The Invisible Man Summer Questions
What is the narrator's rhetorical argument as he addresses the crowd?
African American couple along with the crowd are law-abiding. They follow the law and have done nothing wrong to deserve such treatment. The couple was not dispossessed. They had nothing material like and they never had anything. Instead the people themselves might be dispossessed. Pathos.
Why would Trueblood's wife bring Aunt Cole over?
Aunt Cole is a midwife and would come over to perform an abortion to try to get rid of or hide the shame Jim put on the Trueblood household.
What is ironic about Brother Jack's suggestion that the narrator become the new Booker T. Washington?
Brother Jack suggests that Booker T. Washington is still a living force, inside of history, bringing back history. This is ironic because Brotherhood seems to want to put aside the history and create a new society where blacks and whites are equal. Also, this was the kind of position narrator wanted.
Why is the narrator ambivalent (hate and like) about attacking the men who are evicting the old couple?
He feels anger and fear. He fears that his anger might get the best of him. He instead gives a speech of law and abiding by the law.
What is the narrator's principal motivation for accepting the job?
He has been living with Mary but has not paid rent yet. When he smelled cabbage that she was making for dinner for the third time, he realized that she did not have a lot of money. He took the job to help Mary by paying his rent and giving her some extra money to help her out with her situation of boarding other people and having to cook for them.
Explain the ambivalence (contradictory ideas) the narrator feels toward the naked blonde?
He hates the fact that she is used for entertainment and used like a took like black people are treated. He realizes that women are treated as objects and inferior to men. But he is fighting her body and his lust and his sexual desires. He feels ashamed for wanting to want her. He kind of sees himself in her in the sense that like him, she is not respected, only treated like an object, in this case, a sexual object only to please the drunk white guys and tease the black men in the boxing ring.
What is the rhetorical purpose of the conversation that the narrator overhears?
He hears racist comments as he is a test subject at the Liberty Paints hospital as they mention that black people have rhythm when dancing. New York is not the freedom that appears to be. Underneath, hidden, is the racism.
How is alliteration used to express the anxiety that the narrator feels?
He is nervous about what he might do as he feels the desire to make speeches again. He wants revenge on Bledsoe and he hates Emerson. He had little control. He is wild with resentment "too much under self-control, that frozen virtue, that freezing vice.
What allusion is used to describe the narrator's arrival in Harlem?
Jonah and the whale?
Explain the advice that the narrator's grandfather gives him: "Let 'em swoller you till they vomit or bust wide open."
The grandfather is telling the narrator to please and say yes to them. It is like rebelling but using kindness instead of violence. The grandfather accepted his humanity and in a way accepted the conformity society put on people. The grandfather I think was telling the narrator to live dangerously in the fact that he should rebel against the treatment of blacks from whites.
How is the road in the first paragraph used as a metaphor in chapter 2?
The road is described as being "white" lined with flowers and vines and gracefully winding but then turns to a bridge entering a tangled mess and barren buildings. This is a metaphor for the facade that the college and really society is. Also he needs to follow the "white line". The society and conformity wants people to believe that everything is now right and there is no weak point in society. The road is also a metaphor for the narrator's journey as at first when he comes to New York it seems that everything is going swell and he is treated like a human but then he realizes society is messed up and humans have trouble seeing others.y
What is the metaphorical value of the sweet potatoes?
The sweet potatoes give the narrator a sense of nostalgia as he used to at home bake them in hot coals of the fireplace. It is a reminder of when he was not aware of the discrimination in society. Happiness but also desire as he rushed to get them and got more than one.
How would you describe the tone of Dr. Bledsoe's letter?
The tone is written formally but gives off the tone of shaming the narrator and being disappointed but yet giving him some mercy by asking the power figures to help the narrator continue in the direction away from the institution. He signs it humble servant which also gives off the tone that maybe Bledsoe is not free of Emerson. But Bledsoe talks about how the narrator disobeyed and had gone astray.
What device appears in the vet's advice to the narrator, after he tells him to "come out of the fog"?
Anaphora (play the game) and metaphor and foreshadowing
What does it mean when the vet tells the narrator to be his own father?
Be his own self and discover who he is. Don't let white people define who he is or give him possibilities. The narrator needs to find the possibilities on his own to truly be free. The vet tells the truth yet he is not free.
