The Underground Railroad (novel) Summary
Colson Whitehead

The Underground Railroad (novel) Overview

The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead is a semi-historical novel with several fictionalized components. This novel tells a story based in history (i.e. the existence of the so-called “underground railroad” which helped African-American slaves escape into freedom) and adds a layer of fictionalization (i.e. the portrayal of that railroad as an actual physical, constructed object, as opposed to simply a network of homes or other safe places). The narrative conducts readers through the events and circumstances of one slave’s harrowing journey into a new life; in addition to exploring physical, emotional, and spiritual issues related to such journeys, it also explores themes related to the power and influence of memory, and the nature and value of being a “stray.” NOTE: Citations in this Lesson Plan refer to the hardcover edition of The Underground Railroad, published by Doubleday in 2016.