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Butler's Biography Assignment
Wikipedia's article based on Octavia Butler is overall good. The lead section is understandable and briefly describes Octavia Butler's accomplishments. No language problems were present. As far as the article's structure - it was clear. "Early Life and Education", "Career", "Interviews", "Awards", "Scholarship Fund", and "Works" all maintain information that is important to know about the novelist. Therefore, Every section in the text must be mentioned or else the article would be somewhat incomplete. The article includes important aspects of Butler's accomplishments, life and identity. However, i suggest that more description should be given on her most notable novel and how it changed her life (such as Kindred). I also noticed that the article fails to provide every award she has ever received. In addition, the specific books in her series aren't mentioned, just the series name itself is mentioned. Regarding the balance of the sections, the proportion is acceptable. But, the "Interviews" section should contain more evidence and quotes she said to show readers what her reason and ideas were behind her most notable novels. In the "External Links" section there are references that don't provide information and are nonexistent - such as: Besides that, the organization of the links is okay - as well as the whole article. The language of the text is neutral yet a few unsourced claims are present - such as the interview. There are plenty of reliable resources yet some fail to provide a lot of information. There are sources that could be merged into one footnote because they provide much of the same information. Most sources lack in providing the place and date of publication such as:
 * "Voices From the Gap: Octavia Estelle Butler" (It is the wrong link)
 * "Scifi.com"
 * "Interview with Octavia Butler" - Addicted to Race
 * "Kindred Reader’s Guide: A Conversation with Octavia Butler" - Writers & Books
 * "Ask the Experts: Octavia Butler" - PBS
 * "Charlie Rose: A conversation with Octavia Butler"
 * "Octavia E. Butler" - at the Internet Speculative Fiction Database

The Prologue/The River/The Fire
The prologue begins with a woman named Dana who had previously lost her left arm and her comfort she had not valued until it was gone. The police questioned Dana on the incident and suspected that her husband, Kevin, had done the damage to her. Nearly leading to his imprisonment, she convinced the police that it was an accident and they let him go. Kevin immediately rushed over to be with Dana and explains that he told the police as much of the truth about her accident as he could. He says he doesn't know how such thing could happen, Dana whispers and claims she doesn't know either.

'The River' opens with Dana reminiscing on the trouble she'd experienced long before June 9, 1976 (her birthday). It was her 26th birthday and met Rufus on that exact day. Dana was putting the books into the bookcase when suddenly she began to feel dizzy and her vision slowly disappeared. As Kevin rushed over to her, everything in the room vanished and she was in a complete different setting. Before her was a kid drowning in a river. She jumped in the water fully clothed and attempted to save the child. Dana saved the unconscious boy and brought him to the shore where his mother was crying.His mother immediately lashed on her and began to beat her."Rufus" was his name. Dana turned around and saw a man pointing a rifle at her. Everything vanished again and Dana returned to her living room, cold, wet and muddy. She begins to explain what she saw. Kevin didn't believe her. He then admits that She had vanished from his arms for about 15 seconds then reappeared on the opposite side of the room all wet and muddy. Dana began panicking and worrying about the situation happening again.

"The Fire" While they ate, the dizziness and nausea appeared again - Dana vanishes. Dana finds herself sitting on a small bed. In front of her is a red haired boy with his back facing her. Dana notices that the boy is carrying a small stick, which he is using to set the curtains on fire. She grabs the burning draperies then throws them out the window. She is relieved that she has once again avoided danger from the little boy. She looks at the boy and doesn't believe it is Rufus because this boy is about three or four years older from the drowning child she had saved. The boy threatens her in a southern accent by saying that he's going to tell his dad. The boy questions who she is and how she got there. Dana ignores the questions and asks him his name - he says Rufus. Rufus recalls how he saw her in a strange room surrounded by books and that she was wearing pants like a man. He also tells her that his dad believed she was a man too. She is now in Maryland, not California. She also begins to notice that Rufus is the main reason and the cause of her returning to the past.

