A Study of Trauma Writing in Colson Whitehead’s The Underground Railroad

Abstract

While black women’s circumstances improved in post-emancipation era, significant challenges to their bodily autonomy and reproductive freedom persist in contemporary America. This study examines the manifestation of trauma and liberation in Colson Whitehead’s The Underground Railroad, focusing on the protagonist Cora’s experiences as an archetype of African American women’s historical and ongoing struggles. Employing trauma theory, the paper conducts a textual analysis of three interconnected traumas inflicted upon Cora: physical abuse, psychological wounds, and intergenerational trauma inherited from her grandmother Ajarry and mother Mabel. The research further traces Cora’s transformation from victimhood to agency, analyzing how community support and self-awareness catalyze her pursuit of autonomy, identity reclamation, and agency actualization. Through the lens of trauma theory, this study finds that Cora’s resilience and ultimate self-liberation symbolize the broader fight against systemic oppression, underscoring how trauma both constrains and fuels resistance. Theoretically, by integrating literary and psychological theoretical frameworks, this study offers a nuanced portrayal of African-American women’s experiences, providing a critical lens to examine African-American women’s historical and societal positioning; meanwhile, by examining the slavery trauma in The Underground Railroad, this study highlights literature’s role in critiquing enduring inequities.