Oppression,Obedience And Rebellion:Spatial Politics In Colson Whitehead's The Underground Railroad

Colson Whitehead is a representative of contemporary African American writers,whose works are widely favored by readers and literary critics.His novel The Underground Railroad won the National Book Award(2016)and the Pulitzer Prize(2017)for its unique narrative strategies and profound social significance.The novel centers on Cora's journey of escape from the south to the north.By materializing the metaphorical "underground railroad" into a real one,Whitehead condenses the African-American history in Cora's changing physical space and highlights a vital role the space plays in racial oppression and resistance.This thesis takes Henri Lefebvre'spatial triad theory as the theoretical framework to demonstrate that the space constructed by Whitehead in The Underground Railroad is not a static physical container but a social existence containing power relations,through the analysis of the conceiving feature of representation of space and the spatial practice adopted by blacks and common whites as well as blacks' representational space.Then,under the guidance of spatial triad theory,this thesis uncovers the power relations and complicated racist ideologies hidden in space and unearths the nature of racial repression.At the same time,the thesis points out that the rebellious spatial practice can be deemed as a way for blacks not only to enlarge their living space but also to achieve freedom and racial equality.The novel shows Whitehead's humanistic thinking about space problems and his fervent concern about blacks' living situation in the white dominated society.The thesis consists of five chapters.Chapter One introduces Colson Whitehead and The Underground Railroad,summarizes the previous studies at home and abroad,outlines the development of spatial theory,elaborates the spatial triad theory,and finally presents the significance and structure of the thesis.Chapter Two provides an interpretation of how the dominant whites construct racist representation of space based on the black-white binary opposition to oppress blacks through the physical space such as plantation,square,museum and hospital.Chapter Three points out that under the restriction of racist representation of space,some black slaves,free black men and common whites internalize the whites' dominant position,become obedient individuals and submit to the compliant spatial practice,which strengthens the hegemony of racism.Correspondingly,blacks will own their disciplined representational space.Chapter Four aims to show that some brave blacks and white abolitionists will carry out rebellious spatial practice which helps blacks establish their defiant representational space so as to question the hegemony of racism.Chapter Five comes to the conclusion.In The Underground Railroad,on one hand,Whitehead calls people' attention to the political purpose behind physical space;on the other hand,he confirms that the power structure constructed by space is changing,thus encouraging people to challenge the established spatial orders,which is of great significance for human beings to fight against racial oppression and construct an equal and free society.