Rufus admits that his mother grew upset when Dana used mouth-to-mouth because Dana was "some nigger she had never seen before." She reminds him that she saved him twice and that he can call her whenever he wants to. He says that his father uses black handled whips on "niggers" and horses. Dana corrects him and tells him to use the term black. She realizes that the year is 1815, Dana is shocked at how far away from home she is. Rufus tells her she is on the Weylin Plantation and that his fathers is Tom Weylin. The name caused Dana to ask about a slave girl named Alice, he says that Alice is his friend and that she is a freeborn. She remembers the first name is Hagar Weylin born in 1831. His parents are named Rufus Weylin and Alice Greenwood. Dana realizes that her ancestor Alice will have a child with Rufus. She notices that this could be the reason why she is constantly traveling in time to him. She believes she must save him in order to allow her ancestors to be born.

Dana is making her way to the cabin when Alice's mother and her husband are pulled out of the cabin and her husband gets beaten. Dana wonders whether the captive man is one of Weylins slaves and if the child is Alice. She calls out the name Alice, and the child turns to her direction. Dana says that only Rufus knows about her and the woman is relieved because she knows Rufus wont say a word. The woman agrees to let Dana stay for the night.

Dana encounters a white man. He is hitting her and trying to abuse her. She comes back to 1976 and Kevin is beside her. Kevin prepares a bag for her.

The Fall
This chapter begins with Dana having a flashback. She explains how she and Kevin met and how good they are together. Dana is scared to leave the house with fear that she'll disappear again. She gets dizzy, Kevin grabs on to her and they both travel to Maryland. They find Rufus with a broken leg. While they wait for a wagon, Rufus learns that Kevin is her husband. Rufus claims, "niggers can't marry white people." Dana uses this opportunity to teach Rufus that there is nothing wrong with their marriage. She asks Rufus how he might feel is he were called white trash. She also tells him that where she comes from it is rude and insulting for whites to call blacks niggers, and also that whites and blacks are allowed to get married. Rufus asks Dana where she comes from. She finally tells him. She explains that they are from California, year 1976, and that when he needs her, he can call her back to year 1819.

Weylin invites Kevin and Dana to dinner. Dana meets Rufus' mother. Weylin claims that she belongs to Mr. Kevin Franklin (Danas husband). A mute woman leads Dana to the cookhouse and there she learns her name is Carrie. She also meets the cook named Sarah (Carrie is Sarah's daughter). The slaves were curious about Dana's wardrobe and accent, they said she's very much like the white people. Dana claims that it's because her mother is a freeborn teacher and taught her the proper way to speak. Luke tells her that Tom (master) doesn't like slaves who are too educated.

Dana fears for Kevin because he's so far from her and if she returns, he'll be stuck in the past for a long time. She also worries about the violence and attitude of the whites back then rubbing off on him.

Dana questions Rufus about Alice. When Dana was going to leave, Rufus admits that he told his mother that she was the woman from the river and also that he doesn't want Dana to get hurt or leave. Margaret Weylin hates Dana.

As time passes, Kevin and Dana grow more distant each day. Together, Kevin mentions how he wonders what it might be like to go West and see if everything they have read is true.

Tom Weylin forbids Dana to read books unless its for Rufus. However, Dana steals a book to teach Nigel how to read. Kevin says that Dana should just keep teaching Nigel who may be able to teach others when she is gone. Dana notices how easily people can be trained to accept slavery. During her stay, Rufus talks back to his mother like a younger version of his father, which also worries Dana.

Dana arrives to the cookhouse and warns Nigel to be careful when bring the books out of hiding, anyone can walk in unexpectedly and catch them. Dana proceeds to give Nigel a test and he spells every word correctly. She burns the test in the fireplace, suddenly Tom Weylin enters the room. Weylin snaps and says that she has disobeyed and declares that she has stolen his books. She repeatedly vomits. She sees Kevin running towards her trying to reach her. She realizes that the nausea and dizziness is the result of her going back home. She blacks out.

The Fight
This chapter opens when Dana returns she is now in her home.. But without Kevin. 8 days after her return, she transports back to Maryland and finds Rufus (who is now 18 or 19) fighting Alice's husband, Isaac Jackson. Rufus raped Alice. Isaac knocks Rufus out and Dana stops Isaac from killing him. Alice recognized Dana and told her Kevin went North. Rufus admits as they're headed to the Weylin home that his father doesn't know how to take her disappearance and he's somewhat afraid of her. Dana finds out that Margaret left to Baltimore. Nigel tells her that Weylin understands she is a time traveler. Rufus shows Dana letters from Kevin and agrees to send Kevin a letter that she writes. When Dana goes to the cookhouse, Sarah tells her that Margaret left due to giving birth to twins who died in infancy.

