The Underground Railroad

by

Colson Whitehead

Teachers and parents! Our Teacher Edition on The Underground Railroad makes teaching easy.
Mr. Field is the “Curator of Living History” at the museum in South Carolina, where he employs Cora, Isis, and Betty as “types.” He is a relatively fair and kind employer, however he misunderstands Cora’s protests that the scenes in which she poses inaccurately represent the truth of what slavery is like. This misunderstanding highlights the fact that Mr. Field believes in whitewashed myths about the treatment of enslaved people, even when the brutal reality is all around him.
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Mr. Field Character Timeline in The Underground Railroad

The timeline below shows where the character Mr. Field appears in The Underground Railroad. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Chapter 4: South Carolina
Endurance vs. Rebellion Theme Icon
Value, Ownership, and Commodification Theme Icon
History, Myth, and Fantasy Theme Icon
...to leave the Andersons, who were kind employers. At the museum, Cora is introduced to Mr. Field , the “curator of Living History.” Cora assumes she was hired as a cleaner, but... (full context)
Family, Heritage, and Home Theme Icon
Endurance vs. Rebellion Theme Icon
Value, Ownership, and Commodification Theme Icon
Brutality and Violation Theme Icon
History, Myth, and Fantasy Theme Icon
...women named Isis and Betty. Betty tells the others that she likes the fact that Mr. Field never shows his temper, unlike her previous employers. The museum visitors, however, are not so... (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
...are out and that she should come back when they are home. Two weeks later, Mr. Field gives Cora, Isis, and Betty a tour of the whole museum. All the white figures... (full context)