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.

First Post- Introduction

The Team
From left to right: Tyler Trudo, Amelia Steinbach, Dana McCraw

Welcome! This blog is dedicated to investigating motifs in the novel "Invisible Man" by Ralph Ellison. We will be tracking instances of power and oratory as they appear in the novel, and by the end we hope to have a better understanding of Ellison's argument and how these two motifs serve to build it.