The Journey Begins Invisible Man: Prologue-Chapter 7

IM’s generic conventions (a few) Episodic: each chapter contains an episode, event/scene that illustrates a larger meaning or lesson Bildungsroman, novel of development: innocent hero searches for knowledge of self, reality, society –Protagonist presented as a black everyman, representing the development of the race –Characters help him along the way to self discovery

Prologue Begins the story at its conclusion Defines his invisibility: “a peculiar disposition of the eyes of those with whom I come in contact” (3); Can be extrapolated to mean that whites don’t see blacks “A hibernation is a covert preparation for a more overt action” (13) Key Concept: “I too have become acquainted with ambivalence” (10) The novel, then, becomes an answer to his question: “What did I do to be so black and blue?” (13)

Grandfather’s Warning Grandfather sees himself as a traitor, a spy in the enemy’s country: “Live with your head in the lion’s mouth. I want you to overcome ‘em with yeses, undermine ‘em with grins, agree ‘em to death and destruction, let ‘em swoller you till they vomit or bust wide open’ (16) This advice intended to teach subversion, to mask, to preserve a black person’s integrity in the face of Jim Crow, white supremacy

Battle Royal Entertainment: the white stripper: “had the price of looking been blindness, I would have looked” (19); black boys boxing (18) –A connection between the white woman and the black boys (20) Speech: Washington’s “Atlanta Exposition Address”; makes the slip of “social equality” instead of “responsibility” because he’s swallowing blood (31) Dream and Briefcase: Envelopes=years; “To Whom it May Concern/Keep This Nigger-Boy Running” (33)

The College He is “unable to decide whether the veil is really being lifted, or lowered more firmly in place; whether [he is] witnessing a revelation or a more efficient blinding” (36)

Norton and Trueblood Fathers with incestuous desires, (Norton’s 42-43); Trueblood acts on his; becomes a pariah of Black community, yet embraced by whites The two meet and Norton, after looking at him with “envy and indignation” and hearing the story, pays Trueblood $100 (51- 68)

The Golden Day—Chaos and the “Crazy” Vet Seems so small coincidence that many black professionals of this town are inmates at a mental institution (74) Therapy is alcohol and sex with prostitutes; inmates overrun their guardian- Supercargo Vet: First to diagnose the protagonist’s condition: “He takes it in but he doesn’t digest it...He’s invisible, a walking personification of the Negative, the most perfect achievement of your dreams, sir! The mechanical man!” (94)

Bledsoe: How to use power in the dark (145) “You’re black and living in the South—did you forget how to lie?” “..the only way to please a white man is to tell him a lie!” (139) Unequivocally controls the school through masking: “…I’m still the king down here. I don’t care how much it appears otherwise” “This is a power set-up son, and I’m at the controls” (142) “I’ll have every Negro in the country hanging on tree limbs by morning if it means staying where I am” (143)

Meets the “Crazy” Vet Again Another key lesson: “Play the game, but don’t believe in it” (153) –Tries to teach him to use his invisibility: “You’re hidden right out in the open—that is, you would be if you only realized it” (154)

Entering New York City Marked by social proximity and apparent equality of the races –He’s profoundly disturbed to stand so near a white woman on the subway: “I wanted desperately to raise my hands to show her that it was against my will. I kept expecting her to scream..” (158) –Shocked to see black police officer directing traffic/white drivers