Invisible Man: Female Analysis

Sybil

Sybil of Greek mythology was originally a mouthpiece for the Olympic gods, but in Ralph Ellison's Invisible Man, she is at the narrator's disposal to discover his fate within the clutches of the Brotherhood. Her husband, George, is an official of high standing within the Brotherhood, but it is apparent when Sybil discusses her marriage with George that not only is she blissfully unaware of her husband's political secrecy (making her a willing, if ignorant, informant), but life is not going so well for her in general. She apparently "wouldn't be missed" (p. 399)  away from her husband's side.

While Sybil's inappropriate behavior when she is alone with the narrator could be attributed to her suffering private life, what she actually stands for only furthers Ellison's negative portrayal of the sexual woman with her being white on top of everything only exacerbating the disgust. Once she is properly intoxicated at the hands of the narrator, he tries to extract information from the woman, realizing too late that he has chosen someone who not only is too drunk to divulge any secrets but does not know any to begin with. On top of that, Sybil's rape fantasy with its specification of a "buck" (p. 401) at the perpetrator is a callback to the woman in red, who wants to have an affair with a Black man based off of societal stereotypes. In the end, Sybil's presence is not only ironic given the spiritual connotation of her historical counterpart (and likely namesake) but further sullies the image of women in Invisible Man and paints them still as hypersexual beings with an extra layer of taboo.

Invisible Man: Chapter 25 & Epilogue

Chapter 25

1. What causes the riot? Ras started it, but there were a lot of stories floating around (police brutality), interracial relationship issues).
2. Think about the Book of Revelations in the Bible. In what ways is Ras like one of the four horsemen of the Apocalypse? Ras is like one of the four horsemen of the Apocalypse (specifically, Famine, in his drive to convert Harlem's residents to his Black nationalist movement) because his final stand in Harlem and Invisible Man itself brings chaos and what the narrator believe to be like "the end of days" to Harlem. Ras is like Famine also because he arrived "upon a great black horse" (p. 431) when approaching the narrator for the last time. The fact that Ras is Famine can also be yet more social commentary against the Communist Party due to the fact that Famine, other than its literal meaning, is symbolic for societal class gaps and the narrator and Ras are at odds for their activism beliefs as always. 
3. What drives the narrator underground? The narrator is driven underground following his spearing of Ras and the subsequent pursuit by Ras' cronies in order to hide.
4. What does the narrator do with the papers in his briefcase? How is this action symbolic? The narrator burns the papers while he is underground. This is symbolic because the papers -- his high school certificate, Clifton's Sambo doll, and the paper with his Brotherhood identity from Brother Jack -- all represent different facets of his identity. His high school certificate was his appeasement of white society and becoming a "good Black" because he thought he would be treated better being educated (he wasn't); Clifton's Sambo doll represents the narrator's Southern heritage and the stereotypes the narrator could not escape; the paper with his "Brotherhood name" on it showed white appeasement once more, but also the narrator's effort to change himself for what he thought would be for the good of the community.

Epilogue

1. In what ways has the novel come full circle? The invisible man/narrator has returned to his original narrative flow where he acknowledges that he is telling his story to an audience. He also goes back to discuss the dying words of his grandfather, though in a different light this time: rather than pushing the "advice" to the back of his head and denying it, he acknowledges that it is a harsh reality for black men but even staying the course could lead to turmoil. (Mr. Norton also reappears, which is sad.)
2. Is this a satisfactory ending for the novel? Why or why not? I did not like the end of the novel, because while loose ends were wrapped up and some major events were revisited, the tale ends on a dismal note because the narrator has ended up in a place worse than where he started with interpersonal relations at the beginning of his journey.

Invisible Man: Chapters 23-24

Chapter 23

1. What symbolism do you find in the narrator’s purchase of dark glasses? The narrator is meant to see through them, but his vision is distorted by the item itself and distorts his identity to others, who believe that he is someone known as 'Rinehart'. The darkness of the lenses symbolizes the concealment of identity (i.e. his "invisibility") and how he is treated somewhat better now that he is in touch (in a way) with the darkness the Brotherhood did not allow him to tap into.
2. What are Rinehart’s various identities? "Rine", "Rine the runner/number man/briber/gambler," "Reverend B.P. Rinehart," and "Daddy" (to a prostitute; he is presumably her pimp).
3. Is there any symbolism in Rinehart’s name (rind and heart)? The rind is a tough outer layer (like that on a fruit) and a heart is self-explanatory. Rinehart's name symbolizes the thick outer skin the narrator has adopted in the wake of being cast out from the Brotherhood and Clifton's death, while he still preserves his true identity and beliefs (his "heart") on the inside.
4. Has Rinehart learned to play an identity game? Rinehart has definitely learned how to play an identity game, separating his personal life of being a vice-loving immoral gambler from his public image of being the reverend/spiritual leader of the Holy Way Station.

