The Role of Language and Power in The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead (2016)

The Role of Language and Power in The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead (2016)

Expanding the Roles:
The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead is a Pulitzer Prize-winning novel that reimagines the historical Underground Railroad as an actual railroad beneath the ground. The novel follows Cora, a young enslaved woman, as she seeks freedom, using the railroad as a literal and metaphorical means of escape. For literature students, the book explores themes of power, language, and resistance in the context of slavery and the pursuit of freedom.

• Language as Power:
  Language plays a critical role in the novel, particularly in how characters communicate their desires, resist oppression, and organize their escape. Students can analyze how Whitehead uses language as both a tool for survival and a means of asserting power in the face of systemic violence and oppression.

• Slavery and the Quest for Freedom:
  The novel explores the dehumanizing effects of slavery and the difficult path to freedom. Literature students can examine how Whitehead uses Cora’s journey to reflect the broader struggles for freedom in the face of profound injustice and to critique the systems of power that perpetuate inequality.

What We Learn:
The Underground Railroad offers a powerful commentary on the role of language and power in the fight for freedom. Literature students can learn about the systemic nature of oppression and the ways in which resistance and the pursuit of freedom are intertwined with language and collective action.