The book emphasizes how slaves were treated as property and reduced to objects. How does the state-by-state structure impact your reading process? Does it remind you of any other works of literature?ġ4.

Who do you connect with most in the novel and why?ġ3. What does this sense of fear do to you as you're reading?ġ2. Whitehead creates emotional instability for the reader: if things are going well, you get comfortable before a sudden tragedy. How do you feel about Cora's mother's decision to run away? How does your opinion of Cora's mother change once you've learned about her fate?ġ1. What do you think about Terrance Randall's fate?ġ0. If the white men let them.' What makes this so impactful both in the novel and today?ĩ. Only the children could take full advantage of their dreaming. When speaking of Valentine's Farm, Cora explains 'Even if the adults were free of the shackles that held them fast, bondage had stolen too much time. What are your impressions of John Valentine's vision for the farm?Ĩ.

How does Ethel's backstory, her relationship with slavery and Cora's use of her home affect you?ħ. Some might call freedom the dearest currency of all.' How does this quote shape the story for you?Ħ. 'The treasure, of course, was the underground railroad. What role do you think stories play for Cora and other travelers using the underground railroad?ĥ. Cora constructs elaborate daydreams about her life as a free woman and dedicates herself to reading and expanding her education. How do Cora's challenges in North Carolina mirror what America is still struggling with today?Ĥ.

In North Carolina, institutions like doctor's offices and museums that were supposed to help 'black uplift' were corrupt and unethical. The scenes on Randall's plantation are horrific-how did the writing affect you as a reader?ģ. How does the depiction of slavery in The Underground Railroad compare to other depictions in literature and film?Ģ.

The underground railroad novel