Describe Dr. Bledsoe's posture as the narrator goes to his meeting?
He was wiping his neck with a blue-bordered handkerchief and his fists were alternating between being clenched and stretched. He was angry
How is Dr. Bledsoe's handshake an example of foreshadowing?
His handshake is described as large and limp. The large size represents his influence and power and control. The limp description symbolizes how little effort he really put into getting the narrator a job and how he lied.
Why does Emma wish that the narrator were blacker?
If the narrator were blacker, he could probably connect with the people more but also submit to the superiority of white people. Maybe be more sad?
What literary devices contribute to the narrator's sense of disorientation?
Imagery, anaphora, hyperbole, personification
How does the imagery at the beginning of chapter 4 belie (contradict) the narrator's inner tension?
The imagery gives off effect of being tired and exhausted while the narrator feels extreme anxiety about what will happen to him once Bledsoe finds out what he did with Norton. "I felt the fear balled coldly within me". He felt cold in a way like out of place while it seemed like the outside was just calm, tired, like any other night with nothing changed or altered.
How is juxtaposition used in the conversation that the narrator and Mr. Norton have with Jim Trueblood?
The narrator and Mr. Norton is surprised and ashamed of what Jim did to his daughter. The juxtaposition emphasizes a past that neither of them want to revisit. They want him to feel guilty but maybe they feel guilty. ?
Why does the veteran call the narrator invisible in chapter 3?
The vet believes that the narrator has been raised to conform to his believed social role of serving the white men and accepting his humanity as being treated like an object.
What is the difference between the definition of "we" that people like Mary embrace and the definition that people like Brother Jack embrace?
the we that Mary embraces are warm hearted people who care about others Brother Jack's "we" are the people who patronize
What does the narrator learn about the struggle for freedom during his conversation with a former slave?
Freedom comes at a price and even when offered freedom, the master might have something that binds the former slave such s a child. The woman had said that freedom lied in owing not hating. Due to what society has conformed to, the belief of freedom and the real meaning of freedom has been warped. Freedom comes with hate and love, an uncertainty.
How are diction and syntax used in the description of the trustees' arrival at Founders' Day?
Diction is used by making the sentences seem like the people were very excited to show the trustee around but also anxious for what he might think. Words and repetitions such as "oh, oh, oh" give off a happy and excited tone. The multimillionaires describe how much influence the trustees has. The long sentence structure give off a dreamy feeling, more magical.
How are the mirror and the aquarium metaphors?
Distortion of society and confusion of how whites and blacks are really supposed to act
What does the vendor mean when he asks the narrator if he "got the dog"?
Does the narrator have his life under control or is he being led
How are Dr. Bledsoe's ideas about black/white relations similar to those of the narrator's grandfather?
Dr. Bledsoe thinks black/white relations: blacks lie to white men in order to please them, tell them what white people want to hear and say yes and act inferior to please and get benefits. The grandfather I think did the same thing: agreed with white people even if it meant telling a lie. Being and acting inferior to white people. White folks having all of the power and control.
How does Dr. Bledsoe achieve power in society?
He agrees with the whites and follows their orders while at the same time teaching the students to do the same
What is the rhetorical purpose of the "spoiled cream" complexions of the women that the narrator sees as he careens out of the subway?
He emerges onto Lenox Avenue. Before being experimented on, he saw white people as superior to him, now he thinks of them as old and no longer above or below him.
What purpose does Mary serve for the narrator?
Mary serves as one friend who he believes sees him. She is a break from society as she allows him to rest and gather his strength until he can get back up on his own two feet. She is like a mother to him.
How are allusions used in the initial description of Mr. Norton?
Mr. Norton is described as looking like a St. Nicholas with a face pink and silk white hair. This could also describe Mr. Norton as caring and a joyful man.. Like he has seen the world and has a bunch of knowledge. He is described with a soft silk shirt with a blue and white polka-dotted bow tie with an aristocratic manner. Mr. Norton is rich and being described in this manner especially alluding to St. Nicholas, gives off effect that he could give the institution money like St. Nicholas gives out candy.
What is the significance of the wide range of professions that the insane men at the Golden Day used to practice?
