In Colson Whitehead’s Underground Railroad, protagonist Cora begins the novel as an independent young adult. However, Cora’s self-sufficiency leads her to isolation, which prevents her from growing beyond her own fears. Her escape forces her to develop relationships with others and, in doing so, simultaneously develop an individual identity that is not based on her experiences as a slave. This progress is notably evident in the contrast between her actions with Caesar and Royal. With the former, despite the gratitude and affection she feels toward him, she cannot connect. With the latter, though timidly, she can. Thus, the Underground Railroad is not just a path toward the promise of the north, but toward her own growth and healing.
In Georgia, investment in other slaves is a liability when a white man may serve death tomorrow. Nearly a loner, Cora is ostracized by her fellow slaves for her apparently crazed …show more content…
Sharing in the seedlings of the courtship, they vacation to a meadow where they picnic and Cora attempts gestures of physical affection. Despite the romance of the moment, she still holds herself back from giving in fully to vulnerability. While there, “She let him put his head in her lap. She considered running her hands through the soft black curls by his ears but refrained when a memory of old violence reared up” (261). Similar to her limitations with Caesar, Cora is only capable of connection up to a certain point. But regardless of their shared limitation, the intimacy which she achieves in this moment is deeper than that which she achieves earlier in the novel, signifying her development and growth as an individual beyond the identity she held while on the plantation. There remains progress for Cora, as signalled by the reason for her hesitation. Yet, when put in contrast with her relationship with Caesar, her development is significant enough in this moment to withstand her remaining
In Georgia, investment in other slaves is a liability when a white man may serve death tomorrow. Nearly a loner, Cora is ostracized by her fellow slaves for her apparently crazed …show more content…
Sharing in the seedlings of the courtship, they vacation to a meadow where they picnic and Cora attempts gestures of physical affection. Despite the romance of the moment, she still holds herself back from giving in fully to vulnerability. While there, “She let him put his head in her lap. She considered running her hands through the soft black curls by his ears but refrained when a memory of old violence reared up” (261). Similar to her limitations with Caesar, Cora is only capable of connection up to a certain point. But regardless of their shared limitation, the intimacy which she achieves in this moment is deeper than that which she achieves earlier in the novel, signifying her development and growth as an individual beyond the identity she held while on the plantation. There remains progress for Cora, as signalled by the reason for her hesitation. Yet, when put in contrast with her relationship with Caesar, her development is significant enough in this moment to withstand her remaining