Colson Whitehead’s Pulitzer-prize-winning novel The Underground Railroad is both an imaginative retelling of a well-known story and a powerful meditation on oppression. Cora, the protagonist of the novel, is an enslaved woman on a cotton plantation in pre-Civil War Georgia. The story follows Cora’s effort to escape bondage and travel along the real-life clandestine network of tracks and trails known as the underground railroad, with each chapter depicting her journey through a different state.
Historically, the underground railroad provided a literal and metaphorical means of escape for slaves in the United States. It represented a huge shift in the balance of power between white enslavers and enslaved peoples, and it was crucial to the abolitionist movement. In Whitehead’s novel, the way that history intersects with imagination is key to the story. Whitehead both retells the events of the period and expands them, creating a vivid world populated by memorable characters.
One of the book's key themes is freedom. Cora, though still enslaved, refuses to accept her circumstances. She dreams of freedom for herself and for all people, and begins to take steps toward that goal. This serves as a reminder that freedom does not always come easily, and it is often a long and difficult journey.
At its heart, The Underground Railroad is a story about growing up and taking charge of one’s own destiny. By visiting different cities and states, Cora must confront the many obstacles and dangers standing between her and her goals. She meets characters both good and bad, and is witness to the brutal realities of slavery and the struggles of the early abolitionist movement. In this way, the novel is not just a retelling of history but also a look at what being a part of the movement must have been like.
Perhaps most importantly, the novel offers a portrait of the human spirit’s ability to persevere in the face of ridiculous odds. Ultimately, Cora succeeds in her quest to attain freedom and gives hope to future generations by proving that the courage to confront even the most formidable oppressors can be found within each of us.
The Underground Railroad is epic in scope and ambition, but its power lies in the details. Through its characters and its story, it encourages the reader to consider not only the struggles of the past, but also their relevance in the present day. whitehead stunningly evokes the entire spectrum of human emotion, making this an unforgettable and truly remarkable novel.