No person is sane in the society that the narrator is put in. Some of these professions, the narrator aspired to be but seeing them made him uncomfortable. He was surprised for he probably thought that one in a profession of lawyers, doctors, preachers would be more sane and respectable. No matter the profession, people can have the same fate in the chaotic society/world
Why does the narrator get so angry when he notices the cast-iron bank in the shape of a caricature of a black man?
Someone put that in his room. He finds it insulting as the object is making fun of black people. It also has money in it which is also an insult as he needs money but he is angry about the insult.
How is simile used to express the effect of the Founder's death?
The Founder's death brought darkness and a loss of the North Star, which was the black people's direction, leader towards freedom and like everything was turned upside down. The effect was huge. People were lost and were worried about the Founder and they felt sorrow. The Founder was seen as a brave soldier who had saved them. His last breath was described like a train dropping down the mountain. Great sense of loss and direction.
What is the significance of the image of the Statue of Liberty, her torch "almost lost in the fog"?
The Statue of Liberty usually symbolizes freedom and new opportunities and her torch symbolizes truth and a pathway/guide. But having the torch almost lost in the fog symbolizes the truth or clarity of the way the narrator needs to go uncertain. Freedom is questionable. The message on her tablet is not seen. The vet told him to step out of the fog.
How is color used to affect imagery in the salon?
The color makes the salon feel more of a formal meeting place and more extravagant than it probably is. The salon has attractive women and beige upholsterers and well-dressed people. He felt out of place.
How does the syntax of the first three pages contribute to the narrator's sense of disorientation?
The narrator's sense of disorientation is drunk. The italicized mixed with the not italicized sentences who that he is kind of out of it and not feeling too well to function on his own.
How is the statement, "I've never seen this section before. It's new territory for me" an example for foreshadowing?
The new territory of New York and how society really is to the narrator
What is unusual about the narrator's description of the pictures in Mr. Bates' office?
The paintings showed dignified old men looking down with assurance and arrogance that he had not seen before. These white men were thought to have stood behind Bledsoe but he had not seen before people with assurance so he was surprised if these fit in with white people in the south.
How is allusion used in the second paragraph of chapter 1?
The second paragraph may allude to the Jews when they were under Roman rule. Just like the black slaves were told they were free and they exulted in it, stayed in their place, worked hard, and raised their children to believe that freedom was being treated like tools, the Jews did the same thing and were treated the same way until Jesus came.
Who are the "sleeping ones"?
The sleeping ones are the people who are ignorant and unaware of what is actually happening in society. The sleeping ones are the people who have distanced themselves from the true reality of discrimination. The sleeping ones are not to be awakened as it might start a war or a big controversial situation. The sleeping ones are the people who have conformed to society of segregation. For example, the blonde man.
How does chapter 1 show the limits of assimilation?
The white men, when in private and hidden in a place like the Battle Royal can act disrespectful to a certain point but once outside, they have to try to act respectful. The black men have tried to assimilate to society but they are still treated like animals and objects, just like the lady.
How do the apocalyptic ravings of one of the patients serve to foreshadow the future?
This foreshadows the future as in the end, there is an apocalyptic scene where people burn tenements and act crazy and hang people. Anyone is susceptible to a fate of chaos.
Why do you think Trueblood receives so much more charity from the white community than from his own?
Trueblood is working and staying low like a "slave" is supposed to do. He does not challenge what is considered to be the norms. The white people mostly see black people as animals and the fact that Trueblood committed incest. Was seen as staying in line and conforming a bit.
Explain the following quote: "Some folks just live in faith," she said disgustedly. "Just let a little knocking start and here it comes crawling out. All you have to do is shake things up a bit."
When things get tough and it seems like the world is about to end, people usually turn to faith and hope.
What is the rhetorical argument behind the comparison of the moon to a "white man's bloodshot eye"?
White man's world? White men have control over the world and see everything.
What phrase does the narrator use to describe Dr. Bledsoe's position relative to the trustees around him? Why is this significant?
"Like some of the guests, he wore striped trousers and a swallow-tail coat with black-braided lapels topped by a fish ascot tie. He managed to make himself more humble...trousers inevitably bagged at the knees..placing his hand upon their arms, touching their backs. This puts an effect on Bledsoe like he, even though black, is in control and has authority but yet is perceived as humble while the white trustees are probably seen as selfish and disrespectful and want to be in control
What images does the narrator see as he leaves chapel?
