Plot
Themes
Analysis
Quotes
Random
100

How do the young Brotherhood members react to hearing the news of Clifton's death from the narrator? 

They're grief-stricken and devastated. 

100

How has the narrator's emotional maturity evolved coming into the climax of the novel? 

it's grown incredibly. 

100

What is the metaphorical meaning behind the Sambo dolls being put on strings, like a marionette?

The strings accentuate Sambo's inability to think or move on his own, much like the limitations put on the people that Sambo represents. 

100

At the bottom of page 439, the narrator thinks to himself, "I could only accept responsibility for the living, not for the dead." To whom does "the dead" refer to? 

Tod Clifton 

100

What is Sambo?

Sambo is a racist stereotype of an ignorant slave, happy to be subservient to his master.

200

How does the narrator announce Clifton's death to the public? 

Through posters, contacts, with preachers, and newspaper articles. 

200

What does the placement of the discarded Sambo doll in the narrator's briefcase symbolize? 

It symbolizes the metaphorical baggage that is the history of slavery. 

200

What greater good does the narrator contribute to the community by planning Clifton's funeral? 

He creates a place for the Harlem community to grieve and express its sorrow in a communal way. 

200

What does the narrator mean when he says "I only know that you are men of flesh and blood; and that blood will spill and flesh grow cold" at the bottom of page 451? 

He implies that he is not sure if any of the listeners care about Clifton's death, but that they should because they're all in a similar situation because of their race and identity. 

200

Why does the narrator become emotional during the funeral march? 

He hears the old slave spirituals being sung, which, for him, have taken on a new meaning and now greatly resonate with him. 

300

What motivated the narrator to plan a public funeral for Clifton?

He was overwhelmed with guilt from witnessing Clifton die. 

300

What is significant about the narrator repeating Tod Clifton's name during his eulogy? (i.e. what does he, the narrator, hope to accomplish by repeating Clifton's name)

By repeating Clifton's name, the narrator is saving him from invisibility, as he is forcing the audience to see him as an individual.

300

What is ironic about Clifton's selling of the dolls? 

It's ironic because Clifton uses the black stereotype to his advantage, such that he is reclaiming the stereotype in order to define it. 

300

At the bottom of page 440, the invisible man narrates: "Yes, the ___ were obscene and his act a betrayal. But he was only a salesman, not the inventor." Who is this "salesman," what is he selling, and why does it matter that he's not the inventor?

The salesman is Clifton, he's selling the Sambo dolls, and it's significant that he's not the inventor of the dolls because he did not create the stereotype that the dolls represent. He simply benefits from the stereotype by selling the dolls, hence, "only a salesman." 

300

According to the Brotherhood philosophy, how is an individual's worth measured? 

By his or her contributions to the organization. 

400

What did the narrator *plan* to say for Clifton's eulogy? (Hint: trick question) 

He didn't plan anything at all. Instead, he speaks from his heart in lieu of a planned eulogy, since he realizes he hasn't planned a speech. 

400

Why is it that the Brotherhood cannot tap into the pain expressed and evoked as a result of the old spiritual singing? 

Because the pain brought about by the old spiritual singing is that of a legacy of pain and injustice that has been passed down from generation to generation. The international concerns of the Brotherhood cannot tap into this very local and specific pain. 

400

How is the narrator presented with a moral dilemma as a result of Clifton's death?

His complex moral dilemma revolves around his struggle to reconcile his grief with his loyalty to the Brotherhood.

400

At the bottom of page 441, the narrator lies to the youth members about Clifton selling the Sambo dolls. Why does he do this? 

to protect the image they have of Clifton. 

400

What other symbolic item is the discarded Sambo doll placed next to in the narrator's briefcase? 

Brother Tarp's chain 

500

What does the narrator realize about Clifton's interaction with the officer that lead to his death? 

He realizes that Clifton wasn't running away from the officer; he was purposefully running toward his own death. 

500

What is the significance of the narrator's reaction to the old slave spirituals being sung? (Hint: how does this reaction compare to his previous reactions to slave history?)

He is realizing the impossibility of escaping his past, and with that comes the power to rewrite his identity. This highlights major personal growth for the narrator, considering his previously disgusted reactions to slave history.

500

How does the narrator reflect on himself and Clifton as Sambos, with regard to the Brotherhood, after Clifton's death? 

He realizes that he and Clifton were nothing more than dancing Sambos for the Brotherhood, whose ideologies and practices they followed without question. 

500

For the black banners that were used during the protest march before Clifton's funeral, what did they read? 

What is "Brother Tod Clifton. Our hope shot down." 

500

Who was sent to the morgue to claim Clifton's body? 

A committee of three old women.