Epilogue post

Epilogue:

Oratory: There were no instances of oratory in the epilogue.

Power: “But my world has become one of infinite possibilities...I am invisible, not blind” (576).  Although it took the narrator quite a journey to come to this conclusion, he finally realized that being invisible presents him with endless opportunities. He can use it to his advantage in many ways, whether that be manipulating the Brotherhood to destroy them or manipulating a power company’s wires so that he can get free electricity. The IM not only recognizes that invisibility brings power, but also recognizes that because everyone else is blind to the fact, he is made all the more powerful.

Blog Mural Project

Blog Mural Project

Question: What is the purpose of the motifs power and oratory in “Invisible Man” in relation to Ellison’s depiction of racial stereotypes and tensions in the 1950s?

Thesis: Throughout the novel, the power and oratory motifs combine to both give and take power from African American characters, showing that any power that comes from words is only as strong as the audience's reaction, and reactions differ based on whether the orator has good or bad intentions regarding racial equality.

Synthesis: Chapters 16-25

As with our two earlier synthesis posts, the relationship between power and oratory has remained strong; the individual with the long instances of oratory are generally those with the most power in that moment. IM has realized that he can use his words to hold power over his audience and shift their way of thinking in a way that will benefit him, or at least not hurt him. For example, in chapter 16 during his speech at the Brotherhood rally, the IM was able to move the audience through speaking his mind about being blind and dispossessed.This is a contrast from chapter 1 at the Battle Royal when he accidentally spoke his mind saying “social equality” and incited anger amongst the crowd. The fact that the IM was able to deeply move the audience, despite the fact that he came up with it on the spot, shows how he has grown as an orator and become more comfortable with expressing his ideas to others. However, we have also noticed that speeches are not always the most effective way to get one’s point across- action is sometimes necessary and even more effective, yet also possibly dangerous. IM has been pushing for the people of Harlem to actually do something about the injustice following his speeches, rather than simply listen. This relates back to the advice the grandfather gives the IM. At last, by chapter 23, the Invisible Man is taking the action necessary to “agree em to death in destruction” by “launching his attack” on the Brotherhood.

Chapters 23,24,&25

Chapter 23:

Power was a very important motif in chapter 23, also a major turning point for IM. Immediately we become aware of the powerful influence that Rinehart has on the community- each of his identities. By IM taking on the identification of Rinehart he is embodying Rinehart’s power in himself. On page 501, IM attempts to discuss how he should help his district with Hambro, though the conversation doesn’t seem to go anywhere. In their conversation, Hambro explains that his “members will have to be sacrificed” and that “there’s nothing to be done about it that wouldn’t upset the larger plan”. He says this in an attempt to justify the Brotherhood’s new methods, but his words end up revealing just how little concern the Brotherhood actually has for its community. This triggers a new insight for IM reflecting his Grandfather’s advice: to yes the whites to death. This lets IM have power over the whites, especially in the Brotherhood, with the power of manipulation. His new motto is basically ‘keep your friends close, but keep your enemies closer’, which we predict will work in his favor.

Chapter 24:

Oratory: There were no instances of oratory in this chapter.

Power: There were no instances of power in this chapter.

Chapter 25:

Oratory: The oratory in chapter 25 occurs mainly when Ras confronts the IM atop his horse in the streets. “Betrayer!” Ras proclaims on page 557, moving on to advocate that the IM be lynched for his association with the Brotherhood and their aims. In his defense, the IM states “They want this to happen...they planned it” (558). Here he is speaking to the black community as a whole, as he attempts to explain the setup they’re facing. They have been manipulated to turn against themselves, clearly illustrated by Ras’s plea for the IM’s death, which will keep the entire black community powerless and essentially trapped.

Power: “... then when you git ‘em out start splashing coal oil. Then when you git it splashed I’m going to holler, and when I holler three times I want you to light the matches and git” (546).

In this chapter, Dupre and Scofield are the characters holding a lot of power. They have set in place an entire plan to burn a building where lots of people are living. They instill fear in all of the residents and scoff at their requests to hold back from burning their house down. They have the ability to determine what these people’s lives will look like from here on out and this is one of the greatest powers you can have over someone, as being unable to determine how your own life will play out is an incredibly frightening thing.

Chapters 20-22

Chapter 20:

Oratory: There were no instances of oratory in this chapter.

