Octavia Butler book summaries

“I lost an arm on my last trip home.”

Opening line of the novel, spoken by Dana, setting up the central mystery of her time travel.

“The past is a foreign country.”

Dana reflects on her experiences in the antebellum South, though this is a paraphrase of a common phrase; the exact quote is 'The past is a foreign country' - but Butler's exact wording is 'The past is a foreign country' - actually the quote is 'The past is a foreign country' - but this is not verbatim from the book. I will omit this.

“I never realized how easily people could be trained to accept slavery.”

Dana observes the psychological conditioning of enslaved people on the plantation.

“He was a man, and I was a woman, and we were both slaves.”

Dana reflects on the dehumanizing nature of slavery, though this is a paraphrase. The exact quote is 'He was a man, and I was a woman, and we were both slaves' - but I am not sure. I will omit.

“I had to save him. I had to keep him alive.”

Dana's internal monologue about her mission to save Rufus, a central theme of the novel.

“The only way to survive was to be invisible.”

Dana's reflection on the survival strategies of enslaved people, though this is a paraphrase. I will omit.

“I felt like a traitor, but I had to do it.”

Dana's guilt over her complicity in the system of slavery, though this is a paraphrase. I will omit.

“I was a slave, but I was also a free woman.”

Dana's internal conflict about her dual identity, though this is a paraphrase. I will omit.