Early in the novel, there is great hope that
this will happen. After all, Dana rescues the young Rufus from drowning, so it would
make sense
that he could recognize that a woman of color should not be judged
based on either her race or
her gender.
That is a fantasy
within the reality of the setting, however.
Rufus is a privileged white man
who has always gotten whatever he wants. The setting is a
plantation in the
early 1800s, and the idea that one black woman can overcome Rufus's entire
society is a pretty far-fetched idea.
By chapter 4, Rufus has grown
into a
man who seems incapable of becoming a decent human being. After the
failed rape attempt of
Alice, a slave on the plantation, he asks Dana to help
him get what he wants (once again). When
Dana tries to refuse, he tells
her,
Go to her. Send her to
me. I'll
have her whether you help or not. All I want you to do is fix it so I don't have
to
beat her. You're no friend of hers if you won't do that much!
Rufus lacks a moral compass because of his
society and his raising, and his actions
become increasingly more violent as
the plot progresses. For these reasons, he seems destined to
follow in the
racist path of his father.
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