Barbee was blind and was wearing glasses to hide his blindness, Bledsoe helping him to his seat, a tall white man who was crying and the congregation singing "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot." A mockingbird trilled a note on the head of the eternally kneeling slave.
Why is Mr. Norton's enthusiasm for his widow so strange to the narrator?
Mr. Norton said he participated for doing stuff as like building a monument for his daughter. He had more appreciation and motivation for doing stuff he believed to help others succeed just because of the death of his daughter. He only cares about his daughter's memory not other human living beings.
What is the effect of the trip through Central Park?
It gives him time to really think about what had happened with the speech andall. The fact he knew there were dangerous animals at the zoo symbolizes the danger that could come.
What is the rhetorical effect of the long italicized passage?
Is is an anecdote, a tale of hope had history. Nonstop talking, no breaks in between paragraphs give off effect that to the narrator, it is just going past him like he is not fully understanding what is being said and he is questioning freedom and authority.
What is suggested by the repetition of the word "pleasant"?
Pleasant is an ironic adjective to use because as the narrator states, "how can fate be pleasant". The fact that Mr. Norton wanted something pleasant for the narrator is ironic because in the society nothing is pleasant for black people because it is a racist society. It is juxtaposition emphasizing the irony in the institution for success for black people.
What is the relationship between the music of Louis Armstrong and the narrator's sense of invisibility?
Louis Armstrong, a black man, sings of why "black and blue". This could also mean why separation? Why is there a distinguished line between color? The song challenges the conformity of white and black people being separated. The song according to Ellison, "demanded action". This action I believe is to challenge the norms of society in New York; to challenge the discrimination, the vengeance. The song talks about invisibility I believe and the narrator's sense of invisibility compare with the song.
How are Lucius Brockway and Dr. Bledsoe similar?
Lucius Brockway, the black engineer, worked his way to the top and would let no one take his place. He in a way has control because while he was absent/retired, a white man stepped in and he didn't care because he knew the boss would want him to come back and fire the white guy. Lucius gained a high responsible job because he was in charge of making the paints. He controls the paint and the machines (how everything works) like Bledsoe controls the school. Lucius and Bledsoe both want to get rid of the narrator after a misunderstanding: taking Norton to wrong part of grounds and almost being inducted into a union against Brockway.
What is ironic about the difference between the way blacks could speak in the North as opposed to the South?
North: Blacks could protest and speak their minds, although if done too much, could face severe consequences. Blacks could talk about freedom and dispossession South: Blacks could not speak their minds and could not protest. Blacks had to talk in a way that pleased the whites.
How is allusion used during Rev. Barbee's sermon?
Rev. Barbee makes the Founder sound like Jesus, the "barren land after emancipation where" people turned against each other, slave against master. The Founder had brought hope during time of tension and black and white people were full of hate. "Fear and hatred that crouched over the land like a demon waiting to Spring, and he came and showed them the way." (Resurrection). Rev. Barbee is described as looking like Buddha yet he is blind but illustrates how great everything is when really it is a facade.
What is the rhetorical effect of Rev. Barbee's blindness?
Reverend is blind and cannot see yet he is illustrating how great the world has become-what he has come to believe and is teaching others to believe. He cannot see so how can his words be true th. He is hiding behind his glasses and truth.
What is the tone of the two paragraphs in chapter 5 (110) that begins "into the doors and into the soft lights..."?
Robotic like feeling with no freedom as people sit composed and stolid with faces frozen solemn. It is almost like they are robots waiting to be controlled. He is the outlier, the outcast. Yet it gives off tone of heaven?
Why do you think Mr. Norton gives Trueblood $100?
Telling the truth and a way of expressing sympathy. Even though shocked, he still wants to feel like he is superior. Pay for children's toys to try to make sure they are financially secure even though he does not see them nor the narrator. He also wants to conform and fit inside the mold and act like the other white men, praising Trueblood and being really nice and generous to him.
How is the imagery describing the Battle Royal ironic?
The Battle Royal is described as a nice ballroom area filled with distinguished looking white men. One might think that a nice speech would be given by the narrator. But instead it is turned into an area of entertainment by watching people fight and a naked woman. It was a place where men disrespected black men and women.
