Then she drew closer to me and clasped them around my neck. Finally, she went over to the crib that her youngest child had recently outgrown and there, symbolically, clasped her hands again, leaving enough of an open circle for a small neck…. Margaret Weylin could not run the plantation. Both the land and the people would be sold. And if Tom Weylin was any example, the people would be sold without regard for family ties.

Related Characters: Dana (Edana) Franklin (speaker), Carrie, Tom Weylin, Margaret Weylin, Rufus Weylin

Page Number and Citation: 223

Explanation and Analysis:

Carrie Character Timeline in Kindred

The timeline below shows where the character Carrie appears in Kindred. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.

...from troughs. The cook, busy at a huge fireplace, turns and asks the young girl, Carrie, who Dana is. Dana notes that the cook and Carrie have the same light brown... (full context)

...the main house if she starts to feel dizzy enough to go back to 1976. Carrie slips Dana some bread and ham, which Dana eats gratefully while trying to ignore concerns... (full context)

...in the cookhouse, Dana can hear Rufus scream as the doctor sets his broken leg. Carrie runs into the cookhouse with her hands over her ears, and Sarah explains that Carrie... (full context)

Later that day, Dana is making biscuits with Sarah when Carrie comes in and signs that a white person wants to see Dana. Dana follows Carrie... (full context)

...Dana goes to the cookhouse to give Nigel a reading lesson. She finds Nigel and Carrie hunched over books and the two children are frozen with fear until they realize it... (full context)

...in trouble again. The man tells Dana to come into the house and Dana sees Carrie in the hall. Carrie hugs Dana fiercely, making the white man suspicious again. Tom Weylin... (full context)

...she needs anything, and Dana welcomes his friendly presence. Nigel tells Dana that he and Carrie are expecting a baby together, and that Rufus paid for a minister to come give... (full context)

...Jake constantly threatens to put Nigel in the field. Nigel can’t run now because of Carrie. (full context)

...the attic. Alice goes with Dana down to the cookhouse, where they find out that Carrie is having her baby. Sarah rushes out to help with the birth, leaving Dana in... (full context)

...and shouts abuse at her. In the background, Dana can also hear the cries of Carrie’s new baby. (full context)

11. Carrie and Nigel name the baby Jude. Tom gives Nigel new clothes as a present, which... (full context)

...like Rufus, lashing out at others when she is hurt. Now, Dana finds Alice in Carrie’s cabin watching the babies and sewing. Alice has taken over the sewing from a slave... (full context)

...to control Dana is to threaten to hurt other people – just like Tom used Carrie to control Sarah. Dana now knows that she cannot depend on Rufus to help her... (full context)

When the whipping is finally over, Rufus carefully unties Dana and takes her into Carrie and Nigel’s cabin. Alice later tells Dana how Rufus insisted that all of Dana’s wounds... (full context)

...Liza “fell” and hurt herself after Dana was caught, she learns, though Alice, Tess, and Carrie are also hiding scratches. Alice tells Dana that Liza was the one who betrayed Dana... (full context)

...next day, Dana is sent back to work. She is supposed to help Sarah and Carrie, but Jake Edwards assigns her the laundry because Tess is going to the field. Jake... (full context)

5. Dana goes back to work with Sarah and Carrie, as Rufus completely ignores her. She is grateful for the chance to catch up with... (full context)

8. Dana tries to head back upstairs, running into Carrie in the hall. Carrie brings Dana out to her cabin and signs that she told... (full context)

...goes back, Dana should let Rufus die, now that Hagar is safe. Dana mentions that Carrie told her that if she lets Rufus die, all of the Weylin slaves will be... (full context)

Carrie comes in crying, and signs that Rufus wants Dana in the house. Dana goes to... (full context)

...list of the Weylin slaves, including everyone that Dana met in the past except Nigel, Carrie, Joe, and Hagar. Dana decides that Nigel must have set the fire, then escaped with... (full context)

Carrie Character Analysis

Carrie Quotes in Kindred

Chapter 3: The Fall Quotes

Chapter 5: The Storm Quotes

Carrie Character Timeline in Kindred