Brother Jack. What is his purpose in the novel's overall message?

Trueblood to Bledsoe and beyond

This novel displays many different types of black men, some helpful to the young narrator's cause, some not so much. Whether names or unnamed, these men have been purposely included to represent something about Civil Rights. Discuss a few of these names/men and what he might represent.

The novel Invisible Man travels from one dramatic incident in the life of the narrator to another, and each adds to the overall meaning of the piece. Describe four dramatic incidences that have occurred in the novel and explain the message of each, as well as how each adds to the meaning of the last.

In literary works, cruelty often functions as a crucial motivation or a major social or political factor. Invisible Man begins and ends with acts of cruelty, and displays many in between. Analyzing how cruelty functions in the work as a whole and what the cruelty reveals about the perpetrator and/or victim.

Tokens

Explore the significance of the tokens the narrator collects throughout the novel (the diploma, the Brotherhood membership, the anonymous letter, the broken bank, and the paper doll puppet). Trace the growth of the narrator using these mementos.

Grandfather

How does the Grandfather’s philosophy as it was told to the narrator in his childhood affect his beliefs by the end of the novel? What does it take, and when does the narrator begin to espouse this view himself? How does that evolve further?

Ras the...

Look at the named (and unnamed) characters in the novel. What is the purpose of each name? For example, why does Ras’s change?

Contrast the narrator in the Prologue and Epilogue to the narrator in the body of the novel. Use specific details and examples of how the two characters differ. 

Compare and contrast Todd Clifton to the narrator. What was Ellison’s purpose in doing this?

Manipulation

What different things do white men do/use to control/manipulate black men in the novel? What events in the novel depict this? For example, Chapter 10 depicts the narrator’s experience in the paint factory – How does his experience in the factory, and others including white and black men,  represent some greater message/s?

Money, money, money ... MONEY!
What role does money – dollars and change- play in the novel? What does it have to do with the overall message?

Public Speaking

Why is public speaking so important to the novel? How does it manifest itself, evolve, and what does it have to do with the overall message?

Blindness
What role does blindness play in the novel? How does it manifest itself, evolve, and what does it have to do with the novel’s overall message?

Violence

It is not unusual for a writer to include one or more scenes of violence in a novel.  In good literature, the violence is not gratuitous.  Using Invisible Man, analyze the scenes of violence that Ellison uses in his story and explain how they enhance the meaning of the work.

Color Symbolism

In Invisible Man, Ralph Ellison has colors play a role throughout the book. Describe the role of each color, trace the color and its occurrences, and discuss its significance throughout the story. How does the color enhance the meaning of the story as a whole?

Settings:

There are several settings in Invisible Man that stand out as most significant. Ellison uses these settings, both their similarities and differences, for a variety of reasons.  Name settings in this novel that parallel each other, and briefly describe each one, discuss the similarities and differences, and analyze how they enhance the meaning of the novel.

Conclusions:

The conclusion of a piece of literature must be about a sense of closure and an acceptable ending to the story.  In what ways does Ellison’s novel end in a satisfactory or unsatisfactory way?

1. Chapter 12 - By the end of chapter 12, what is evident about the narrator’s character? How has he changed? What has he lost? What has he gained?

Chapter 11 - What life event does the shock therapy mimic, and what images support this? What happens after that supports this idea? How does Buckeye the Rabbit fit in?

More Chapter 10 - What might the fight between the narrator and Brockway represent? How does the end of the chapter, including the language Ellison uses, support this?

Chapter 10 - What is the symbolism associated with Liberty Paints? Explain the points of symbolism, such as the name of the paint, the motto, how its made...

Chapter 9 - What is symbolic about young Emerson and his father Emerson's names? What about the name is Ironic? What is the result of this chapter for the narrator and what other details in the chapter support this?

Chapter 8 - What is the conversation with the blueprint guy about? How is his name significant? What could it mean? What does all this represent for the narrator? What else does he do that reinforces this?