Chapter 1
The first-person point of view presented in Invisible Man (Chapters 1–3) primarily serves
A) As a way to gain deeper insight into the narrator’s thoughts, fears, and confusion during his early experiences.
B) To highlight the gap between how the narrator sees himself and how society views him, especially in the battle royal and scholarship scenes.
C) To emphasize the narrator’s emotional vulnerability, allowing readers to feel the humiliation and uncertainty he faces in moments of exploitation.
D) To create a sense of immediacy and realism, immersing the reader in the narrator’s personal encounters with power, racism, and authority figures.
A) As a way to gain deeper insight into the narrator’s thoughts, fears, and confusion during his early experiences.
In Chapter 2 (p. 43), when the Invisible Man drives the college’s Founder, the contrast in the Founder openly opening his heart compared to the narrator’s own beliefs about expressing feelings most directly suggests that…
A) The Invisible Man grew up in a society where he was punished for expressing his feelings.
B) The Founder’s emotional openness comes from a position of privilege that the narrator has never been allowed to experience.
C) The narrator has internalized the idea that showing emotion is dangerous, especially for young Black men expected to follow strict codes of behavior.
D) Emotional expression functions as a symbol of power in the novel, with the Founder’s freedom to be vulnerable revealing the narrator’s lack of autonomy.
B) The Founder’s emotional openness comes from a position of privilege that the narrator has never been allowed to experience.
When the novel describes Mr. Norton’s reaction inside the Golden Day, the tone can best be described as
A) frantic and escalating as the narrator loses control of the situation
B) humorous and playful towards the veterans’ antics
C) detached and impersonal, as if the narrator is observing an experiment
D) triumphant, as the narrator feels empowered by the chaos
C) detached and impersonal, as if the narrator is observing an experiment
Which event exposes the narrator’s naive belief in the power of education and respectability?
A. His graduation speech being praised by his teachers.
B. His participation in the “battle royal” before giving the speech.
C. His acceptance into the state college.
D. His encounter with a white man on the street.
B. His participation in the “battle royal” before giving the speech.
Why does Mr. Norton open up to the narrator during the drive?
A. He hopes to gain political support from the narrator and his family.
B. He wants to warn the narrator about the dangers of the world.
C. He views the narrator as a symbol of his philanthropic success, showing the white supremacy mindset.
D. He is testing the narrator to see if he is loyal enough to stay at the college.
C. He views the narrator as a symbol of his philanthropic success, showing the white supremacy mindset.
What does the chaotic environment of the Golden Day suggest about the college’s influence on the surrounding Black community?
A. The college provides structure and opportunity for everyone in the area
B. The college is responsible for the veteran’s institutionalization
C. The community rejects the college’s presence fully
D. The college’s ideals have little impact on the realities outside campus
D. The college’s ideals have little impact on the realities outside campus
Why were the words of the narrator's grandfather so alarming to the family, as if he had cursed them?
A. He told the narrator’s father to secretly resist oppression while appearing obedient which was against what the family believed about surviving.
B. He confessed crimes from his past regarding betrayal that put the family’s safety at risk.
C. He revealed that he secretly supported racism and had betrayed the Black community.
D. He told the narrator’s father that they would continue to be suppressed and that there was no way out of it
A. He told the narrator’s father to secretly resist oppression while appearing obedient which was against what the family believed about surviving.
Page 16
Mr. Norton hears about how Jim Trueblood impregnated his own daughter. Why is Mr. Norton so keen on listening to Jim Trueblood’s point of view and so intrigued with his story?
A. Mr. Norton feels deeply for Jim Trueblood and wants to provide charity because of his story.
B. Mr. Norton sees Jim Trueblood’s situation as part of his belief about the struggles of Black people and their future fate in society.
C. Mr. Norton believes that understanding Jim Trueblood’s experience will help him understand the struggles of Black people.
D. Mr. Norton wants to use Jim Trueblood’s situation as an excuse to close the college.
B. Mr. Norton sees Jim Trueblood’s situation as part of his belief about the struggles of Black people and their future fate in society.