Chapter 24

1. Contrast the narrator’s encounter with Sybil with that of the woman in red whose husband came home early. Both women are married, though the woman in red seems marginally happier with her marriage while Sybil supposedly "wouldn't be missed" at the party. Both women also fetishize the narrator, though Sybil is at least intoxicated before she expresses her sexual desires, and seems to be physically attracted to the narrator for more than his race (calling him "beautiful"). However, Sybil does not get her wish fulfilled by the narrator like the woman in red does, as the narrator is attempting to use her to for personal (non-sexual) gain.
2. What is the significance of the last line in the chapter? The significance of the last line ("I ran  through the night, ran within myself. Ran.") shows the internal turmoil of the narrator searching for what he wants from both the Brotherhood in terms of power and himself in regards to becoming comfortable with his invisibility. His franticness to reach a solution quickly is characterized by the the fact he "ran" (p. 414).

Invisible Man: Obedience (Brotherhood)

Prompt

The Brotherhood wants to tell the people in Harlem what to think, rather than allow them to draw their own conclusions. The military is also an organization where people are expected to simply obey orders and are not supposed to think for themselves unless they are of an upper rank. School officials expect students to obey rules and do not usually anticipate that a student will think about a rule before complying.

Brainstorm additional situations in which unquestioning obedience is expected. When is it okay to simply expect obedience? When should people be encouraged to think for themselves? How can a person tell when being told not to "think" is an attempt to put down or limit opportunities and actions of a particular group?

Response

Situations involving issues of assumed public safety like natural disasters and terrorist situations require absolute obedience from officials that are (presumably) more knowledgeable than the general public in their field. If someone without the proper training were to act "off the cuff" and possibly endanger others, it is in the best interest of the whole to abide by what those in power instruct them to do, as they have likely been appointed to their position based on their knowledge and/or experience. People should be encouraged to think for themselves in situations that do not involve endangerment, however, because a much smaller group of people will be affected by the decision made than if it was an emergency. A person can tell when they are being oppressed by another group by being told not to "think" if other persons in similar situations have been allowed to exercise free will without harmful consequences (or even benefits for doing so).

Invisible Man: Chapters 20-22

Chapter 20 

1. The narrator has been away from Harlem for several months. What “emergency” calls him back downtown? Brother Tod has disappeared, leading to a loss in Brotherhood leadership that is trying to be usurped by Ras the Exhorter and his black nationalist group. 
2. What changes have taken place in the movement since he left. (Note how things have changed in the Jolly Dollar Bar.) The influence of the movement has lost some footing in Harlem, with things that were common knowledge about The Brotherhood before (like their greeting of "Good evening, Brothers") have fallen into partial obscurity. What people do know of The Brotherhood has led them to believe that their disappearance from the public eye means they got "white fever" and resigned themselves to avoiding helping the black community.  
3. What does Ellison mean when he says that returning to Harlem was “like returning to the city of the dead?” That metaphor highlights the desolation of the district in terms of post-Brotherhood economic affairs and the presence of The Brotherhood itself; the lack of action within both the community following the loss of Brotherhood officials and what is left of The Brotherhood itself in Harlem is so stagnant that the movement is essentially "dead."
4. What is Clifton selling? Clifton is selling cardboard Sambo marionette dolls on the sidewalk.
5. How does the Sambo doll relate to the Sambo bank? The Sambo doll relates to the Sambo bank by being made to profit from entertaining (typically) white audiences.
6. What do you think the doll symbolizes? Consider the fact that it is a puppet whose strings are pulled. The doll symbolizes the control that the white leaders of The Brotherhood had over the black district members, even in their home district. The white members pulled the strings of the black ones, forcing them to do what they wanted.
7. How does Tod Clifton die? What is the narrator’s reaction to his death? Tod Clifton dies at the hands (or rather, the end of a gun) of a police officer, and the narrator wants to help his friend but is forced away. This leads to a long bout of soul-searching on the narrator's part, wondering if The Brotherhood was really worth getting involved with in the first place if this is how one of their most respected black members died.