Power: “As for the loss of membership and influence, it was a result of a new program which had called for the shelving of our old techniques of agitation” (428).

One of the main themes in chapter 20 is the idea of the Brotherhood losing power in Harlem. Upon the IM’s return, he learns that the Brotherhood has switched from emphasizing local issues to focusing more on national and international concerns. As a result, many people in Harlem lost jobs the Brotherhood had provided them with and feel as though the organization has betrayed the community. As the Brotherhood loses influence, Ras and his crew are becoming increasingly active and gaining power in Harlem.

Chapter 21:

Oratory:

Pg. 456 “So he died; and we who loved him are gathered here to mourn him.”

The main instance of oratory in this chapter was IM’s speech at Brother Tod Clifton’s funeral. There came a point where no one was speaking and the crowd was looking at him expectantly and so he reluctantly launched into a fairly long speech about Clifton. He made it clear that Clifton had been shot because he was black, and that this racially charged police brutality was not a new phenomenon. He talked about how Clifton’s blood was just like anyone else’s blood, and made a lot of references to the fact that “trigger” rhymed with the n-word.

Power:

Pg.448 “For they had the power to use a paper doll, first to destroy his integrity and then as an excuse for killing him.”

The power that was focused on the most in chapter twenty-one was that that the white police officer held over Tod Clifton. It is very evident that the policeman abused his power and jumped to use violence against Clifton, simply because of the color of his skin. The white police officers have this ultimate power over the black community, as they are supposed to be helping to enforce the law and instead use that power from their positions to their advantage and exercise it unnecessarily over the African-American community for purely racial reasons.

Chapter 22:

Oratory: There were no instances of oratory in this chapter.

Power:

Chapter 22 is a significant chapter in Invisible Man for the motif power. As we begin the chapter, the IM is put into his place by Brother Jack and the rest of the committee in a meeting following his speech at Tod Clifton’s funeral. Brother Jack is angry that IM’s speech was of his own thoughts and not of the committee’s idea’s. When IM explains that they “went ahead on [his] personal responsibility” (463), Jack and the others in the room ridicule him implying that IM should not have assumed any responsibility since he has no power in their eyes. Even though IM says “today was the first time that they’re listened to our appeals in weeks” (471), Brother Jack shoots him down letting him know that “[he was] not hired to think” (469) taking us back to Mr. Kimbro from the paint factory. Although it’s clear that in Harlem IM has a strong influence over the people, the Brotherhood refuses to acknowledge his power and continues to reinforce their own, which seems to be recurring throughout the novel.

Chapters 16-19

Chapter 16:

Oratory:

“But I’ve been sitting here listening and looking and trying to understand what’s so common about us” (342).

The main instance of oratory in chapter sixteen is at a rally for the Brotherhood. The brothers ask IM to speak at the end of the rally, once the crowd is already fired up. IM forgets what he wants to say once he gets up on stage, but improvises on the spot and comes up with a speech about how they are dispossessed and blind. The crowd absolutely loves the speech and receive him warmly, but members of the Brotherhood are not so impressed, as IM learns after he has finished.

Power:

"'Did I do something wrong?' I said.

      'The worst you could’ve done,' he said coldly" (349).

Brother Jack held some power in chapter sixteen in regards to the speech given by IM. IM was aiming to impress Brother Jack with the words of his speech, so he had power in this sense, but he also had power when IM was finished with his speech. IM left the stage believing he had done a fairly good job, as the crowd was enthusiastically cheering him on, but Brother Jack disagreed - and made his view quite clear. The quote above is part of this conversation; Brother Jack tells IM that he does not believe the speech was actually well done, and encourages other brothers to do the same. In doing this, Brother Jack has the power to control IM’s feelings of himself and his accomplishments, which may ultimately contribute to his feeling of invisibility.

Chapter 17:

Oratory:

“You my brother, mahn. Brothers are the same color; how the hell you call these white men brother?” (370)

Ras the Exhorter says this in the middle of a physical fight with Brother Tod Clifton, and continues to give a speech about what it means to be black and what duties come along with being black. His word choice is meant to instill a sense of responsibility in Clifton and IM, and convince them to leave the white individuals that they have agreed to work with. In addition, he tries to convince them that a group of African-Americans will do a lot more for the black community than a group of both blacks and whites through appealing to a sense of community. He also tries to make Clifton and IM feel guilty about teaming up with white men by making it seem as though the only reason that they would do this is because the white men would “provide” them with “their” women.