Page 57
How does Mr. Norton take advantage of the narrator for his own ego and racial importance?
A. He depends on Black individuals to admire him so he can feel important.
B. He is fascinated with the narrator’s life and wants to use it as inspiration.
C. He fears being forgotten and uses the narrator as a way of preserving his legacy.
D. He uses the narrator as a means to validate his identity as a “great” white supporter of Black progress.
D. He uses the narrator as a means to validate his identity as a “great” white supporter of Black progress.
Page 95
From the narrator’s slip in saying “social equality” instead of social responsibility,” the reader can infer that:
A. The narrator secretly desires racial equality, though he fears expressing it.
B. The narrator is indifferent to racial issues.
C. The narrator intentionally provokes the white men.
D. The narrator misunderstands Washington’s philosophy
A. The narrator secretly desires racial equality, though he fears expressing it.
When the narrator first observes the college Founder’s statue as either “lifting the veil” or “lowering it more firmly in place,” this ambiguity more clearly suggests:
A. The Founder’s legacy is one of unquestioned status and enlightenment.
B. The Founder’s intentions are unclear, symbolizing the possibility of progress and the persistence of oppression.
C. The Founder is depicted as mocking the struggles of African Americans.
D. The Founder’s statue represents the narrator’s rejection of mainstream education and advancements.
B. The Founder’s intentions are unclear, symbolizing the possibility of progress and the persistence of oppression.
In the Golden Day Scene, when the veterans mock Mr. Norton and chaos erupts in the bar, Ellison’s use of irony primarily serves to:
A. Highlight the narrator’s confidence protecting Mr. Norton’s dignity and upholding in his beliefs.
B. Undermine the narrator’s belief in the college’s ideals by exposing Mr. Norton’s loss of control and vulnerability.
C. Suggesting that the veterans are simply comic relief to further advance the story, it's in fact irrelevant to the novel's larger themes.
D. Reinforce Mr. Norton’s goodwill and genuine concern for the narrator.
B. Undermine the narrator’s belief in the college’s ideals by exposing Mr. Norton’s loss of control and vulnerability.
The narrator's speech at the smoker in Chapter 1 is structured to promote the values of humility and submission to white authority. However, the unexpected chaos of the "battle royal" and the subsequent forced humiliation suggest that this prescribed path is
A) a reliable strategy for achieving dignity, despite temporary setbacks.
B) a facade that conceals the true, exploitative intentions of white power structures.
C) a testament to the narrator's oratorical skills and his eventual rise in status.
D) a necessary trial for young Black men to prove their worth to the white establishment.
B) a facade that conceals the true, exploitative intentions of white power structures.
Mr. Norton's reaction to Jim Trueblood's incestuous story in Chapter 2 is a blend of fascination, horror, and a strangely voyeuristic interest. This response is most significant because it reveals Mr. Norton's
A) genuine compassion for the profound suffering of Black people in the rural South.
B) fear that his philanthropic project is failing and that the college's influence is limited.
C) objectification of Black people, viewing their suffering as a spectacle and a validation of his own importance.
D) realization that the narrator's community possesses a raw, emotional truth that the college lacks.
C) objectification of Black people, viewing their suffering as a spectacle and a validation of his own importance.
During the chaotic scene at the Golden Day in Chapter 3, the veteran doctor tells Mr. Norton, "He's your destiny... You're a ward of the state." The doctor's statement can best be interpreted as
A) a sarcastic acknowledgment that the veteran is a charity case dependent on Mr. Norton's generosity.
B) a direct accusation that Mr. Norton's identity is inextricably linked to and dependent upon the subjugation of Black people.
C) a truthful assessment of the narrator's future, as his fate is tied to the white power structure represented by Mr. Norton.
D) a delusional outburst from an insane man that has no deeper meaning within the context of the novel.
B) a direct accusation that Mr. Norton's identity is inextricably linked to and dependent upon the subjugation of Black people.