The Underground Railroad

Choose one of the book’s major settings (the Randall plantation in Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, the Valentine farm in Indiana). Use and cite primary and secondary historical sources to compare the book’s depictions with historical record. 

What is the book’s central message about the character and origins of the American nation? Use direct quotes and analysis to support your position.

Choose one or more Black characters that are presented in the narrative as traitors to other Black people. What is Whitehead’s message about the contexts and circumstances that shape these characters, and what is his assertion about their morality?

Perform an in-depth character analysis of Cora. What message does Whitehead communicate through her depiction?

Write an essay that closely examines the dynamic between Cora and Ridgeway—in both their direct interactions and their indirect ones. What is Whitehead accomplishing on the level of theme or character through this relationship?

Perform a detailed analysis of Mabel’s presence in the narrative. Do not exclusively focus on her characterization, but on how the figure of Mabel motivates or moves other characters. Why did Whitehead make the choice to cast Mabel as a major presence throughout the novel, and then reveal that she had been dead the entire time? What does this device accomplish on a thematic level?

Perform a detailed character analysis of Cora. What messages about America and slavery is Whitehead asserting through his depiction?

Use credible contemporary academic and/or journalistic sources to form a thesis about The Underground Railroad’s relevance and applicability to contemporary America. Support your thesis using both your outside sources and direct quotations from the novel.