The Underground Railroad By Colson Whitehead - 1374 Words

Justin Cohen AP Literature Composition Mr. Gordon 5 September 2017 The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead: An Analysis (1) Toni Morrison’s Beloved takes place after the Civil War during the Reconstruction era, when the violent oppression of the black race continued, with flashbacks to the horrific trauma of the early 19th century slavery period. In Margaret Atwood’s review of Beloved in The New York Times dated September 13, 1987, many of the events in this novel appear to parallel the themes of unimaginable brutality against slaves noted as well in The Underground Railroad. While both novels focus on slaves being indiscriminately hung from trees, burned beyond recognition, or raped, the physical violence in Beloved is taken to†¦show more content†¦He took pleasure in measuring the heads of slaves in an effort to demonstrate their primitive, animal-like qualities and mental inferiority when compared to whites. In addition, both novels took liberties in fictionalizing aspects of their narratives – the presence of a real underground railroad in The Underground Railroad vs. the appearance of the ghost of Sethe’s dead daughter, Beloved, in Beloved. (2) Perhaps the most effective and dramatic aspect of The Underground Railroad was Mr. Whitehead’s decision to present characters with little or no background information and then detail that information in dramatic fashion in later chapters devoted exclusively to that character. This decision by the author to â€Å"jump around in time and space† was especially noteworthy with respect to Cora’s mother, Mabel. Throughout the novel, we are led to believe that Mabel had run away from the Randall plantation while purposely leaving her young daughter behind to suffer as a slave. Cora is portrayed repeatedly as resenting her mother for not taking her when she had escaped. â€Å"Once Mabel ran, Cora thought of her as little as possible. After landing in South Carolina, she realized that she had banished her mother not from sadness but from rage. She hated her.† (98) Further, despite extensive searches by the slave catcher, Ridgeway, no evidence ofShow Mor eRelatedThe Underground Railroad Essay1530 Words   |  7 Pagesthe Underground Railroad. During this time, not all white folks agreed with enslaving other human beings so a group of White-Americans, called abolitionists, helped aid hundreds of slaves to freedom (Salzman 2225). There are several historical fiction novels that help explain this period of slavery accurately. Historical fiction novels convey a certain time period and usually borrow characteristics from this time period, but the actual story is fictitious. The novel, The Underground Railroad, byRead MoreThe United States Of America Essay1421 Words   |  6 Pagesbodies working stolen land. It was an engine that did not stop, its hungry boiler fed with blood.† (Whitehead 117) Practices during slavery which include but not limited to forced sterilization, phrenology, and various experiments are the underpinnings that are the likely consequences of African American distrust in the health care system. In an attempt to highlight white pseudoscience, Colson Whitehead successfully develops and shows the causal relationship that caused the distrust and how this distrustRead MoreFreedom And Family In My Antonia And The Underground Railroad1372 Words   |  6 PagesThe characters of My Antonia, and The Underground Railroad both face different forms of freedom and family in their respective stories. In the case of My Antonia, the character Lena goes against the conformity of an idealistic women and proofs that women are just as hardworking as men proving that women are just as independent as men. Just as impressive is Cora who realized that a rebellion is the first step towards freedom and runs away from her master. Another theme that the books have in commonRead MoreSummary On The Underground Railroad1492 Words   |  6 PagesSummary of The Underground Railroad Discussion: For the 45 minute Underground Railroad discussion period, I plan to distribute index cards (ideally two per person/team) with guiding questions. I then plan to designate about seven minutes for each person/team to think about answers to the questions. Finally, each person/team should lead the group in the discussion of their questions. The broad questions at the end of this document will be used during any extra time following the group discussionRead MoreCivil War And The Era Of Slavery1384 Words   |  6 Pagesirrationally in detrimental ways. In The Underground Railroad, by Colson Whitehead, the author describes a fictional story of a slave during her life, and eventual escape from slavery. In one section of the book the main character, Cora, reflects on her mental state after escaping the plantation: â€Å"An insurrection of one. She smiled for a moment, before the facts of her latest cell reasserted themselves. Scrabbling in the walls like a rat. Whether in the fields or unde rground or in the attic room, America remainedRead MoreAfrican American Literature And Literature Essay1957 Words   |  8 Pagesparticular genre traces back to the works from the late eighteenth century by writers such as  Phillis Wheatley to later reaching early high points with slave narratives and the Harlem Renaissance, and thus continuing today with authors such as  Colson Whitehead and Maya Angelou. Among the themes and issues explored within African American literature are the roles of African Americans within the larger American society, African-American culture,  racism,  slavery, and equality. African American writing