Power:

“Why you go over to the enslaver?” (371)

This motif in chapter seventeen was more about a struggle for power and a discussion about who ought to have power, mainly between Ras, Clifton, and IM. Ras, a black nationalist, was furious that Clifton and IM, two black men, would work with whites, and saw it as a sort of sign of betrayal to their race. He could not understand how the two men believed that the white men had their best interest in mind, and how they thought that working with them would actually help further their cause, and Clifton and Ras actually get into a physical fight over this disagreement.

Chapter 18:

Oratory:

“This business of being a brother is a full time job. You have to be pure in heart and you have to be disciplined in body and mind" (394).

This quote comes from Brother Wrestrum as he gives the IM his spiel on what it means to be a true Brother. The leg iron is what evokes this speech, as Brother Wrestrum insists that it “dramatizes [their] differences”, and deteriorates from the Brotherhood’s cause of unity and trust in eachother. Coming from Brother Wrestrum, however, this quote is very ironic. Near the end of the chapter, Brother Wrestrum shows traits of hypocrisy as turns his back on the IM, charging him with using the Brotherhood to advance his own self interests. He uses the magazine interview as evidence against them IM, even though he knows the truth behind the interview since he was there when the IM received the call. Through this, Brother Wrestrum ironically went against the moral standards of Brotherhood he spoke so highly of earlier in the chapter.

Power:

“He’s trying to train them so they won’t listen to no one but him...He wants to be a dictator!” (401)

This quote comes from the meeting at the end of the chapter, where Brother Wrestrum is accusing the Invisible Man of being power crazed. The charges Brother Wrestrum brings were perhaps out of spite and jealousy, considering a few weeks ago the IM held power over Brother Wrestrum when he dismissed him out of his office and neglected to show much interest in the suggestion of emblems. Brother Wrestrum continually states that, as leader, the IM only wants to advance his own self interests and that he aims to control the entire movement. This then brings about a sort of fight over power-the Invisible Man is the one with the power as leader, but Brother Wrestrum is envious of the power IM holds and tries to take it away from him by bringing about the charges.

Chapter 19:

There were no instances of oratory in this chapter.

Power:

The power in this chapter lies in the hands on a character distinctly different from most others in previous chapters- she is a young woman. The unnamed woman has power over IM by luring him into her apartment to “discuss the Brotherhood”, but her true intentions are clear. She manages to seduce IM enough to go against his instinct and morals and have sex with her, a married woman. The morning after he “looked up to see the man looking straight at [him]” (417) which we assume to be the husband. The woman obviously has control over her husband as well, since he did not even react to seeing his wife in bed with another unidentified man. By the end of the chapter, Brother Jack still holds over over IM as well, moving his assignment once again back to Harlem after the disappearance of Brother Tod Clifton. Brother Tod is suspected to have joined sides with Ras the Exhorter, who inevitably still holds some power, threatening the Brotherhood.

Synthesis: Chapters 8-15

The relationship between power and oratory in Invisible Man in our first synthesis post, from the prologue to Chapter Eight, has remained pretty much the same. Individuals giving the oratory are still usually the people holding the power in that moment. In the recent chapters, however, IM has grown much more comfortable with the power that he finds through his words. The best example of this is in chapter 13, when he is able to rally a black crowd against white police officers who are trying to evict a couple from their house. In this situation, he holds power not only over the community listening to him, but also over the white men.

Following the speech that IM gives in chapter 13, he is recruited by Brother Jack to be the spokesperson for an activist group, the Brotherhood. Brother Jack holds a lot of power over IM in this conversation; he references a famous African-American activist, Booker T. Washington, in order to instill a sense of responsibility in IM, as well as presents his argument so persuasively that he succeeds in convincing IM to reluctantly leave Miss Mary and her home.

In chapters 9-15, the Invisible Man himself seems to be more aware of the power of words than he was in chapters 1-8. On page 259, IM states “And the more resentful I became, the more my old urge to make speeches returned. While walking along the streets words would spill from my lips in a mumble over which I had little control. I became afraid of what I might do.” By saying that he is afraid of what his words might do, the IM is realizing the power that his speeches potentially possess. His words may cause him to get in trouble, they may cause a riot, or, as was the case, or they may cause a black crowd to take action against whites. The quote serves to foreshadow the upcoming events of chapter 13 where, as IM grew resentful, words did indeed “spill from his lips” and cause a powerful reaction. This introduces a contrast from the Battle Royal, where even though the IM was giving a speech, he had no power at all.

