The Underground Railroad

Use these essay questions as writing and critical thinking exercises for all levels of writers, and to build their literary analysis skills by requiring textual references throughout the essay. 

Scaffolded/Short-Answer Essay Questions

Student Prompt: Write a short (1-3 paragraph) response using one of the below bulleted outlines. Cite details from the play over the course of your response that serve as examples and support.

1. Why doesn’t Colton Whitehead end his novel with a resolution?

• What is the author’s intent in closing with an open-ended conclusion? (topic sentence)
• What historical commentary does this open-ended conclusion speak to?
• Conclude with a sentence that directly addresses the author’s possible reasons for withholding a neat ending from his reader.

2. Compare and contrast the novel’s protagonist with the novel’s antagonist. In what ways are Cora and Ridgeway similar? In what ways are they different?

• What differentiates Cora and Ridgeway? Do they share any characteristics? (topic sentence)
• How do their dichotomous characterizations contribute to Whitehead’s development of theme?
• How do their similarities challenge the dichotomy between good and evil?
• What makes Ridgeway and ideal nemesis for Cora?

3. What theme(s) does the author develop in his decision to make the Underground Railroad an actual railroad?

• What theme(s) are made possible for analysis because of the physical Underground Railroad? (topic sentence)
• How would this theme change if the Underground Railroad in this novel was instead metaphorical?
• What is Whitehead’s thematic purpose in making his Underground Railroad a physical network of transportation?

Full Essay Assignments

Student Prompt: Write a structured and well-developed essay. Include a thesis statement, at least three main points supported by text details, and a conclusion.

1. Consider the author’s criticism of white supremacy. Analyze the forms white supremacy take in this novel, such as white saviorship, Manifest Destiny, and terrorism. How do these forms of white supremacy exemplify American society in the 1800s? Do these forms of white supremacy exist for the modern reader, and if so, how?

2. Why do so many of the Black characters in this novel turn against one another? What is Colton Whitehead saying about the nature of systemic racism in portraying resentment, violence, and betrayal between Black characters? Consider characters such as Blake, Homer, Mingo, and even Mabel.

3. What is the book’s central message about the character and origins of the American nation? Use direct quotes and analysis of the text to support your position. Conclude with your own proposal for a national reckoning with America’s history. In other words, end your essay by answering the following question: What can American do or give to Cora’s hypothetical descendants to confront, acknowledge, and heal from this past?