Colson Whitehead’s The Underground Railroad (2016) is a
narrative that carries the reader to the historical context of the abolitionist
movement of the nineteenth century United States of America. More than
two (2) centuries after, Whitehead re-imagines this episode of African
American history in a skillful readership that deserves critical attention.
Why does Whitehead retell the history of the abolitionist movement
known as the Underground Railroad in fiction? Why does he choose a
twelve year girl, Cora as the central character? Is the theme of slavery still
relevant in today’s social discourses? These are some questions that call on
a literary analysis of this masterpiece. The paper relies on the Neo-slave
Narrative approach to analyze the rationale behind this historical novel.
Keywords: Neo-slave narrative, the Underground Railroad, Abolition,
Slavery, Neo-Slave Narrative Approach.