Names Chapters 7-11 Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison

IM Chapter 3-6: Summaries Ch 3: In the exposition the narrator is rushing to the Golden Day to buy whiskey revive Mr. Norton. The rising action consists of: introducing the insane veterans who visit the Golden Day ( a bar and whore house), the narrator failing to buy whiskey and Mr. Norton being brought into the Golden Day for a drink, the introduction of and attack on Supercargo, the handler for the insane veterans. Next, in the climax Mr. Norton is revive in one of the “girl’s” rooms by the insane veteran doctor. Then, in the falling action there is a philosophical discussion between the vet and Mr. Norton about the nature of whites and blacks. Finally, in the resolution Mr. Norton is put into the car and faints again on the way back to the college.

Chapter 4: etc. Chapter 5: etc. Chapter 6: etc. Continue on with the plot language and a short summary of each chapter.

Key excerpt Chapter 3 Here, the narrator has brought Mr. Norton, a founder of the college, into the Golden Day to try and revive him. He looks on and listens as the only doctor, a black veteran from the insane asylum, speaks as an equal to Mr. Norton. “The one thing which I did know was that the vet was acting toward the white man with a freedom which could only bring on trouble. I wanted to tell Mr. Norton that the man was crazy and yet I received a fearful satisfaction from hearing him talk as he had to a white man. With the girl it was different. A woman usually got away with things a man never could.” (93) Ellison posits the idea that not all black men are afraid of whites, suggesting that for some, the post-colonial experience is not about racial conflicts.

Key excerpt #2 Chapter 6 In this case, Dr. Bledsoe is lecturing the narrator about his power in the college ; a power that allows him to maintain his position about both black and whites. “I wouldn’t raise my little finger to stop you. Because I don’t owe anyone a thing, son. Who, Negroes? Negroes don’t control this school or much of anything else-haven’t you learned even that? No, sir, they don’t control this school, nor do white folk either. True, they support it, but I control it.” (142) Ellison characterizes Dr. Bledsoe through the archetype of power, revealing his function as a true capitalist.

Detailed analysis first excerpt “The one thing which I did know was that the vet was acting toward the white man with a freedom which could only bring on trouble. I wanted to tell Mr. Norton that the man was crazy and yet I received a fearful satisfaction from hearing him talk as he had to a white man. With the girl it was different. A woman usually got away with things a man never could.” (93) Clearly, the narrator is characterized as fearful yet in awe of the vet’s audacity in speaking to a white man. Ellison manipulates three characters to provide different racial viewpoints in this excerpt. The author sets up the narrator’s tone of fear regarding the conversation because it “Could only bring trouble” (93) for the narrator; a black man who follows the white’s rules. Next, the diction “got away” creates a tone of wistfulness because “ woman...got away with things a man never could”(93), highlighting the fact that the black men were more oppressed than the women. Finally, a tone of satisfaction embraces the narrator as he is amazed at the boldness of the vet. “A fearful satisfaction hearing him talk…to a white man”. (93) suggests that similar to the vet, the narrator is equal as well. Ellison also exposes the narrator’s horror at the black vet for speaking “with a freedom” (93) Here, he juxtaposes the narrator’s need for invisibility to survive at the college against with the vet’s conversation with Mr. Norton as if equal to the white man. Thus,Ellison posits the idea that not all black men are afraid of whites, suggesting that for some, the post-colonial experience is not about racial conflicts.

Questions How does the vet taking a chance and speaking as an equal to Mr. Norton highlight the narrator’s current perceptions of his race? Why did the author add the after note suggesting that women can get away with more than a man?

Answers How does the vet taking a chance and speaking as an equal to Mr. Norton highlight the narrator’s current perceptions of his race? Ellison challenges the notion that equality is a mind set. Either one feels equal or one doesn’t. In this case, the doctor vet feels that he is equal, despite being black, exposing the narrator to a new paradigm or equality and freedom of expression. Ellison is foreshadowing an awakening in the narrator that perhaps he can one: become visible and two: has a future by going to college and entering the white man’s world.

Question #2/ Answer Why did the author add the after note suggesting that women can get away with more than a man? Ellison suggests that the difference in the sexes is just that: sex. The Golden Day is a whorehouse and the commodification of the women indicates their invisibility; they can say anything because they don’t matter. The narrator, on the other hand, hears and see the vet ‘s interchange as an equal one – white and black- and realizes that not everyone thinks like he does about the differences in the races. He has a chance at being a capitalist – a bourgeois with his college education.