Chapter 21 

1. Why does the narrator feel guilt over Clifton’s death? He feels guilt over Brother Tod's death because he believes that the anger he felt over Tod's new profession had expedited the man's death by not stepping in to help against the cop.
2. Look at the funeral speech. How many times does the narrator use Clifton’s name? Why so many? The narrator uses Clifton's name so often (22 times in total) in order to humanize him and separate the actual man who has died from the personification of hope that Brother Clifton of The Brotherhood stood for in Harlem.

Chapter 22 

1. Why is the meeting with the Brotherhood described in terms of a dream? The meeting is described in terms of a dream because the meeting has not only been long-awaited (a 'dream' in the positive, non-literal sense) and the haziness of the situation and the narrator's future with The Brotherhood now that he has acknowledges their indifference towards true progress.
2. On p. 463, the members are said to have “flowed in one channel too long and too deeply.” What does this mean? Their "channel" in which The Brotherhood has stayed in has been a focus on social science rather than social activism (which they pretend to focus on in order to gain influence within the communities they inhabit), and they have "flowed... too deeply" by prohibiting any other approach to community outreach that does not directly align with their standoffish ways. 
3. Why does the Brotherhood object to the phrase “personal responsibility?” The Brotherhood objects to the phrase "personal responsibility" because they are not focused on the gains of people's personal interests (particularly when those interests have to do with their minority status), but rather what The Brotherhood considers to be "the good of the whole". Responsibility also suggests direct action, which The Brotherhood has already been proven to be diametrically opposed to.
4. Contrast the reaction of The Brotherhood to the funeral speech to the audience’s reaction to the graduation speech. Has the narrator come full circle? The negative reaction of The Brotherhood when the narrator brings up "personal responsibility" is similar to that of the audience of white men at the Battle Royal when the narrator brings up "equality." However, the narrator actually defends his word choice here, rather than deny that he even said it in the first place like he did at the Battle Royal. His firm stance on what he said rather than what he is "supposed" to say has shown that the narrator has come full circle in terms of experience, but has turned over a new leaf personality-wise.
5. What is the significance of Brother Jack’s glass eye? How does it develop the sight image that is throughout the book? The significance of Brother Jack's glass eye is that it is a front for sight (glass eyes can be indistinguishable from real eyes, especially at first glance) and awareness of social disparities to the public, but actually proves that his sympathies and knowledge of the communities' struggles are fake. It develops the motif of sight further by combining a common symbol for sight (the eye, self-explanatory) and making it artificial.

Invisible Man: Chapters 16-19

Chapter 16 

1. List all the images of blindness in this chapter. What do you think the narrator means when he says he has become “more human?” Images of blindness in this chapter include the anecdote of the prizefighter losing his sight in the ring (p. 258), "then suddenly I was blinded [by the spotlight] and felt myself into the man ahead of me" (p. 262), and the narrator's speech in general (pp. ). The narrator saying that he feels "more human" while speaking means that by being able to speak to a crowd that includes both black and white people that he has been qualified as no longer "less than" because of his racial background.
2. How does the narrator use the image of blindness as the central theme of his speech? The narrator uses the image of blindness as the central theme of the speech 
3. Be prepared to discuss the speech as a further expression of the narrator’s developing identity. 
4. The rewritten quote from James Joyce is often discussed. Do you think that it is the duty of an individual to represent a particular race, gender or group? Do you believe it is more important to concentrate on developing one's individual identity? I do not believe that it is the duty of an unwilling individual to represent a minority group they are a part of. However, if they wish to represent a particular group, it is important that they cultivate an individual identity first as to not only separate themselves from their public image but also to have a positive outlook on the group they are representing as a whole (loving oneself).
5. What is The Brotherhood’s reaction to the speech? What is your personal reaction? What criticism of The Brotherhood is implied here? The Brotherhood does not approve of the narrator's speech because they believe it to be "backwards and reactionary" as well as not complying with their theme of scientific social experimentation. I personally thought the speech was great, especially in terms of uniting the followers of The Brotherhood beyond racial lines. The implied criticism of The Brotherhood here is that they would rather have a speech with limited efficacy that falls within their belief structure rather than a powerful speech that challenges its borders.

