Literary devices
The lines “I am an invisible man,” are often used throughout the book. What do they represent?
They represent the ongoing theme in the story
What is the narrator forced to do instead of perform his speech?
He is blindfolded and forced to fight amongst other young black men
What is the main characters or narrator's name?
The narrator has no name
Why was the line, “They're my birthmark," I said. "I yam what I am!" import
This is the first time the narrator is willing to embrace Southern food in New York, marking an important step towards uncovering his full and complex identity.
What character has only one eye?
Brother jack
What did the briefcase represent or show about the narrator?
The briefcase showed his past vulnerability, eagerness to please, and youthful ambitions, he held onto it for a while until he finally lost it, suggesting a cut in ties to his young past self and showing possible rebirth.
Why were Bledsoe’s letters of recommendations of no help to the narrator?
The letter of recommendation turned out to be working against him therefore became of no use to the narrator in search for jobs.
Who is the president of the narrator's college?
Dr. Bledsoe
What made “I am an invisible man.…. I am a man of substance, of flesh and bone, fiber and liquids -- and I might even be said to possess a mind. I am invisible, understand, simply because people refuse to see me.” Such an impactful opening to the prologue?
This line posed and remained prominent throughout the story because he often viewed himself as invisible someone who’s life was not seen but what made this line meaningful was the realization that he himself was blind to his own actions of conformity in this society he was apart of.
What happened to Tod Clifton?
He was shot and killed by the police
What made the addition of black paint drops in the white important?
Black paint drops were a necessity to make pure white and they easily represented how the black contribution to white America is often overlooked and simply discarded because they are not seen and their contribution only helps highlight the predominantly white society in their time.
What happened to the narrator after being knocked unconscious?
After being knocked unconscious we find out that he is being experimented on and sending electrical currents through him.
Which of the men in the brotherhood offer the narrator numerous opportunities from the start?
Brother jack
Explain “My predicament struck me like a stab. I had the sense of losing control of the car and slammed on the brakes in the middle of the road, then apologized and drove on. Here within this quiet greenness I possessed the only identity I had ever known, and I was losing it"
The narrator is shown to have a weak sense of personality and character because this showed that when his life as a college student was threatened he felt that he cannot control who he is, which is represented in his losing control of the car.
What did the narrator's grandfather mean with “overcome 'em with yeses”
The narrator's grandfather wanted to make sure that he would be sure to do things differently than he had done and take an affirmative stance in hope to cause change.
Why were the sambo dolls a negative symbol in the invisible man?
At first the dolls seem to move on their own, but the narrator finds that they move by the pulling of an almost invisible string, symbolizing that it is the Brotherhood who is pulling the strings, contrary to what the narrator thinks.
Who was the narrator mistaken for when he wears those sunglasses and hat?
he was believed to be Rinehart
Which of the members was found selling sambo dolls?
Brother Tod Clifton
What made "I could see it now, see it clearly and in growing magnitude. It was not suicide, but murder. The committee had planned it. And I had helped, had been a tool. A tool just at the very moment I had though myself free," such an Impactful quote
This quote can easily be viewed as one of the most climactic moment in the book and The narrator had finally realized that the “Brotherhood” has set up an entire plan and that he played a large role in their scheme without having realized it.
Who is rinehart?
Rinehart is someone the narrator is often confused for and appears to be seen differently by every person that he encounters. He is shown to be a mysterious and unknown character whom the narrator never has the chance to meet.
What purpose did Brother tarp's leg shackle hold?
The leg shackle was given to the narrator to remind him of their cause. The shackle being bent and open, symbolized the freedom that Brother Tarp gained, but by keeping it, it represents a reminder of the past and what they are fighting to get rid of.
Why did the narrator end up saying in the manhole?
The narrator realized he needed a plan of action and decided that he would hibernate until then.
Who is a black nationalist that strongly opposed the activities of the brotherhood?
Ras the destroyer (exhorter)
What is meant when the narrator says, “And my problem was that I always tried to go in everyone’s way but my own. I have also been called one thing and then another while no one really wished to hear what I called myself. So after years of trying to adopt the opinions of others I finally rebelled. I am an invisible man.”
He means that he has been limited by prejudices and up until now has only followed the ideology of society (the brotherhood) without trusting or developing an identity of his own.
How many lightbulbs does the narrator have burning in his underground room?
1,369