As an African American, IM steadily gains more power and influence over his community and others, and his words and speeches help him to do just this. The white men, including Brother Jack, feel threatened by his potential capabilities, just as Mr. Norton felt in the first section of the novel.

Chapters 13, 14, & 15

Chapter 13:

As we see beginning on page 267, there is an old black couple being evicted from their home by white men. The white men obviously have the power while throwing the couple’s belongings out into the cold streets and refusing to let the old woman back into the house momentarily to pray. Disturbed by the sight, the IM begins making a speech almost involuntarily trying to tell the hyped-up crowd that black people are “law-abiding people and a slow-to-anger people” (275). This change in dialect is significant to the IM’s character development to becoming accepting and no longer ashamed to act as a stereotypical black man would, though at this point he is not fully there yet. Although the IM’s original purpose of his speech was to conciliate the group, it backfired and only lead to arousing them more, leading them to violently attack the white men. The primary source of power in the chapter is the group of black (and few white) people among the crowd who rebelled against authority and did not back down when the police arrived. At the end of the chapter, the IM feels powerful himself after rejecting an untrustworthy white man’s job offer stating that he was “feeling a growing satisfaction that [he] had dismissed him so completely” (pg 294).

Chapter 14:

Chapter 14 focuses in on the Brotherhood and Brother Jack’s recruitment of the Invisible Man as the leader of their racial activism. At the Chthonian, Jack rambles on about how remarkable it was that the IM was able to move the crowd to action through his words earlier that morning. In the last words of his attempt to hire the IM, Brother Jack concludes “It is a question of who shall determine the direction of events...this morning you answered the people’s appeal and we want you to be the true interpreter of the people. You shall be the new Booker T. Washington, but even greater than he” (307). By saying that he will do more than even one of the most dominant and influential leaders of the African American community, Brother Jack is ensuring that the IM will hold a great position of power. However, the true motives behind the IM’s recruitment are still unclear. Jack quickly proceeds to give the Invisible Man a new name, to demand he break ties with his past, and to insist that he move out of Mary’s, ultimately transforming his entire identity.  If the Invisible Man takes on this leadership role under an entirely new identity, we are then left with the question: does he really have any power at all if no one knows who he truly is?

Chapter 15:

Oratory: No oratory in chapter 15.

Power:  “I’ll have to hide this mess! I can’t take her this and the news that I’m moving at the same time” (32).

The motif of power was not especially emphasized in chapter fifteen, but there is a glimpse of it the morning that Invisible Man leaves Mary’s house. IM is trying to leave, but is scared to tell Mary because he feels guilty about deserting her. In a weird way, Mary has power over IM in this section in the way that her emotions are driving his actions; he is very worried about telling her that he must leave and, as a result, opts out of telling her at all.

Chapters 11 & 12

Chapter 11

In chapter eleven, the Invisible Man lacks power. Laying in the factory hospital after the explosion, the Invisible Man cannot understand speech, has lost his own ability to speak, and has lost any recollection of his identity. There were a few instances when the IM was able to speak, yet he was powerless as his pleads and questions went ignored by the doctors. On page 235 while sitting in the chair, the Invisible Man insists “But I need more room,” only to be told “You’ll get used to it after a while.” Later, we can see that even the Invisible Man himself knows he is not in control when he asks “What are you going to do with me?” to which the nurse responds  “No questions,” (244). Her response proves that she has knowledge that the Invisible Man does not, and she is therefore in control.

Additionally, the doctors are the ones with the power to determine the procedure. During a small debate over which procedure is best, one assistant doctor suggests “Why not castration, doctor?” (236). Although this idea is turned down, to suggest the removal of the  reproductive organs of a male in the first place is to suggest the ultimate stripping of power. Not only does it disable a man from engaging in sexual activity with women, it robs him of his masculinity. The doctor in charge ends up getting his way, however, and the electrical shock method is decided upon. As the electrocution takes place and the Invisible Man is shaking with pain, one doctor notes with a laugh “They really do have rhythm, don't they? Get hot, boy! Get hot!” (237). The doctors laughing at IM as he lay helpless in pain illustrates not only the IM’s lack of power, but also the idea that whites often use black suffering as a source of their entertainment, connecting back to the electrical rug scene of the Battle Royal.

