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The Invisible Man Questions

1.  How does the novel draw upon themes from African American literature and folklore?

2.  How does the novel draw upon themes from American history and African-American history?

3.  How does the novel take opposites and find a synthesis?

4.  How does the novel emulate Ralph Waldo Emerson’s works?

5.  How is Emerson corrupted?

6.  How is African-American history important in this novel?

7.  How does the narrator become the new American Adam?

8.  How does oratory and/or writing become important?

9.  How does illusion vs. reality / seeming vs. being / appearing vs. being work?

10. How is being electrified, a part of a machine, and/or gaining electrical power important?

11. How do black and white Sexual myths become important?

12. How/why do the grandfather's words: "Live with your head in the lions’ mouth. I want you to overcome 'em with yeses, undermine 'em with grins, agree 'em to death and destruction, let 'em swoller you til they vomit or bust wide open,” affect the narrator?

13. How/why do these ideas later show up with Trueblood?

14. Notice that the narrator is able to see through his blindfold – he is starting to get a glimpse in the darkness – see through to the truth. What does he see?

15. When the narrator gives his speech, he visualizes himself as a Booker T. Washington. Notice why and how:

16. Why is the school described as Eden?

17. Notice the image of the statue of the Founder, with the pigeon poop on him. Why does the narrator think it looks like he is putting a veil over head of student?

18. How/why is Norton’s fate tied to blacks?. (or at least what he envisions of blacks)

19. Why does the narrator tells tell Trueblood, "You look upon chaos and are not destroyed"?

20. How/why is Trueblood a natural born storyteller?

21. How does Trueblood’s story reveal Norton’s unhealthy incestual feeling toward his own daughter?

22. Wow why is Trueblood’s dream releasing him from his ego?

23. How does the riot at The Golden Day mirror the Battle Royal?

24. When they overthrow Supercargo (superego), one veteran says, "I feel he's inside my head," what are they doing symbolically?

25. How/why is the sermon by Barbee for the whites only?

26. In the sermon, the narrator sees the highly developed style of what he wants to be. How/why are the words and the sound of the sermon more important than what is said?

27. How/why does the sermon make the students machines?

28. How/why does Bledsoe force blacks, whites, and finally himself to accept an illusion?