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When Mabel runs away, Cora becomes a “stray” and is placed in Hob, the cabin for exiled women on Randall. Although the other people living on Randall believe that all Hob women are insane, the only thing that truly unites the women there is their exclusion from the rest of the community. Some have indeed been driven to mental instability by the trauma and violence of slavery, whereas others—like Cora—have simply been labeled as strange and rejected on account of their perceived difference. Being sent to Hob is generally thought of as a curse; many of the residents stay away from Hob women, and there are bizarre rumors spread about them (such as the story that Cora has sex with animals). However, Cora comes to love the other women in Hob and the community they build together. Being labeled insane, in fact, offers a form of protection from violence and hostility. Furthermore, because the decision to run away requires an element of madness, Hob becomes a stepping stone on Cora’s route to freedom. Being cast out of the community allows Cora to dream of casting herself out of Randall and into the terrifying unknown of life on the run. Throughout her journey to freedom, Cora carries the spirit of Hob with her, which encourages her to be brave, rebellious, and fierce.
Hob Quotes in The Underground Railroad
The The Underground Railroad quotes below all refer to the symbol of Hob. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
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Chapter 2: Georgia
Quotes
They were exiles, but Hob provided a type of protection once they settled
in. By playing up their strangeness, the way a slave simpered and acted childlike to escape a beating, they evaded the entanglements of the quarter. The walls of Hob made a fortress some nights, rescuing them from the feuds and conspiracies. White men eat you up, but sometimes colored folk eat you up, too.
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Chapter 8: Tennessee
Quotes
At the auction block they tallied the souls purchased at each auction, and on the plantations the overseers preserved the names of workers in rows of tight cursive. Every name an asset, breathing capital, profit made flesh. The peculiar institution made Cora into a maker of lists as well. In her inventory of loss people were not reduced to sums but multiplied by their kindnesses. People she had loved, people who had helped her. The Hob women, Lovey, Martin and Ethel, Fletcher. The ones who disappeared: Caesar and Sam and Lumbly.
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Hob Symbol Timeline in The Underground Railroad
The timeline below shows where the symbol Hob appears in The Underground Railroad. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Chapter 2: Georgia
...named Ava grows resentful of Cora and strikes a deal to have Cora placed in Hob.
(full context)
Hob is where “the wretched” are exiled—enslaved people who have been “broken” either physically or mentally...
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After this incident, Cora becomes the most “infamous” resident of Hob. While other Hob women are sold or commit suicide, Cora remains. Cora uses Blake’s doghouse...
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...is the most that any man has spoken to her since she was moved to Hob. Wrestling matches take place, and Lovey comments that she would like to wrestle with a...
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There are 7 women in Hob that year. One of them is prone to fits, and another two have been traumatized...
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Before being placed in Hob, Nag was Connelly’s favorite, “spending most nights in his bed.” Nag was proud of her...
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...cage. On the night that Big Anthony’s punishment begins, Caesar comes to visit Cora at Hob, and Cora takes him to talk in the abandoned, rotting schoolhouse. Although previously Cora thought...
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...but he assures Cora that Fletcher is an honest man. On her last night in Hob, Cora cannot sleep and thinks about her mother. Mabel is a mystery, and Cora feels...
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Chapter 4: South Carolina
...dormitory reserved for “residents with nervous disorders.” Forgetting herself, Cora remarks that 40 is “your Hob.” Cora is sad to leave the Andersons, who were kind employers. At the museum, Cora...
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Chapter 9: Caesar
...with another enslaved man, he asked about Cora and was warned to stay away from Hob women. The man tells Caesar about Blake’s doghouse and adds that Cora has sex with...
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