What is Chapter 20 of Invisible Man about?
Summary: Chapter 20 The narrator visits a bar, one of his old Harlem haunts. He recognizes two men who have attended some of his speeches and addresses them as “brother.” They react with hostility. He learns that many of the jobs that the Brotherhood procured for Harlem residents have disappeared.
What does the woman offer the narrator to drink?
They agree to “discuss ideology” on the sofa, and the hostess’ offer of coffee quickly turns into an offer of wine. The hostess remarks that she is a little afraid of the narrator, and that there is something “primitive” in his voice.
What was brother Wrestrum asking for?
Wrestrum uses concern about the Brotherhood’s purity to attack those within the party that he wants to take down. When asked for specifics to support his accusations, Brother Wrestrum shows the committee the magazine interview, claiming that the interview is all about the narrator instead of about the Brotherhood.
Who is Rinehart?
Rinehart. A surreal figure who never appears in the book except by reputation. Rinehart possesses a seemingly infinite number of identities, among them pimp, bookie, and preacher who speaks on the subject of “invisibility.” When the narrator wears dark glasses in Harlem one day, many people mistake him for Rinehart.
What happens right before the end of the chapter to make the narrator realize the significance of his leadership?
What happens right before the end of the chapter to make the narrator realize the significance of his leadership? Two boys run from a store with stolen candy bars. The storekeeper chases them & is then surrounded by a crowd- we assume he is white. The narrator realizes his speaking influenced these people.
What does the coin bank symbolize in Invisible Man?
The coin bank represents the difficulty of abandoning the legacies of past stereotypes, and that all men carry the burden of history with them as they move forward.
Why does the white woman sleep with the narrator?
After the narrator’s first lecture as a women’s rights activist, a white woman invites him into her home to discuss the Brotherhood’s ideology. She turns out to be a neglected wife who aims to seduce him. She and the narrator sleep together. Later in the night, the woman’s husband comes home.
What gift does Brother tarp give the narrator?
Brother Tarp tells the narrator about his imprisonment for more than 19 years because he dared to say “No” to a white man, and he gives the narrator a link from the chain he was forced to wear as an inmate. Although he doesn’t know what to make of Brother Tarp’s gift, the narrator is honored by his gesture.
Is Dr Bledsoe black?
Dr. The president at the narrator’s college. Dr. Bledsoe proves selfish, ambitious, and treacherous. He is a Black man who puts on a mask of servility to the white community.
Is Jim Trueblood black?
In any case, Trueblood isn’t a bayou vampire. He’s a poor, uneducated black man who lives on the outskirts of the narrator’s college campus, Trueblood fits the negative black stereotype to a tee—and is amply rewarded for living up to it.
Who is Kimbro in Invisible Man?
Mr. Kimbro Superintendent at the Liberty Paint Factory, known to his employees as “the Colonel” and “slave driver.” Lucius Brockway The black man in charge of mixing paints and regulating the pressure on the boilers in the basement of the Liberty Paint Factory.
What happened at the end of the Invisible Man book?
Invisible Man ends with an epilogue in which the narrator decides that his “hibernation” has lasted long enough, and that he will finally leave his underground cellar to rejoin society. Prior to reaching this conclusion, the narrator chronicles Harlem’s spiral into a chaotic riot.
Why does the narrator break the cast iron coin bank?
Ellison uses the coin bank as a symbol for the harmful racial stereotypes that the narrator has tried in vain to escape. The figure represents the servile, obsequious slave, eager to provide self-effacing amusement to white people, performing petlike tricks for them.
Why does the narrator get so angry when he notices the cast iron bank in the shape of a caricature of a black man?
Why does the narrator get so angry when he notices the cast-iron bank in the shape of a caricature of a black man? Someone put that in his room. He finds it insulting as the object is making fun of black people. It also has money in it which is also an insult as he needs money but he is angry about the insult.
Who is Mr Norton?
Mr. Norton is a white trustee of the college from Boston. Norton believes that though his donations he understands the black community, but in reality he is clueless, a fact that is exposed by his experience with Trueblood and at the Golden Day.
How do I track the themes in Invisible Man?
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in Invisible Man, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work. The narrator feels excited to give his first speech on the Woman Question. The narrator knows the topic will generate interest, and also feels that the women will be interested in him for his blackness alone.
What is Clifton’s role in Chapter 19?
Clifton was the narrator’s strongest ally in the Brotherhood, as well as the man most capable of fighting against Ras’ black nationalism. Without Clifton, the role of the Brotherhood in Harlem is significantly weakened. Wallace, David. “Invisible Man Chapter 19.” LitCharts. LitCharts LLC, 16 Sep 2013. Web. 6 Aug 2021. Wallace, David.
How does the narrator represent the “primitive black male?
Rather, to the white woman, the narrator embodies the “primitive” black male; she treats him as an object, using him to indulge her sexual fantasies. Read more about the problem of trading one stereotype for another.