# Race and Identity in Running a Thousand Miles for Freedom

> Theme guide for Running a Thousand Miles for Freedom by William Craft.

Ellen's near-white appearance and the inclusion of cases like Salome Muller's challenge the notion that slavery is based solely on race, revealing how identity and freedom are manipulated by a system that disregards color when profitable.

## Where it surfaces

- [Running a Thousand Miles for Freedom](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/running_a_thousand_miles_for_freedom_se/chapters/running-a-thousand-miles-for-freedom): Ellen's near-white appearance allows her to pass as a white man; the story of Salome Muller shows that white individuals could also be enslaved.
- [Endnotes](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/running_a_thousand_miles_for_freedom_se/chapters/endnotes): The endnotes highlight the legal and social construction of racial identity through marriage laws and naming practices.

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/running_a_thousand_miles_for_freedom_se/themes/race_and_identity
- Themes index: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/running_a_thousand_miles_for_freedom_se/themes