The Theme Of Redemption In Ta-Neshi Coates The Water Dancer

You Must Decide if You Are Free
Many have felt like they aren’t in control of their own life at some point. For example, someone may have to make choices about their life without being able to consider their personal goals due to their family or other circumstances. The Water Dancer by Ta-Neshi Coates proves that for one to be free, one must be able to live their life following nothing other than their personal life and moral values. For example, the main character goes from being enslaved to working for the underground railroad, yet he doesn’t really feel free because freeing slaves isn’t what he desires to do with his life. Therefore, for someone to be free, they must be able to use their desires to guide them in their life without anything

Sofia starts by telling Hiram, “I will like you a heap less if your plan is for us to get to this underground,” by saying this Sofia proves that she doesn’t desire to go to the underground with Hiram. She tells Hiram this is because she doesn’t want him to, “Make yourself up as another Nathaniel,” referring to how her living Hiram's dream would make her not feel free, as she is referring to Nathaniel Howells's brother who owns a plantation. To further prove her point she tells him, “Ain’t no point for a woman trading a white man for a colored.”(157) This demonstrates that if she is living Hiram’s dream, she doesn’t feel free as she describes doing so as similar to Hiram being her master. For someone to feel as if they are still being controlled after leaving a slave master, proves they don’t feel free. Sophia shares that the reason for this is that if she goes off with Hiram she would have to join him in pursuing his desires rather than pursuing her

Corrine makes Hiram feel like he must serve in the underground, despite that not being his goal. In the beginning, she tells him, “What you must now accept is that all of us are bound to something.” Right after she says, “All must have a master they chose to serve.”(Coates 218) This proves that Corrine is trying to convince him he can never really be free, as there is always something or someone that will be controlling him. After this, she tells him, “You are not a slave,” with the hopes of making him feel free. However, she also tells him, “But by Gabriel’s Ghost, you shall serve.”(Coates 220) This proves that serving in the underground is an obligation rather than a desire, demonstrating that Hiram isn’t doing it to live per his personal goals. Hiram also describes how being in the underground is not something he has an interest in. For example, he talks about how no one has freedom by saying, The Task was a trap. Even Georgie was trapped.” After this, he describes how the underground has no correlation to his personal goals by describing the underground as such, “Now I understood the Underground war. It was not the ancient and honorable kind.”(Coates 247) Corrine makes Hiram feel like he is still free, even though he is still controlled by an obligation that he dislikes, that was put onto him by Corrine. Also, Corrnie describes the obligation as similar to a