BOOK PRESENTATION

2. About the author
 Born on September 30, 1975, is a well-known American
author and journalist.
 He grew up in Baltimore, Maryland.
 His writing often focuses on social and political issues,
particularly those related to African-American
experiences.
 In 2019, he published his debut novel, "The Water
Dancer," which tells the story of a young man with
special powers striving for freedom from slavery.
 Coates is widely recognized for his powerful storytelling
and insightful commentary on race and culture in
America.
 He has also written for various prominent publications
such as The Atlantic and The Washington Post, where he
has shared his perspectives on racial injustice and
systemic discrimination.
Ta-Nehisi Coates

3. Characters
Hiram Walker - is the main character and narrator of the novel. Born into slavery on
Lockless plantation, Hiram is the son of Rose, an enslaved woman, and Howell Walker, his
mother’s enslaver, and thus is a product of rape.
Sophia - is a young woman enslaved by Nathaniel Walker at Lockless. Nathaniel regularly
rapes her and eventually fathers her baby, Caroline.
Thena - is an old woman who lives at Lockless and has a reputation for being the meanest
person on the Street (the area of the plantation where the enslaved people live).
Rose - was Hiram’s mother and daughter of Santi Bess. She was beautiful and all the men
at Lockless were in love with her. She and her sister, Emma would water dance on special
occasions.
Corrine Quinn - is a white woman from Elm County who owns a property named Bryceton
not far from Lockless. An only child, Corrine inherited her parent’s property and vast
fortune when they died.

4. Howell Walker - is Hiram’s father and also his enslaver.
Maynard Walker - is Hiram’s half-brother and Howell’s only "legitimate” child,
making him the heir to Lockless. As a teenager, Maynard is childlike, helpless,
and foolish, and he remains so after becoming an adult.
Mr. Fields/Micajah Bland - who is first introduced via his fake identity as Mr.
Fields, is a white Underground agent who infiltrates Lockless by working as
Maynard’s tutor.
Moses/Harriet Tubman - who for much of the novel is known by her nickname,
Moses, is based on the real figure of Harriet Tubman.
Raymond White - is an underground agent who lives in Philadelphia. Born into
slavery, both his parents escaped the plantation and ended up reuniting in
Philadelphia.

5. Otha White - is Raymond’s brother; like Raymond, he was born into
slavery. When Otha was a child, his mother Viola, fled with both him
and his brother, Lambert.
Santi Bess - Santi Bess was Hiram’s grandmother and Rose’s mother.
She was a "pure-blood African” who possessed the ability of
Conduction.
Georgie Parks - Georgie Parks is a widely-respected free black man
who lives near Lockless in Freetown. Formerly enslaved, he bought his
freedom and married a woman named Amber, with whom he has one
baby son.

6. 1.Memory Vs. Forgetting
2.Broken Families
3.Stolen Skills, Power, and Knowledge
4.Water, Movement, And Freedom
5.Humanity Vs. Inhumanity

8. symbolizes rebellion, freedom, and joy
for enslaved people, serving as a
reminder of Hiram's family and enabling
him to use his unique abilities to rebel
and survive.

9. symbolizes both danger and freedom. It
represents rebellion and resistance,
reminiscent of the Atlantic Ocean where
enslaved Africans sought freedom. Hiram's
connection with the Goose leads to
Maynard's death and Hiram's rescue,
highlighting how water facilitates rebellion
against enslavers and enables escape to
safety. Hiram later uses the Goose to
operate the Underground Railroad from
Lockless.

10. the plantation where Hiram grew up, symbolizes
captivity and the distortion of family under slavery.
Despite its name, it operates without physical
restraints, highlighting the pervasive nature of
slavery. Hiram, born into slavery despite his father's
ownership, yearns for rightful inheritance,
contrasting with his inept half-brother's impending
control. Ultimately, Lockless transforms from a
place of confinement to one of freedom as Hiram
uses it for the Underground Railroad.

11. in the novel symbolizes slavery as a form
of living death, portraying the harsh
realities of confinement and restriction
faced by the enslaved characters. It
serves as a poignant metaphor for the
brutal conditions in the Deep South,
where being enslaved is deemed worse
than death itself.