Chapter 12

In chapter 12, we are introduced to a character who plays a very important role, Mary Rambo. While walking down the streets of Harlem, the IM faints and Mary rushes over to help him. Even while a police officer orders bystanders to move along, Mary remains over-top of the IM insisting that he stay with her at her house since the Men’s House was not an appropriate place for him to be in his current condition. By her resisting the officer’s commands, we are already shown that Mary is a strong and powerful black woman. Mary contributes a short instance of oratory in this chapter on page 252. The most relevant quote she contributes is on page 253, saying to the IM "you black as me and white as a sheet". When bringing him into her arms, she sees that his problem isn't solely his health, but also his identity struggle with being a black man. She refuses to let him leave her home until well-rested and fed, caring for him as a mother. Mary, with “flowered hips” (251), represents Mary the virgin mother of Jesus Christ. Her genuine motherly concern for the IM, a man she has never met before, represents her power, being able to effectively care for him with him not having much of a choice. Once again, we see that the person orating has the most power in the scene.

Chapter 10

The same as almost every other instance of oratory in the novel, the person speaking is representing some aspect of power. The first person we are introduced to in Chapter 10 with a significant position of power is Mr. Kimbro, the IM’s short-tempered boss in the Liberty Paint factory. Though Mr. Kimbro has power where the paint is stirred, after the IM mixes up which “dope” he should be using for the paint buckets, he is sent away to the basement where he meets an old man named Lucius Brockway, the real man in charge. Brockway tells the IM of how there are many younger engineers who attempt to take away Mr. Brockway’s job, but he’s stood his ground for many years and doesn’t plan on ever giving up his position. Mr. Brockway is very confident in his work, stating that “Liberty Paints wouldn’t be worth a plugged nickel if they didn’t have me here to see that it got a good strong base” (215). Not everyone in the factory is as confident in Mr. Brockway as he is himself; we learn that an entire labor union despises him when the IM stumbles into one of their meetings intentionally. There, the IM goes from being referred to as “brother” to being called a “fink” many times as well as the n-word once revealing that he is working for Mr. Brockway. The chairman of the union does all he can to keep everyone calm, though one man angrily gives a brief speech on how the IM is really a fink. He argues that anyone willing to work with Mr. Brockway “for more than fifteen minutes is just as apt as not to be naturally fink-minded” (221). The hostile man is shot down by the chairman who suggests giving him the benefit of the doubt and instead investigating his true character at a later time which is agreed on by the union. Both the men making speeches were trying to prove their power, just as many others have been previously in the novel.

Synthesis: Prologue-Chapter 9

All of the major instances of oratory in the novel thus far have been given by people who hold power over a person or persons in that moment. These instances include Homer Barbee at the college’s chapel (chapter 5), Trueblood’s recollection (55-68), the vet’s advice (95 and 156), and Bledsoe while talking to IM about temporary expulsion (140-145). Each instance of oratory is not only given by someone in power, but that speaker also has the power to stick in the mind of the IM and affect him not only in the present, but also in the future. Often, Ellison combines the power and oratory motifs to highlight the boomerang idea of past, present, and future.

The grandfather’s oratory, as the Invisible Man describes in the prologue, put the grandfather in a position of power because he was telling the IM how to act in the future. “Our life is a war...I want you to overcome ‘em with yeses…agree ‘em to death and destruction...” (16). His grandfather’s words continue to come back around multiple times throughout the rest of IM’s journey, for instance, during the conversation with Mr. Emerson(186) and after his expulsion(147). Although the grandfather may not have held extreme power at the time he gave his advice, his words carried an immense amount power with them as they reappeared throughout the rest of the Invisible Man’s life.

There were also instances of oratory in which the speaker was in a more obvious position of power. Trueblood, for example, spoke of the rape of his daughter, an instance where he held power over her. Homer Barbee was in an obvious position of power when giving his speech, as the entire student body was in attendance and intrigued. His speech was focused on the past of the founder, but at the same time focused in on the future of the college, and even further made the Invisible Man worry about his own future. While talking to the IM about his expulsion, Dr. Bledsoe was another person with an obvious position of power as he was dictating the IM’s future. In our first encounter with The Vet at the Golden Day, he held power over Norton, since he was the physician and Norton was the ill, weak man. During the second encounter in chapter 7, The Vet’s oratory focuses on the idea of the future as he warns IM to “leave the Mr. Nortons alone” (156). Additionally, he foreshadows events of the future when he tells IM “Your speech will change, you’ll talk a lot about college…”(152). He then goes on to say “you might even dance with a white girl”, which foreshadows a possibility of that happening since the other things he spoke of end up coming true.

