Promts (TH)
How does the narrator's internal sense of self conflict with external perceptions, and how do these tensions contribute to the motifs of blindness and invisibility in the novel?
The division between the narrator's self-perception and how others perceive him relates to themes of blindness and invisibility, often incorporating the role of racial stereotypes.
After the “Battle Royal”, what does TIM receive?
A scholarship to a Black state college
Who wrote the letters to T.I.M?
Dr. Bledsoe
What literary element does Ellison utilize that is a constant flow of words going through multiple subjects?
Stream of Consciousness (Ellison uses stream of consciousness as an allegory for the structure of Jazz, flowing freely but collected)
What specific color symbolizes the idea of “white washing” black identity?
Optic White
Analyze the narrator's briefcase as a symbol of his identity, history, and status as a fugitive, considering its contents and the dream he has about it after the battle royal
The narrator's briefcase, with its contents and a significant dream after the battle royal, is central to understanding his history and identity, as well as his position as a fugitive
What items does TIM find in the briefcase Dr. Bledsoe gives him?
Letters of recommendation that were meant to prevent him from finding work
Who shows T.I.M unconditional support?
Mary Rambo
What does Brother Jack’s glass eye represent?
It represents the Brotherhood’s blindness to the community around them, they are focused on their agenda and do not pay attention to what's good for their people
T.I.M begins to acquire a feeling of self acceptance and connection to his southern roots through this food.
Yams
Discuss how Ralph Ellison utilizes extended metaphors, such as the Sambo doll, to critique the pervasive nature and effects of racial stereotypes in society
Ellison uses extended metaphors, such as that of the Sambo doll, to comment on the power and impact of racial stereotypes.
After being kicked out of college, where does TIM get a job in New York?
The Liberty Paints Plant
Who is the manipulative leader of "The Brotherhood" who recruits T.I.M?
Brother Jack
How does Ellison utilize music to convey the themes of the story?
Ellison uses specific songs from that time of African American culture to convey TIM’s emotions in specific moments
What object represents the Brotherhood’s “blind” vision/ ideals?
Brother Jack's glass eye
Examine the significance of the veteran's advice, 'Be your own father,' in relation to the broader theme of father figures and the narrator's search for self-reliance and agency
The veteran's advice to the narrator, "Be your own father," highlights the complex role of father figures and challenges the narrator's perception of authority, including figures like Jack and the Founder's statue
What does TIM do in Harlem that makes The Brotherhood want to recruit him?
He gives a powerful speech after witnessing an elderly couple being evicted.
Who challenges the college’s respectability politics by drawing attention from white benefactors?
Jim Trueblood
What did the Sambo Dolls that Tod Clifton was selling represent?
The racist stereotypes that were pushed onto African Americans. This is shown especially by the fact that they are being sold by a character that was introduced as the pinnacle of black america.
These represent a racist stereotype but as well are seen as a symbol against what is seen as the brotherhood’s ideals.
Sambo Dolls
How does Invisible Man explore the inherent conflicts between individual and community identity, and to what extent does the narrator succeed or fail in asserting his individuality within various social structures?
The tension between individual identity and community identity is a core theme, exploring whether one can remain true to both or if conflict is inevitable, particularly within groups like the college, the Brotherhood, and Harlem
Where does TIM ultimately end up at the end of the book?
In an underground “hole”, living in hibernation and writing his story
Who is a white trustee who views Black people as abstract, "narcissistic" pawns in his own legacy, representing a condescending, enabling form of racism?
Mr. Norton
What did the blood filling TIM’s mouth during his speech represent?
It represents the silence forced upon African Americans in white society.
What is used during the Battle Royal to represent the boys blindness to society?
Blindfolds