![]() ![]() However, the idea intimidated him, and he did not believe he was ready to explore the idea in a novel, either from a technical standpoint or an emotional one. ![]() Each state would have a fantastical element attached to it and represent a particular state of American possibility. He envisioned a story with a protagonist traveling north on a literal underground train, stopping in each state along the way and facing some new adventure. Years later, when Whitehead was 30 and an up-and-coming writer, he recalled that childhood misunderstanding and saw the storytelling potential the premise held. His teacher set him straight, but the image did not fade completely. Whitehead mistakenly thought the railroad was an actual railroad, with trains secretly running on rails in underground tunnels to ferry slaves to freedom. When Colson Whitehead was in fourth grade, he learned about the Underground Railroad, the effort to help shepherd slaves in the 19th century from captivity to free states through a network of people, routes and homes. ![]()
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