In some cases, we have seen the person speaking hold all the power, but sometimes, as with the Grandfather, the power is in the words.

Chapters 7,8,& 9

Chapter 7

Power:

pg. 159 “Then at the street intersection I had the shock of seeing a black policeman directing traffic - and there were white drivers in the traffic who obeyed his signals as though it was the most natural thing in the world.”

This quote is from IM’s narrative from right after he arrives in Harlem; it represents the complete opposite of what the power structure has been in the book up to this point: the black man has power over the white drivers, and they respect that power and adhere to it. This surprises IM so much because of how different the environment that he’s used to, in the South, is. It seems surreal to him, like a dream, that black individuals could ever have this power over white individuals.

Oratory:

pg.154 “You might even beat the game.”

The main section of oratory in Chapter 7 occurs when the vet from the Golden Day is talking to IM on the train. The vet is excited to learn that IM is going to New York to find work and seems sure that, with the right behavior, IM will be able to find success. He tells him to “play the game” (pg. 153), as the white men think that they have already “taken care of” (pg. 154) any intelligence black individuals may have.

Chapter 8

Power:

pg. 163 “... it would not be honorable or safe to tamper with Dr. Bledsoe.”

This quote is from the very beginning of Chapter 8 when IM is toying with the idea of trying to open the letters to read what they say. He eventually decides not to, and his reasoning is given in the quote above. This is significant because it shows that, even when Bledsoe is nowhere near him, he fears him and his authority. Despite the way that Bledsoe talked to him, he views him as his superior and is scared of doing something to upset him.

No oratory in Chapter 8.

Chapter 9:

Power:

pg 194 “Everyone seemed to have some plan for me, and beneath that some more secret plan.”

This quote comes from IM after he read the letter of “recommendation” from Dr. Bledsoe to Mr. Emerson. The Invisible Man could not believe the contents of the letter; he felt betrayed by Bledsoe and was now questioning the true intentions of young Emerson, the secretary. That being said, it rather shows the lack of power experienced by Invisible Man, as he is not the one with the power to dictate his future.

Oratory:

pg 188 “I know the conditions under which you live-Why go back, fellow? There is so much you could do here where there is more freedom.”

This is spoken by Mr. Emerson, the secretary. Multiple times prior to saying this, Mr. Emerson has told IM that he wants to help him, but, remembering his grandfather’s words, IM questions his sincerity and true intentions. However, as the reader, we are led to believe that these words are truly an act of kindness. Mr. Emerson knows the truth written in the letters before he speaks this, and it seems he is talking up the idea of a future in the north because he knows he IM is never to return back down south to the college.

Chapters 3,4,5,& 6

Chapter 3
Power:
In this chapter, the roles change from previous chapters and a black man, Halley, is in control. We are introduced to Halley as the owner of the Golden Day, the bar that IM takes Mr. Norton to in order to give him the whiskey he's asked for. Mr. Norton continues to have control over the IM since he is still very eager to keep him satisfied. Halley refuses to sell the IM whiskey to a man outside the bar; even when told he is sick, Halley responds “He can die!” (76) and stands his ground. Supercargo, the “white-uniformed attendant” (76), represents the white people’s power. Once attempting to keep order, he is immediately shut down and violently attacked by the bar patients. Neither the white man nor the man dressed in white could control the bar, only Halley could control the crowd to make way for Mr. Norton to leave. In the end, Halley has the most power, which is ironic since he is a black man with control over a white man.

Oratory:
While in the Golden Day, we meet a patient who offers to tend to Mr. Norton, since he is a former doctor who was a skilled brain surgeon in France. Mr. Norton is thoroughly surprised by the fact that a black man could be so talented and impressive. The IM is equally surprised by the careless language and tone with which the vet speaks to Mr. Norton. Being through with schooling, he has nothing to hold back and doesn’t fear any possible consequences from the white man involved with the school. “The vet exploded with laughter” (94) when Mr. Norton explains his thoughts on his destiny, offending him enough to make him leave. While the vet is speaking, he also mentions “invisibility” for the first time in the novel so far which leads us to assume that the IM will begin to reevaluate his current thoughts on himself and whites as a whole.

