The "feminist didactic" is ca be defined as the practice of women teaching others to fight for equality in all aspects of life. Beverly Friend describes it in the introduction of Octavia Butler's literary marvel Kindred, as a woman who strives to obtain control over her life and in the process uses the small amount of power she has to achieve her goal. Because Butler wrote the novel using science fiction, the setting took place in two very different times in American society which makes it is arguable whether Kindred can be considered a Feministic novel or only a modern woman's normality in the eyes of depraved people. While the setting of the novel is in the antebellum south, Kindred can be said to be a feminist didactic. Especially if the novel were written during those times and read by that society. Read by women of the twenty first century Dana is much like them in several ways. She is an educated woman, is employed and, by living in the seventies, is not burdened as much by racial tension. Yet, her alternate time frame counterparts receive the same Dana but view her attributes differently. There are many examples throughout the novel that can support either side of the argument. Dana, the main character, exhibits many traits of the modern woman such as being literate, her interracial marriage and even such things as commonplace as wearing pants.
Dana's literacy supports the idea of the Kindred being a "feminist didactic" when the setting of the novel is in the antebellum south. By being able to read she was thought to be "too white" by the both the black and white characters. A statement made by Rufus suggested that although she had saved his life numerous times before, he was very much influenced by his society. She could read more than the blacks and better than most of the whites which put her at odds with both groups. He stated, "You think you"re white!" and ended with "You"re no better than a wild animal" (p.