What is ironic about the narrator's discovery of a Bible in his room at Men's House?
The Bible reminds him of home and he gets homesick. Dr. Bledsoe would quote from the Bible during speeches on Sunday night. He remembered how his father had made to institute family prayer.
What does it mean when the narrator says the the blonde man "had not seen [him]"?
The blonde man had not seen him, treated him, or considered him a human being. The blond man was blind in a sense that he only saw through one lens, one belief that the narrator (black) was an animal and disgusting creature.
What is the effect of comparing the campus building to a "old plantation manor house"?
The effect of comparison gives reader feeling that there is a facade on the campus building. It is at first seen as a place of hope for black men to get an education and succeed when really it is being run and controlled by Bledsoe, who could be seen as the master. The institution is set to please and agree with the big white people just like plantations are all about work, get food, and serve white people/masters.
Why do the language and the text style change when the narrator is watching the eviction?
The eviction reminds the narrator of his mom and probably a similar scenario, one in which he decides to get involved in.
What makes the sleeping farmer "the kind of white man [that the narrator fears]"?
The farmer is described as being lean and having a hungry face. Because the farmer is white he still has some sort of authority over the narrator.
How is repetition used to show the narrator's shock when Dr. Bledsoe calls him a "******"?
The few sentences of dialogue after he calls the narrator that are short which give off shocked feeling. also, the narrator keeps repeating "he called me that" (139)
What extended metaphor does the narrator use to describe the imagined conversation between the elder Mr. Emerson and Dr. Bledsoe?
The narrator feels like 25 years has passed and he had a feeling that it had happened before. He thought it was a joke. He recalls a tune talking about Robin being picked clean and wondering what Robin ever did to deserve being plucked clean. When imagining a conversation Bledsoe refers to the narrator as the Robin and hoping that Emerson will help him to his death and keep him running.
Why does the narrator hate Trueblood and the people at the Golden Day?
The narrator hates that they have let themselves go into a state of shame and chaos. The narrator believes that they have not tried hard enough and he looks down upon them. He does not want to be like them. He does not want to be in a world or place where things are chaotic or not, in his mind, how society should be.
What is the effect of the images of the white men in chapter 1?
The images of the white men give off the effect that they are in control and in power. They are completely differnt people when hidden from public view than from how they act outside. They are two faced. The images give off the effect that they are animals and disgusting humans who just drink and smoke and use human beings for their entertainment.
What is the purpose of the emancipation letter among the old couple's belongings?
The letter tells about how the old couple is free and yet they are forced out of their homes with their belongings thrown out. This serves as an example how the term freedom is not really being free.
What is the overall effect of the conversation between the narrator and the man with the cart?
The man with the cart sings the blues that reminds the narrator of home. The cart man then asks the narrator if he has the dog and he says not that morning. The cart man with blueprints follows the narrator and reminds the narrator of the vet. The narrator found a certain comfort walking beside him. The man whose name is Peter Wheatstraw/Blue says some stuff that reminds the narrator of his home down South. He sings of a woman with feet of monkey and legs mad like a bulldog.
Explain the extended metaphor of Liberty Paints.
The message on a huge electric sign says "Keep America Pure with Liberty Paints". The best selling pain is optic white. Again white seems to dominate all the other colors. Liberty usually stands for freedom but there is no freedom as the narrator is treated poorly by Mr. Kimbro, the guy who has task of mixing paints and shipping them. The paint covers up the mistakes of walls and hides the imperfections.
Explain the narrator's desire for light in his hiding place in the basement.
The narrator desires light in his hiding place. This could represent his desire for clarity or hope. He is living in a white racist community where black people are only seen as animals or objects instead of real people. His desire for light could also represent the easier for a plan or solution to take action against the violence and revenge that will/had happened (fire). He is hiding in the basement from those who wanted to kill him and he is there to form a plan. His desire for light is desire for equality, for hope, for clarity, for an end to segregation and discrimination.
How does the man in the cafe interpret the narrator's sentiments incorrectly?
The narrator is distrustful of the man in the cafe but the man in the cafe thinks the narrator is something special and that the narrator is sentimental because he made that speech. He thinks the narrator would be interested in working for him as a speaker with his organization. The narrator is afraid. He just wanted to make a speech. The narrator was moved by the actions towards the couple emotionally.