Chapter 4

Power:

Throughout chapter 3, the IM allowed Mr. Norton to have complete control over him, leading them to both Jim Trueblood's and the Golden Day. Once they returned to the campus and the furious Dr. Bledsoe, the IM attempts to explain himself and how he was simply following the white man’s orders. Shockingly, Dr. Bledsoe responds by saying “damn what he wants”, and “we take these white folks where we want them to go, we show them what we want them to see” (102). This makes us question how much power white people really do have, or rather, how much power they think they have. The IM is still vulnerable and his future depends on the words from Mr. Norton. Mr. Norton assures the IM that he “explained to Dr. Bledsoe” that he was “not at fault” and that he “believes he understands” (107). Mr. Norton and the IM’s fate seem to rely on each other by the end of the chapter, leaving some amount of power in both of their hands.

Oratory:

There was no evidence of oratory in this chapter.

Chapter 5

Power:
There was no evidence of power in this chapter.

Oratory:

“And your parents followed this remarkable man across this black sea of prejudice, safely out of the land of ignorance, through the storms of fear and anger, shouting, LET MY PEOPLE GO! when it was necessary, whispering it during those times when whispering was wisest. And he was heard" (120).

During this section of Chapter Five, Reverend Homer Barbee is speaking to students at the college. He is telling the story of how their founder rose out of slavery and established this college. His speech is important because he talks about the struggles that the founder went through, but also how he overcame those struggles and how important it is for them to work together to combat the racism they so often face and push through the barriers placed in their way.

Chapter 6

Power and Oratory:

In Chapter 6, oratory is seen through Dr. Bledsoe’s speech to the IM during their meeting. For the majority of the conversation, (which is not much of a conversation; Dr. Bledsoe was the only one to really speak) power is the topic of discussion. “I’s big and black and I say ‘Yes, Suh’ as loudly as any burrhead when it’s convenient, but I’m still the king down here” (142), he says. Through this statement, Dr. Bledsoe outright admits to wearing a mask─he admits that he puts on a front for white people when it is “convenient”, or when he needs to tell them what they want to hear. He goes on to explain that he’s earned his position of authority amidst the white power structure and is willing to “have every Negro in the country hanging on tree limbs if it means staying where I am” (143). Through this quote, Dr. Bledsoe’s true selfish and power-crazed character is revealed. He does not care to see the advancement of his race, in fact, he is willing to see his entire race lynched, if it means he himself will advance in his personal position of power.

Prologue, Chapter 1, & Chapter 2

Prologue:

Power:

The fight scene between Invisible Man and the white man on the street is the very first instance of power we are introduced to in the novel. In analyzing this scene, it is important to keep in mind that the prologue is written once IM has established himself as invisible. “I sprang at him, seized his coat lapels, and demanded that he apologize” (4). IM had just demanded something out of a white man he does not know. He is able to do this because of his awareness of his invisibility, which is something that he does not yet have in Chapters 1 and 2, and thus is why he would never do such a thing in those chapters. Furthermore, during the fight IM  “got out my knife and prepared to slice his throat” (4), but shortly after stopped the blade. In that moment, IM had the power to take the life of a white man. The white man was no longer the one exerting power over the black man, which is a major contrast to the pre-invisible days during which the white man possessed the power entirely, for instance, the Battle Royal.

Oratory:

On page 14, IM states “But I am an orator, a rabble rouser--Am? I was, and perhaps I shall be again.” IM introduces us to the fact that he is a skilled public speaker, which proves to be true in chapter 1 with his speech. He then goes on to change his words by saying he was an orator, and perhaps shall be again, which implies that he does not view himself as one in the present. The idea presented of past vs. present relates to the idea of invisible days (prologue) vs. pre-invisible days (following chapters). Perhaps his negative experience in the position of an orator during the Battle Royal (and potentially others further on) has made him reconsider wanting to be associated with such.

Vocab Word: 

Bilious (adj.)

Context: “If that happened, I might forget to dodge some bright morning and some cluck would run me down with an orange and yellow street car, or a bilious bus!” (27)

Definition: Spiteful or bad-tempered

Other forms: Biliously (adverb), biliousness (noun), nonbilious (adj.)

