The Underground Railroad

by

Colson Whitehead

Teachers and parents! Our Teacher Edition on The Underground Railroad makes teaching easy.

Gloria Valentine Character Analysis

Gloria is the wife of John, who secretly purchases her freedom before they wed, and the mother of their five children. She is an elegant woman who makes an effort to rid her speech of its “plantation inflections.” She tells John that she wants to move to Oklahoma, and although he doesn’t understand why he complies with her wishes after Valentine farm is destroyed.
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Gloria Valentine Character Timeline in The Underground Railroad

The timeline below shows where the character Gloria Valentine appears in The Underground Railroad. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Chapter 10: Indiana
Family, Heritage, and Home Theme Icon
Endurance vs. Rebellion Theme Icon
Death and Freedom Theme Icon
Value, Ownership, and Commodification Theme Icon
Brutality and Violation Theme Icon
...business, such as attending abolitionist meetings. With the rest of the residents seated and quiet, Gloria Valentine steps up to the lectern to deliver a short speech. John Valentine had bought... (full context)
Family, Heritage, and Home Theme Icon
Endurance vs. Rebellion Theme Icon
Death and Freedom Theme Icon
Value, Ownership, and Commodification Theme Icon
Brutality and Violation Theme Icon
History, Myth, and Fantasy Theme Icon
...estate in his will. John employed six freemen as farmhands and kept his purchase of Gloria’s freedom a secret, as it is common and thus unsuspicious for a white man to... (full context)
Family, Heritage, and Home Theme Icon
Endurance vs. Rebellion Theme Icon
Death and Freedom Theme Icon
Brutality and Violation Theme Icon
History, Myth, and Fantasy Theme Icon
...don’t often come up to Indiana, perhaps it would have been better if he and Gloria kept moving, further away from Virginia and the rest of the South. He says he... (full context)
Family, Heritage, and Home Theme Icon
Endurance vs. Rebellion Theme Icon
Death and Freedom Theme Icon
Brutality and Violation Theme Icon
History, Myth, and Fantasy Theme Icon
...regardless of how long they’ve been there, has saved his life. He chokes up, and Gloria comforts him. He encourages the residents to listen to the messages of the other speakers.... (full context)