What is ironic about the narrator's attempt to get rid of the coin bank?
The narrator is trying to get rid of this coin bank which is a caricature of a black man but he needs the money. Also, when he tries to throw the bank away not only is he getting rid of money but he is trying to get rid of the insult he feels the bank is to him. People try to return the bank back to the narrator which could mean that they are shoving insults about his race in his face.
What is the rhetorical effect of the syntax as the narrator returns to Men's House?
The narrator is wearing overalls and feels out of place like he betrayed them. He was losing his place in Bledsoe's world. He feels the stares looking down upon him and he cannot start there anymore because he does not belong. He had been barred from the building for 99 years and a day. The description is mostly one sentence taking up an entire page = taking up the narrator's entire mind at that moment: overload.
What is the purpose of the drawn-out conversation between the narrator and Mr. Emerson's son?
The narrator learns that Dr. Bledsoe had been lying to him about helping him get a job in NYC. Instead Dr. Bledsoe talks about how it would be a shame if anyone were to hire the narrator. Mr. Emerson is trying to lay the news down gently and offers him a position job at Liberty Paints. Emerson's son says "there is no point in blinding yourself to the truth. Don't blind yourself." Mr. Emerson's son tells the narrator that he is now free of Bledsoe whilst he is still prisoner to Mr. Emerson.
What is ironic about the narrator's encounter with the blonde man?
The narrator lives in a world that does not see him as a human being but only as a tool because of his race. The narrator bumps the blonde man ad he starts insulting him. The narrator realizes that the man does not actually see him as a being. This is ironic because in the newspaper the next day, the man describes a mugging. But how can a man be mugged by an invisible man? The narrator lives in an area where white men are superior.
What is the significance of the narrator's viewing himself as a "potential Booker T. Washington"?
The narrator sees himself as an activist and powerful black figures. The significance is that what he is wanting is different that what may be perceived by others. Being in high position of a black man could be seen as a threat by white people or other black people as they may see high power people as conspirators. The narrator may think he is too good and already found his place in society when really he hasn't.
What is the idea behind the narrator's confrontation with the drunken man who wants him to sing, because "all...."?
The narrator thinks of himself now higher than the drunken man but also it is unusual for a black man to sing so beautifully
Why is Dr. Bledsoe so angry with the narrator?
The narrator was entrusted to showing the college grounds to a high power white figure. The narrator strayed from the path that made the college and students seem like the perfect reality. Instead, the white man (Mr. Norton) was shown the part of grounds near the college that showed apart of reality and history; something that was wanted to keep hidden as the Truebloods are seen as a burden and shamed family to the black people on campus. Dr. Bledsoe trusted the narrator to obey and stay on the nice and "happy" path that seemed perfect and not show any of the wears and tears.
How is the narrator different after he leaves the hospital?
The narrator was no longer afraid of important men, trustees. He felt drunken but it seemed like he was experimented on and changed to view society as white people in NY. Brainwashed. He is disconnected from mind, body, reality.
Why do the patients find that kicking Supercargo is therapeutic?
The patients have probably suffered and been treated like animals so kicking Supercargo is a way to get their anger out especially since Supercargo had been acting superior.
What is the rhetorical purpose of the Founder's statue?
The rhetorical purpose is to represent society. The Founder's statue is described as having empty eyes and lifting or pulling down a veil above the face of a kneeling slave. The empty eyes symbolize as not seeing someone as a human being and the action of the veil could be seen as giving hope and lifting the facade or the discrimination or it could symbolize the action of putting down black people and hiding them or looking down upon them.
What is the tone that Trueblood uses to tell the story of his incest?
The tone is desire yet shame and guiltiness. But he also felt innocent because he thought it was his subconscious as he had the dream about the woman in white in his dream and woke up on top of his daughter.
How would you describe the tone of the first two paragraphs in the prologue?
The tone is like isolation and uncertainty. The narrator talks about how he is invisible and no one can see him. He sees this as both a blessing and a curse. People only see him for who they want to see and not for who he really is. He questions about his existence. There is a bit of hope that some may recognize and see him. But I feel like the tone is one of desperation yet acceptance, loneliness but also contemplative.
