Themes in The Underground Railroad. 3. Colson Whitehead's The Underground Railroad is the newest Oprah's Book Club selection. Welcome to the LitCharts study guide on Colson Whitehead's The Underground Railroad. The Underground Railroad is a Pulitzer Prize winning novel and New York Times best seller. Life is hell for all the slaves, but especially bad for Cora; an outcast even among her fellow Africans, she is coming into womanhood—where even greater pain awaits. See Featured Authors Answering Questions. The scenes on Randall’s plantation are horrific—how did the writing affect you as a reader? It goes beyond a mere summary.. Ask and answer questions about books! Download an excerpt of the book, and print a copy of Oprah’s “The Underground Railroad” reading guide and book club questions. Discuss The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead in an Online book club Before we get to the book club questions, let’s talk about some prominent themes in The Underground Railroad. Cora is a slave on a cotton plantation in Georgia. It delves into literary aspects and is well written. Best Book Club Guide. Note: this post may contain spoilers. Discussion Questions - PLG_CONTENT_PAGEBREAK_PAGE_NUM - LitLovers Before reading The Underground Railroad, did you know much about American Slavery and the Underground Railroad? It is also an Oprah Book Club pick. Cora’s own journey north is fraught with obstacles that take great physical and mental fortitude … 2. You can pose questions to the Goodreads community with Reader Q&A, or ask your favorite author a question with Ask the Author. Best Book Club Guide. 5. How did the author’s structure of the book help in maintaining your interest? One of the most obvious themes is that of survival. Cora and Caesar’s first stop is South Carolina, in a city that initially seems like a haven. When Caesar, a recent arrival from Virginia, tells her about the Underground Railroad, they decide to take a terrifying risk and escape. Our Reading Guide for The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead includes Book Club Discussion Questions, Book Reviews, Plot Summary-Synopsis and Author Bio. Matters do not go as planned—Cora kills a … How does the depiction of slavery in The Underground Railroad compare to other depictions in literature and film? The book emphasizes how slaves were treated as property and reduced to objects. "I think there's no better book for a time such as this," Oprah said on CBS This Morning.. The Underground Railroad: Book Review by Dinh. The book emphasizes how slaves were treated as property and reduced to objects. How did this aspect of magical realism impact your concept of how the real underground railroad worked? Synopsis: Cora is a slave on a cotton plantation in Georgia. Do you feel that you now have a better understanding of what slavery was like?