Questions
FOR DISCUSSION of The River Why
Some conversation starters from Oprah's reading group guide http://www.oprah.com/oprahsbookclub/the-underground-railroad-reading-group-guide:
1. How does the depiction of slavery in The Underground Railroad compare to other depictions in literature and film?
2. Cora constructs elaborate daydreams about her life as a free woman and dedicates herself to reading and expanding her education. What role do you think stories play for Cora and other travelers using the underground railroad?
3. When speaking of Valentine's Farm, Cora explains "Even if the adults were free of the shackles that held them fast, bondage had stolen too much time. Only the children could take full advantage of their dreaming. If the white men let them." What makes this so impactful both in the novel and today?
4. Who do you connect with most in the novel and why?
5. How does the state-by-state structure impact your reading process? Does it remind you of any other works of literature?
6. The book emphasizes how slaves were treated as property and reduced to objects. Do you feel that you now have a better understanding of what slavery was like?
7. Why do you think the author chose to portray a literal railroad? How did this aspect of magical realism impact your concept of how the real underground railroad worked?
8. Does The Underground Railroad change the way you look at the history of America, especially in the time of slavery and abolitionism?
1. How does the depiction of slavery in The Underground Railroad compare to other depictions in literature and film?
2. Cora constructs elaborate daydreams about her life as a free woman and dedicates herself to reading and expanding her education. What role do you think stories play for Cora and other travelers using the underground railroad?
3. When speaking of Valentine's Farm, Cora explains "Even if the adults were free of the shackles that held them fast, bondage had stolen too much time. Only the children could take full advantage of their dreaming. If the white men let them." What makes this so impactful both in the novel and today?
4. Who do you connect with most in the novel and why?
5. How does the state-by-state structure impact your reading process? Does it remind you of any other works of literature?
6. The book emphasizes how slaves were treated as property and reduced to objects. Do you feel that you now have a better understanding of what slavery was like?
7. Why do you think the author chose to portray a literal railroad? How did this aspect of magical realism impact your concept of how the real underground railroad worked?
8. Does The Underground Railroad change the way you look at the history of America, especially in the time of slavery and abolitionism?