Alice and Isaac are caught on the 5th day of their escape. Alice becomes a slave because she helped Isaac, a slave, run away. Rufus is headed to town to buy Alice. Sarah is now in charge of the house since Margaret is gone, she tells Dana that it's better for her to stay than to run away because if not she would be brought back half dead. Rufus arrives with Alice. Dana helps her at Rufus's request. Rufus later tells Dana that he sent the letter to Kevin. Sarah tells Dana that Alice will take her place in Rufus's bedroom. Dana explains that her relationship with Rufus isn't sexual and mentions that Kevin is her husband. Sarah tells Dana to make sure if Rufus sent the letters or not by asking Nigel.

Dana tells Rufus that she wants to write another letter to Kevin. Rufus then asks Dana to convince Alice into sleeping with Rufus. Dana attempts to try because she fears of Alice getting raped again. Rufus suggests that maybe Kevin just wants to be with his own kind, white people. Alice offered to convince Rufus to sleep with Dana but she says no. Alice then says she'd rather run away than sleep with Rufus, Dana says she could stall Rufus and give her a head start. Alice breaks down and says that she will just go to him. One night, Alice shows Dana the letters she wrote to Kevin, Rufus had never sent them. That night, Dana runs away. The Weylins went out looking for her, Weylin kicked her in the face and she loses consciousness.

Dana wakes up and finds her self bleeding behind Rufus's horse. When they're near the house, Rufus admits that she will be whipped. Weylin ties her up, takes off her clothes and beats her. Dana tries to go back to 1976 by telling herself that she is in danger but nothing happens because she knows that Weylin is punishing her rather than killing her.

Rufus shows Dana a letter Kevin had sent to Weylin. In the letter, Kevin says he's coming and asks if he could let Dana know. Rufus said he didn't mail the letters because he didn't want Dana to be taken up North.

Dana and Kevin have decided to leave. Dana turns to say goodbye to Alice but Alice refuses to acknowledge her. On the road, they run into Rufus. When they won't agree to stay, he points a gun at them. Dana provokes him. At the end, Kevin falls on Dana.

The Storm
Dana and Kevin arrive back in 1976, Dana notices Kevin acting weird. He adapted a similar accent to Tom Weylin and Rufus. He also doesn't know how to use his type writer nor tv and takes his anger out on Dana. He also admits he liked the Weylin Plantation better. Dana gets dizzy and goes back to Maryland. She finds Rufus drunk facedown in a puddle and calls Nigel to help get him back in the house. Rufus is now sick and Tom Weylin threatens Dana that if she lets him die, she will suffer. Alice is now pregnant with Hagar and tells Dana that her first two children died - she blames Rufus. Tom Weylin passes from a heart attack and Dana failed to help him. Rufus is angry at her and sends her to work in the fields. Evan Fowler is a new overseer and continuously whips Dana. Rufus grows gentle against Dana and realizes it wasn't her fault. Dana passes out and returns to see herself still back in time. Rufus mentions that his mother is coming back and asks Dana to take care of her because she is an addict. Dana begs him to reconsider.

Margaret returns and makes Dana read to her, do her laundry, and sleep beside her on the floor. Rufus asks Dana to write persuasive letters in order to remove all of the debts Weylin had left behind. Dana doesn't really want to do it. One night, Alice and Dana are eating in Alice's cabin and Rufus barges in drunk. He claims that Dana and Alice are both one woman. Two halves that make a whole. Alice doesn't really like the comment.

Alice finally gives birth to Hagar and Dana now hopes that she won't have to return anymore. Alice had planned to escape and asked Dana for some opium before she did. Sam, a slave, asks Dana to teach his younger siblings to read - Dana said she will only if Rufus agrees. Sam flirts with her. Rufus sells Sam three days later. Dana pleads with Rufus to reconsider but he hits her. She disobeys him to go to the house, instead wih warm water, she cut her wrists.