Most works of literature have main characters, and many have secondary characters as well. The secondary characters in the novel Kindred play a very important role and have a big impact on the main characters. Some of the secondary characters that played a key part in this novel were Kevin, Mr. Weylin, and Sarah.
Kevin was Dana's husband, and he was a big part of this book. He was always there to support Dana. Once, when Dana was called to Rufus, Kevin went with her. However, he did not go back when she went back and had to wait three years for her to come back. While he was in the past with Dana, he watched out for her and made sure she did not get seriously injured. He also had an effect on Rufus because he spent some time teaching him how to read. Kevin always tried his hardest to protect Dana in any way he could.
Tom Weylin was another important character. He was Rufus's father and the owner of the plantation they lived on. He was a typical white plantation owner. He was not any crueler than the normal plantation owner, but that was still quite cruel. He beat Dana on a few occasions, and did a good job of making her time in the past less than enjoyable. He also raised Rufus to be another typical white man. Dana tried her best to change him while he was young so that he would be kind to black people when he grew up, but she was not completely successful. Tom Weylin had a big influence on both Dana and Rufus.
A third secondary character that played a key role was Sarah. She was a slave on Tom Weylin's plantation. She helped Dana tremendously when she was trying to get used to plantation life. She taught Dana how to cook and how to survive on the plantation. She befriended Dana when all the other slaves were weary of her. This really helped Dana because it gave her a sense of companionship in a very unfriendly environment.
As one can see, secondary characters played a key role in this novel.