Task: read through the list of themes below, and then respond to the prompts at
Task: read through the list of themes below, and then respond to the prompts at the bottom.
Note: This list is NOT exhaustive by any means. I encourage you to identify a theme based on your interests and approach. If there’s a different theme you’re engaged in, please feel free to explore that.
Death and Freedom
Why do slaves dream of freedom even if they never even consider trying to escape? What does this imply about dreams? What connection do dreams have to freedom? How does dreaming act as its own tether to freedom?
What does the novel imply about black people in their search for freedom? Is true freedom possible, and what is true freedom? Explore the different ways freedom is defined and attained in Cora’s journey.
Is there any way to escape death in their search for freedom? To what extent is it an inevitable part of their journey, whether for themselves or for those around them? (Think of examples in Cora’s journey).
Endurance vs. Rebellion
How does rebellion occupy the mind of white-slave owners and their allies? How does this contrast to how rebellion occupies the mind of the enslaved people?
How are white people who fled to the north different from those staying in the south? Are they different at all? What message is being sent about the majority of white people in the novel? How does Whitehead distinguish different white characters, for example Milton vs Fiona. How do the white characters rebel, and how do they endure? What does that say to us about these themes from their perspective?
How did Mabel’s rebellion lead to Cora’s escape? Was Mabel’s rebellion really selfish, or did it have another purpose? As a whole, what does the novel imply about rebellion and resistance? What are the long-term effects of small acts of resistance as shown in the novel?
What role does rebellion and resistance play in the pursuit of freedom?
Family, Heritage, and Home
In what ways did Mabel influence Cora’s escape? Why would Cora run away like her mother did if Cora hates her mother for abandoning her to a life of captivity? Is it accurate to say that running away and pursuing freedom is her family “inheritance”?
What does Randall represent? What is the definition of a “home”? To what extent can Randall be considered a home?
How does Cora define a home as she navigates on her journey? What does she yearn or wish for, and how can that be seen as a home?
Address the following in a 2-3 sentences each:
After reviewing the list above, summarize what ideas you connect to and might be interested in pursuing for our final project for TUR? Feel free here, and not limited, to how I have structured this list as you consider interconnected nature of the themes.
Choose one question from the list above and brainstorm a response.
https://www.oasisacademysouthbank.org/uploaded/Sou…