Chapter 17 

1. How much time has passed since the narrator’s speech? Four months.
2. Describe Brother Hambro. Brother Hambro is a tall, amicable figure that has risen to prominence in The Brotherhood because of his structured way of thinking that aligns with the ideology of the higher-ranking members of the organization. Because the narrator has not visited Harlem since his speech (meaning that Hambro is not there) and the man was recommended directly from the "board," it is also likely that Brother Hambro is white.
3. What is Ras’ political doctrine and why is it in conflict with that of The Brotherhood? Ras' political doctrine involves black nationalism and an aggressive platform for that, while The Brotherhood refuses to "countenance any aggressive violence" (p. 283) to further their efforts.
4. Who is Tod Clifton? Why do he and the narrator become friends? Note that “tod” means death in German. Why does Ras spare Clifton’s life? Brother Tod is the youth community leader for The Brotherhood and becomes friends with the narrator because not only are they both black, but they want to work together to support the community and The Brotherhood at the same time. Ras spares Clifton's life because he is black like Ras, even though he sides with white people.
5. Ras pleads with the narrator to become a part of black unity and leave The Brotherhood. His arguments are similar to those of Black Panthers and others who came to the political forefront in the 1960s. The Communist Party did, in effect, betray the Blacks who helped build the party in the 1930s. What side do you believe Ellison is supporting? I believe that Ellison is supporting the side of the Black Panthers, as the speech that Ras gives in favor of black unity is much longer (and similar to an author-avatar tract) than it would be if he was not supporting the Black Panthers here. 
6. What is significant about the portrait of Douglass that hangs in Brother Tarp’s office? How is Tarp like Douglass? Like the narrator’s grandfather? The portrait of Frederick Douglass in Tarp's office is significant because it shows that he believes in black progress alongside The Brotherhood's ideals. Douglass is like Brother Tarp in that they both worked for progress into old age and raised themselves up to do so, but Douglass is also like the narrator's grandfather because there was always a loyalty to themselves (identity-wise) and their own progress on top of working for others. Also, Douglass was a former slave like the narrator's grandfather. 

Chapter 18 

1. Consider the symbolism of the link of chain Tarp gives the narrator. In what ways does it link the narrator to Tarp? To his past? Is it significant that Westrum rejects that link? The link is a physical representation of the connection that black people of the time period have to each other and their history of bondage. It links the narrator to Tarp because they both left a situation where they were being punished for a transgression involving a white man, and it links the narrator to Tarp's past as he too has been truly looking for freedom while holding onto (what he can remember of) his past. Wrestrum's rejection of the link shows that he sees himself as above the history and culture of his people, assimilating into what The Brotherhood considers to be acceptable for black men.
2. What seems to cause the fight between Wrestrum and the narrator? What do you think is the REAL reason for this fight? The external cause of the fight is that Wrestrum believes that the narrator has ulterior self-serving motives for being part of The Brotherhood, but the real issue between Wrestrum and the narrator is that Wrestrum himself was not chosen to be interviewed by the magazine.
3. At the end of the chapter, the narrator is sent out of Harlem. Why would The Brotherhood remove a successful member of the party and send him off to lecture on a subject about which he knows so little either by training or personal experience? The Brotherhood wants to either distance the narrator from the organization like Bledsoe did with the university or test the narrator's loyalty to them by seeing how he fairs when he is not dealing with a group of people that will see him as a leader automatically.

Chapter 19 

Note that chapter 19 is a transitional chapter like chapters 7 and 12. This chapter details the narrator’s seduction by the nameless “woman in red.”

1. In what ways is Ellison playing with the idea that white women are drawn to Black men? It's pretty straightforward; the woman wants to have a sexual experience with the narrator (or a black man in general) because it's considered to be a taboo during the time period due to racial stereotypes and social inequality.
2. What reaction does the woman give when her husband comes home? The woman is indifferent to the awkwardness of the situation and still refers to her husband fondly.
3. What is the narrator’s action? The narrator panics, hurrying to get redressed and back down the stairs to go back to the headquarters of The Brotherhood and avoid the situation further.
4. Do you think this chapter is humorous, or is it serious social commentary? I think that the chapter is serious social commentary on the fetishization of the black race. Because black people had been made out to be either animalistic or "exotic" (because of not being white), they are still different from white people in that they are considered a commodity rather than a human being. Sexual stereotypes with black men in particular have been harmful historically, as the idea of black men being "savages" unable to control themselves has led to lynchings under the (primarily false) accusations that they raped a white woman.