Etymology: Latin- bile: “ill-temper” -ous: “full of”

Synonyms: Ornery (more often used to describe people instead of to personify objects), angry (doesn’t always capture the idea of having spite/intention to do harm)

Chapter 1:

Power: Stripper scene at Battle Royal

“They caught her just as she reached a door, raised her from the floor, and tossed her as college boys are tossed at a hazing, and above her red, fixed-smiling lips I saw the terror and disgust in her eyes, almost like my own terror and that which I saw in some of the other boys" (20).

This quote is from the section of Chapter One right before the Battle Royal, when all of the young black men are brought into a room where a white, blonde stripper is standing. As she attempts to leave the room, some of the young men begin tossing her around. Ralph Ellison includes this in the book in an effort to point out the similarities between the treatment of women and blacks by white men. Through physically controlling the woman, those men tossing her around have the ultimate control over her, just as the white men have control over the black men that they brought to this place solely for their own entertainment.

Oratory: Invisible Man’s speech to the “hosts” of the Battle Royal

“'Say that slowly, son!’

‘What, sir?’

‘What you just said!’

‘Social responsibility, sir,’ I said.

‘You weren’t being smart, were you, boy?’ he said, not unkindly.

‘No, sir!’

‘You sure that about ‘equality’ was a mistake?’

‘Oh, yes, sire,’ I said. ‘I was swallowing blood.'" (30-31)

This conversation occurs in the middle of the Invisible Man’s speech. He said the word equality at first, and then corrected himself and used the word “responsibility,” instead. This part of the chapter is significant because it shows that the Invisible Man was sacrificing part of himself in order to please the white men. This is even more evident with the line “I was swallowing blood,” as Ellison made a reference to the ancestral blood of the Invisible Man - the blood of slaves. IM had to swallow his pride in order to avoid a backlash from the white men listening to him. The part of the speech where IM quotes the famous Booker T. Washington is also significant and relates to this theme of degrading oneself in order to please those with more power than you. Washington was famous for being a black man who claimed that complete equality was not necessary and that economic equality was what was most important; there is a parallel between this claim and what IM is doing as they both settle for less than complete equality and avoid the phrase because of the reaction they know they will receive from the white men with power over them.

Vocab Word:

Apoplexy (noun)

Context: “But not yet, the men on the other side were waiting, red faces swollen as though from apoplexy as they bent forward in their chairs” (28).

Definition: loss of control over bodily function as a result of a damaged vein or artery

Other forms: apoplectoid (adj.)

Etymology: Greek - apoplessein: to cripple by a stroke

Synonyms: stroke (not necessarily because of a vein/artery), seizure (generally more related to brain activity)

Chapter 2:

Power and Oratory:

In chapter two we are introduced to an important character, the local oddity Jim Trueblood. As the Invisible Man is driving around Mr. Norton, they find themselves driving by Jim’s house where they see his wife and his daughter who have both been impregnated by him. Fascinated, Mr. Norton makes the Invisible Man stop the car for him to get out. Despite this being something the Invisible Man does not want to do and knows is a bad idea, the white man in the passenger seat remains to have full control over the African American driver. Jim willingly tells Mr. Norton the story of his family and how they got to where they are currently (52-68). Mr. Norton, along with the many other white men who have become interested, find Jim’s horrifying story of committing incest with his daughter amusing. This goes to show how black people are considered to be a form of entertainment in white people’s eyes rather than human beings. On page 53, Jim says “It just goes to show yuh that no matter how biggity a nigguh gets, the white folks can always cut him down”. This quotation sums up the theme of the novel “Invisible Man” so far by explaining that the white race will find any possible way to take control and have power over African Americans in any circumstance.

Vocab Word: 

Confounded (adjective)

Context: “He seemed surprised and confounded” -narrator/IM (47)

Definition: to be confused or disturbed

Other forms: Confound (verb), confounder (noun), confoundingly  (adverb)

Etymology: confundere- Latin for to pour together (meaning to be confused)

Synonyms: perplexed (to be very confused), nonplus (to be baffled)

Based on our findings as of now, we believe that the purpose of power in the novel is to show how the Invisible Man's realization of invisibility allowed for a power shift, where he no longer let the white men command him or exert their power over him, and instead reversed the roles. As for oratory, we think the purpose is to give insight on the thoughts and actions of individuals throughout the novel instead of limiting the views to just the narrator, since the narrator is potentially unreliable.