Themes and Symbolism
It represents the complicated and challenging journey to freedom.
Who is Homer and what does his relationship with Ridgeway represent?
Homer is a young Black boy that works for Ridgeway. Even though he is free, he chooses to work for him and help him catch slaves. This shows the dependence many ex-slaves had on their ex-owners due to not being able to do things on their own.
What is in Georgia and what does it represent in the beginning of the novel?
The Randall Plantation. It represents the brutal reality of slavery. It shows the readers where Cora was raised and what she has been surrounded by her whole life. This adds to her desperation to escape.
What is the real Underground Railroad?
The Underground Railroad is not an actual train station. It was a trail of houses, churches, establishments, and people who were willing to help slaves escape to freedom.
What narrative technique does Whitehead use to provide multiple perspectives throughout the novel?
A third-person omniscient narrator, allowing the story to shift focus between characters. This allows readers to understand more clearly the perspective of multiple characters, such as Cora, Caesar, Ajarry, Ridgeway, and Mabel.
What do the changes in the character's physical and mental appearance represent?
It represents the enduring physical and mental trauma inflicted by slavery and trying to escape.
What is the relationship Cora has with Mabel?
Mabel is Cora's mother. Cora has an overall negative perception of Mabel in the novel because she feels abandoned.
What indentity is Cora given in South Carolina, and what dark secret does she find out about the state?
Bessie Carpenter. The government was secretly testing on Black women by practicing sterilizations on them, while they were under the impression that they were being provided with healthcare.
How does the literal depiction of the Underground Railroad add to the narrative?
By portraying the Underground Railroad as an actual train system, Whitehead blends historical fiction realism. This serves as a metaphor for the journey to freedom.
How is darkness represented?
Darkness is used to symbolize fear and the unknown. It can reflect their constant uncertainty and fear of the dangers they had to face to get to freedom.
Why is Ridgeway so devoted to catching Cora?
He was the slave catcher who failed to catch Mabel, Cora's mother, so he is driven to catch her to make uo for his past failure.
Why was North Carolina so dangerous, and what did Cora do to survive?
NC had outlawed Black people, and Cora survived by hiding in Martin Wells's attic.
What historical era is depicted in the novel?
The Antebellum Era. This is shown by the expansion of slavery in the novel, and the many conflicts surrounding slavery.
How is the novel's narrative style different from normal linear storytelling?
The novel has a non-linear structure, telling Cora's journey while also diving into other characters' backstories. This helps illuminate the broader context of slavery in the novel.
What does the "Freedom Trail" symbolize?
It serves as a symbol of the brutal consequences of trying to escape. It shows how they used violence to instill fear in those who may think to resist oppression.
Who is Royal Connelly and what relationship did he have with Cora?
Royal was a conductor on the Underground Railroad. He was a potential love interest, someone Cora could possibly have a future with.
What does Cora find in Indiana?
Cora finds the Valentine Farm, a place where Black people live peacefully and strive for equality.
What do the events that took place in the Valentine Farm represent?
It represents the resistance to Black communities and how White people were strictly against them creating their own free spaces.
What is the prose style and how does it contribute to the storytelling?
The straightforward narration style, even when describing brutal events such as the beatings, shows how the events speak for themselves without the need of making them overly dramatic.
What does the Valentine Farm in Indiana symbolize?
It represents a refuge for slaves. It was a place where Black people could be free, showing how important it is to have a community.
Who is Martin Wells and how did he help Cora?
Martin is a white man who hid Cora in his attic. He represents the white people at that time who put their lives in danger to help slaves escape despite being scared.
How does Cora's journey end and what does it represent?
After escaping Ridgeway once again, Cora continues her journey to freedom and heads to the West. This shows how the journey to freedom might be never ending, and we will never know if Cora was ever truly free.
What real life event do the medical experiments in South Carolina symbolize?
The Tuskegee Syphilis Study.
How does Whitehead's narrative style influence readers' responses?
By presenting events with no emotional cues or overdramatizing them. Whitehead simply describes the events with brutal honesty. This sparks an emotional response of shock and deeper connection with the events. In a way, the readers are forced to face the brutal reality of slaves with no warning.