Invisible Man: Chapters 13-15

Chapter 13 

1. Peter Wheatstraw foreshadows the encounter with the yam seller. How do these encounters differ? What changes are revealed in the narrator’s identity? How is his change in identity linked with his desire to show Bledsoe as a fraud? The encounters between the yam seller and Wheatstraw differ because the narrator no longer wants to hide his Southern heritage claiming that "[he] is what [he] is". This change in identity links with his desire to reveal Bledsoe as a fraud because he emulated Bledsoe's act, putting in on (supposedly) out of fear for powerful men. Now that he's not afraid of them, he's not afraid of retribution from Bledsoe.
2. In the eviction scene, the narrator makes his second speech of the novel. Study it carefully. Compare it to the first speech. Take notes about the narrator’s developing identity. While the first speech was made to a white audience on the virtues of "social responsibility" and accommodating white people (more like letting them walk all over black people), this speech is made to a black audience that has already been roused to anger over the eviction. Now, the narrator realizes that despite everything that he/the Provos have done for the benefit of white people, in the end, they receive no benefits from it. The narrator also continues being unafraid of "powerful men", even when the white man has his pistol on him. 
3. How does the narrator meet Brother Jack? The Brotherhood is a thinly veiled version of the Communist Party. Richard Wright, Ellison’s first mentor, was an active member in the Communist Party. At Wright’s request, Ellison wrote a number of articles for leftist publications between 1937 and 1944, but never joined. He objected to the Communist Party’s limitations of individuality and personal expression. The narrator meets Brother Jack on a street corner following the forced eviction. The two of them end up sharing a meal at a cafeteria nearby.
4. What new piece of paper replaces the letters from Bledsoe as the narrator’s identity? The envelope Brother Jack gives him with a number to call for the organization he is trying to recruit the narrator into.

Chapter 14 

1. What pushes the narrator to accept The Brotherhood’s offer? The fact that Mary Rambo is taking care of the narrator (being short of money already) and he was not contributing at all.
2. Note that the building is called the Chthonia. In Greek mythology, this is another name for Hades’ realm, the underworld. What descriptions and images can you find that convey the sense of entering an underworld type of realm? Why is entering the world of The Brotherhood like entering the underworld? The entryway was lit by "dim bulbs set behind frosted glass", similar to how when one is dying there is supposedly a light to go towards. The soundproof elevator and lack of knowledge about the direction (up or down, as elevators go) continue the idea of unfamiliarity and relative darkness. Entering the world of The Brotherhood is similar to entering the underworld of Greek mythology because of the darkness and protection surrounding the area either to keep people from entering against their wishes or keep members insulated in the organizatio).
3. The phone number has been replaced by a new name in an envelope? Why? Why are we never told of this new name? The new name is the "identity" of the narrator as given to him by the members of The Brotherhood. We are never told of this name because as this story is being told in the past tense, he no longer associates with the organization and lets them have that control over him.
4. How does the party scene remind the reader of how limited and/or hypocritical most whites are in the understanding of the treatment of Blacks? The (white) members of The Brotherhood claim to be for civil rights for people of color, but not only control what the narrator is called/told to talk about/what to represent in The Brotherhood but also commit several racist microaggressions like asking the narrator to sing (specifically spirituals) and Emma claiming that the narrator should be "a little blacker".

Chapter 15 

1. Think about the symbolism of the Sambo bank. Is it related to Clifton’s Sambo doll? What about the fact that it belonged to Mary Rambo? What about the bank’s “grinning mouth” that swallows coins? Think back to the Battle Royal in Chapter 1. The Sambo doll is related more to the Battle Royal than the bank is, highlighting the fact that for black people to survive in this time, a lot of them had to work for the entertainment of white people (dancing in the case of the doll, fighting in the BR). The Sambo bank and its "grinning mouth" symbolize the fact that black people have to do this essentially with a smile on their faces, despite being complicit in their own dehumanization. They need the money bad enough. Mary owning it is a sign that she has bought into the work as well, either currently or at some point in her life, understanding that, well, that's just how things were at the time.