The Invisible Man- continued

Reading chapter two through the audible book provided a very unique experience. The changes in tone when the narrator recites another character’s quotes makes the memory much more vivid. You almost forget that the narrator is recalling his college experience from his hole in the ground. His interaction with Mr. Norton was very striking to me; this rich white man was one of the founders of the Negro college. On the surface he seemed kind, he maintained an informal demeanor with the narrator and was polite towards him even though there was an obvious divide. When the narrator asked him why he became interested in the school, Mr. Norton replied that it was because “your people were closely connected to my destiny.” This quote revealed the true intentions of the philanthropist white man of this era; he wasn’t involved with the school to help African Americans advance through education. In reality, he was motivated by selfish intentions and a moderate savior complex. Mr. Norton’s strange fascination with black society is further exemplified when he asks the narrator to stop at the cabin of Jim Trueblood, a man who has impregnated his own daughter. Other black people in the community ostracized him after discovering the truth, but Trueblood received aid from white men who wanted to know the details of the horrible act he had committed. Norton reacted in a similar way; he demanded to stay even after the narrator tried to get them to head back to the school. At the end of their visit to the cabin, Norton gives Trueblood a $100 bill. This scene explores the dynamic between blacks and whites at the time; to those in power, black folks were a mere spectacle. They were treated as lesser humans.

The Invisible Man- continued

Chapter one picks up a different pace from the prologue, it is much quicker and action driven. It starts off with the narrator enforcing the importance of words. His grandfather was a freed slave who lived during the time of reconstruction; he lived the majority of his life believing in the mantra “separate but equal”, but on his deathbed he revealed that life for blacks was actually warfare, and he compares his compliance to treachery. Still, he insisted that “meekness” was a sort of weapon against the whites. His words weighed on the narrator heavily and they shaped him into a humble and quiet young man. He was chosen to deliver the class speech at his high school graduation. He spoke about humility and received great feedback from the audience, they even asked him to attend a gathering hosted by the elite whites of his community to recite the speech again. At the gathering, the speaker and his black mates are asked to participate in the “battle royal.” This is a critical part in chapter one that reveals the meaning behind the grandfather’s words. A naked, blonde, white woman with an American flag tattoo on her stomach dances in the middle of the room. The boys all have different responses; when some of them try to look away from the woman, the white men respond violently and force them to stare, which reveals that they don’t actually admire meekness like they claim to. They want to provoke a reaction from the blacks and parade their inability to fight back. The rest of the chapter includes other violent interactions, like when the white men order the young boys to be blind folded and fight each other. The whites want these young boys to conform to the awful stereotype that they have placed on the black man. When the narrator recites his speech, he accidentally uses the phrase “social equality” which evokes a very negative response from the audience. After he corrects himself, the white men give the speaker a briefcase containing a scholarship to state college. He is being rewarded for his obedience. Later in the chapter, the narrator has a dream with his grandfather which reveals that he hasn’t fully understood the advise that he gave his family with his dying words.

Prologue

I have started reading Ralph Ellison’s novel titled The Invisible Man. Instead of purchasing the paperback copy like I normally would, I opted for the audio version. Reading this way feels like I am more absorbed into the story and it allows for better understanding, especially since the writing style is reminiscent/conversation like… it seems that the narrator goes off into tangents when he revisits certain experiences. It is very interesting to hear the modulation of the speaker’s voice; changes in the tone and pitch reveal many emotions that normally would’ve been lost if I was reading the book myself. From what I’ve learned so far, the speaker has a lot of anger that he has managed to repress, but there was one violent incident where he almost lost self-control. He feels intense animosity for the culture that he is living in and refers to other people as “sleepwalkers”; he claims he does not appear in the dream they are living in. The narrator explains his “invisibility” early on which is important because the extended metaphor takes a very literal approach. He clarifies that he is a man of substance, flesh, and bone, but he is still invisible because people refuse to see him. Since the narrator lives his day-to-day life going unnoticed and alone, he spends a lot of time pondering his identity. This habit has also strengthened his creativity, which peaks whenever he listens to Louis Armstrong. He expresses great admiration for the jazz musician and states that his music has the ability to propel him toward taking action. This action that he’s referring to is left unspecified.

Thanks for joining me!

Good company in a journey makes the way seem shorter. — Izaak Walton