Invisible Man Motifs of Violence

Street Confrontation - prologue “One night I accidentally bumped into a man, and perhaps because of the near darkness he saw me and called me an insulting name ” (4). This is a shocking entrance into the novel by showing how much anger the IM has built up.

Result of Street Confrontation “He lay there, moaning on the asphalt: a man almost killed by a phantom” (5). Even though the IM eventually stops himself, at the moment he attacked the man because of other events in his life, not merely what the man had done. The IM does restrain himself, however his attack shows his lack of self-control.

Battle Royal - Chapter 1 “But now I felt a sudden fit of terror. I was unused to darkness. It was as though i had suddenly found myself in a dark room filled with poisonous cottonmouths. I could hear the bleary voices yelling insistently for the battle royal to begin” (21). This is the first of many deceptions that the IM experiences. He believes that he is sent to make a graduation speech, but really he is there to fight for white men’s entertainment.

Battle Royal When IM realizes what is going on he tries to bargain with Tatlock. “I’ll make it five dollars more.” “Go to hell!” (25).

Battle Royal - Ch. 1 This shows how easily the white people will put the blacks against each other in order to keep them from bonding together. This also shows how willingly the ignorant will fight when they don’t know anything else.

Beating of Supercargo - Chapter 3 “Men were jumping upon Supercargo with both feet now and I felt such an excitement that I wanted to join them. Even the girls were yelling, ‘give it to him good!’ ‘He never pays me!’ ‘Kill him!’”

Beating of Supercargo - Ch. 3 Supercargo was the attendant who kept the veterans in line. Symbolically he represents Freud’s Superego, and the veterans (representing the Id) knock him out in order to have their way in the bar. Even IM gets caught up in all the excitement.

Bledsoe calls IM ‘nigger’- Chapter 6 “‘Nigger, this isn’t the time to lie. I’m no white man. Tell me the truth!’ It was as though he’d struck me. I stared across the desk thinking, He called me that...” (139).

Bledsoe calls IM ‘nigger’- Ch. 6 Even though no actual violence takes place, Bledsoe’s words are violent in and of themselves. One would not expect a black man to call another that, especially since both know the devastation of racial prejudice. This shows that Bledsoe is pretending to be someone he’s not.

Brockway - Chapter 10 “What had he to do with it, I thought, looking at him through a kind of mist, knowing that I disliked him and that I was very tired” (224).

Brockway - Chapter 10 The fight between IM and Brockway is a catalyst for a downward spiral. Because of the fight he is sent to the hospital, loses his job, and has to redefine himself. The fight is crucial for IM to get out of manual labor and eventually join the Brotherhood.

Spittoon - Chapter 12 “I heard the voice raised in laughter and turned to see him holding forth to a group in the lobby chairs and saw the rolls of fat behind the wrinkled, high-domed, close-cut head, and I was certain that it was he and stooped without thought and lifted it shining, full and foul, and moved forward two long steps, dumping its great brown, transparent splash upon the head warmed too late by someone across the room” (257).

Spittoon - Chapter 12 This shows how blinded IM is by his anger for Bledsoe. He takes his anger out on anyone that remotely looks like him, not thinking rationally about the consequences. This causes him to get kicked out of the men’s house and thus go live with Mary. This passage also serves to weaken the reader’s compassion for the Invisible Man.

The Old Woman - Chapter 13 It happened so suddenly that I could barely keep up with it: I saw the old woman clutching her Bible and rushing up the steps, her husband behind her and the white man stepping in front of them and stretching out his arm. “I’ll jug you,” he yelled, “By God, I’ll jug you!” (274).

The Old Woman - Chapter 13 This shows a monumental progress in the IM’s ability to control his anger. Whereas earlier in the book he simply would have joined the fight, this time he uses his words express his anger at the situation. This is also the first instance of both riots, and the IM actually having control over people. After this, there are many riots and the IM joins the Brotherhood.

Fight with Ras - Chapter 17 Before the fight, Brother Jack tells the men not to use violence “‘Very well, but no violence,’ Brother Jack said. ‘The Brotherhood is against violence and terror and provocation of any kind- aggressive, that is. Understand, Brother Clifton?’” (365).

Fight with Ras - Chapter 17 However, Brother Jack’s words had no effect on the men. “‘My Brothers, the time has come for action,’ I shouted... They were milling in a panic now, and I saw Clifton beside me. ‘It’s Ras the Exhorter,’ he yelled. ‘Can you use your hands?’” (368).

Fight with Ras - Chapter 17 While the IM had control of his anger earlier, he has again lost it. Instead of talking to the crowd, he beckons them to fight. Todd Clifton is also like the Invisible Man because he let his anger control him. He also pursues Ras even after Ras declared that he would not stab another black person.