Second Hour Discussion Prep: Please come to the discussion on Tuesday and Wednesday with thoughtful discussion notes and text references. This is part of your presentation grade. Please see rubric for further information.

Chapters 2-7

  1. Why aren't there any stronger female roles in the college that the Invisible Man encounters?
  2. If that character was set in 2012 how would he act in society?
  3. Why does the IM go through this difficult journey, only to end up where he started?
  4. What effect did leaving the narrator nameless have on the story and the reader?
  5. Describe how the word "white" is portrayed though out the book?

Chapters 8-11

  1. Why does Emerson's son decide to tell the narrator about the letters?
  2. What does Bledsoe gain by betraying the narrator?
  3. What is Ellison trying to say about American society through the symbolism of the paint?
  4. Why is the union represented as hostile and paranoid, and what is this supposed to show about unions or the people who join unions?
  5. Why are doctors portrayed as being morally unjust?
  6. Why does the narrator go through a personality change?
  7. Why does Ellison only portray immoral superiors to the narrator, without including any truthful ones?

Chapters 12-15

  1. What main events happen in chapters 12-15?
  2. How does Ellison use women in this section?
  3. How is the Narrator viewed in this section?
  4. Why does Ellison not tell us what the Narrator's new name is?
  5. Why does Ellison use italicized text after the invisible man leaves the paint factory?

Chapters 16-19

  1. Did the woman's husband see the Invisible Man and his wife in bed together?
  2. What does Ellison want us to know?
  3. How are the African American people constructed in this text?
  4. How are theCaucasian people constructed in this text?
  5. What was Ellison's real goal for writing this book?
  6. Why are the words of Invisible Man's grandfather so significant to him?
  7. What knowledge does the reader need to bring to this text in order to understand it?
  8. What do non-African American readers get out of the book?

Chapters 20-23

  1. What reaction does the narrator want from the crowd about his speech on Clifton’s death and what devices does he employ to achieve this?
  2. Why does the Narrator’s Rinehart disguise upset the patrons in the bar so much and why does the Narrator continue to let them believe him to be Rinehart?
  3. What was Clifton’s purpose in selling the “Sambo” dolls and why does the author not allow Clifton to speak to the Narrator during this event?
  4. Based on the events of the narrator’s observations of those around him after Clifton’s death (p.438-444) and the reaction of the crowd during the narrator’s speech about Clifton’s death (p.450-461), what is Ellison trying to portray about the black community?
  5. Why did the narrator choose to “yes them to death” after speaking to Hambro and what was the significance f this decision?

Chapters 24-Epilogue

  1. What does Ellison do to show that not just African Americans have struggled in the United States, but other minorities have struggled as well. If he has done only a little, is it because the book is outdated?
  2. Why do you think Ras the Exhorter came riding into town on a horse and costume? What did it represent?
  3. On page 519 Sybil says, “‘Repression’,”... ‘Men have represses us too much.’” clearly indicating that she values women’s rights and the equality of women. Why do you think she wants the Invisible Man to disrespect and violate her?
  4. Is Invisible Man an accurate portrayal of life for a black man? Is it a bit over the top or dramatic to make a statement?
  5. What will the Invisible Man do next? Will he really find the "light"?
  6. Was the Brotherhood really evil? What were their actual goals? Were they really as heartless as the IM thought?