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?
The talk with the blueprint guy is laced with symbolism. When referring to "the bear" and "the bear's den," he is referring to Harlem and the way that it is both a place of trouble and hardship for blacks, and a safe haven for them. Noticeably, the various blueprints the man is carrying refer to the idea that each blueprint is a separate idea that has not come to fruition, showing all of the missed opportunities. This is like many of the scenarios presented in the book, where people in power are both controlling and being controlled, and many blacks have been taken advantage of by the system, preventing free thinking in almost every part of their lives. The blues singing is related to the culture and the way that black people express themselves in sorrow, also symbolized by the color blue in both the prints and the singing. For the marrator, all of this represents his lack of control and the culture that continues to haunt him.
One of the major parts of that conversation was when the blueprint guy asked about the "dog". The "dog" could mean that does the narrator have the guts to go forth with his plans. One of the narrator's plans represents becoming invisible. The blueprints represents each of the narrator's ideas that could lead him to happiness in the future. The guy is basically asking him if he has the guts to carry them out. Does the narrator have the guts to become an invisible man.
An important part of the blueprint guy is the mention of "The Bear" and "The Bear's Dean." Both, representing how Harlem houses fierce creatures like bears, creating a safe haven of ferocious animals (thus, you need to be a ferocious/tenacious animal to live there). The blueprints themselves represent the creations of the white man that the black man will soon have to build, enforcing the idea behind the fact that black men work for the white men unwillingly, and usually receive no accreditation for this (hence, why a white man is carrying the blueprints). In agreement with Dean, the singing of the blues can represent the narrator's lack of control of his situations, but it can also allude to Harlem culture and the blues an music focused in time around the Harlem Renaissance.
Peter Wheatstraw, or the man with the blueprints, is found by the narrator singing blues. He speaks with a southern dialect and refers to slang that the narrator does not know. The real Peetie Wheatstraw, was a black musician who lived in the early 20th century. From his encounter with the cart-man, the narrator learns that he cannot escape his past, or his Southern roots. He also learns that in order to live in New York, he must learn not only to survive, but to adapt. The old, thrown out blueprints represent old ideas that were changed to adapt to the ever evolving Harlem.
The conversation between the narrator and the blueprint is about whether the narrator has the dog and the bear, and Harlem being referred to as the bear's den. The dog can refer to a cultural connection the narrator has to the south and home, which he as cut to live in Harlem. This means that the narrator does not have the dog. The bear's den as Harlem represents a place where people like him, a black man who is viewed as scary and dangerous by society can take refuge. The man says that the blueprints he is carrying have no meaning and nothing can be built from them. This shows that plans are not set in stone and each blueprint represents a possible path in life. The color blue is also symbolic of home, and the fact that he was singing the blues is reminiscent of home. The blueprints are future plans, and once those plans have been "built" they become your home.
This chapter is packed with symbolism. The man carries a cart of blueprints that have no meaning to them. At this point the narrator is at a crossroads and is trying to find work. Th blueprints represent the multiple directions that his life can be built. I agree with the above posts that the bear represents the harshness of society, especially because Harlem is referred to as the bears den. The scrapes on his side represent the tolls that the life of Harlem can take on you. Because the man is singing the blues and the blueprints are blue this could represent home for the narrator, especially because of the mentioning of the dog which is a pet and pets remind a person of home.
The conversation with the blueprint guy is about life in Harlem. He refers to "the dog","the bear", and "the bear's den" (Harlem). These three could represent how people who live in the city are bears, comfortable in their own "den." Meanwhile, new city-goers are "dogs" much less fierce than a bear, and not even on their own turf. The blueprint guy's name was Peter Wheatstraw, and his named was based off Peetie Wheatstraw, a successful and influential black musician from the early 20th century. The name could mean that the blueprints represented success, as someone being able to buy a house means that they are successful.
At first, I did not understand the narrator’s conversation with the blueprint guy at all, and I had to reread the scene several times. I honestly still think that guy didn’t really know what he was talking about, or at least was a little out of it. He mentions “the dog,” “the bear,” and “the bear’s den.” The dog represents the narrator’s connection to his past in the South. The man in the diner also connects the narrator to the South. The bear represents the harsh life for those who live in Harlem, and the bear’s den is Harlem. The blueprint guys name is a reference to Peetie Wheatstraw, an influential black musician in the early 1900s. This name could connect to the blueprints in that they are plans that lead to success, but they have to be followed to get there.
The blueprint guy carries around blueprints with no meaning to him whatsoever, and talks about "the bear" "the bear's den" and "the dog". The dog can represent the narrator's connection with home and south, which he doesn't have. The bears den can represent Harlem in this case and the people living in it are fierce and violent, in our cases in racism. Also, blueprints are the start of a structure for a completed structure. The blueprints could symbolize the directions and steps that the narrator has to take to achieve his goals. And the many different blueprints represent the many different directions he can take for different outcomes in his life and he just needs to choose the right one for what he wants. The narrator has a lack of control for what his real outcome will become a culture that haunts him.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteThe talk with the blueprint guy is laced with symbolism. When referring to "the bear" and "the bear's den," he is referring to Harlem and the way that it is both a place of trouble and hardship for blacks, and a safe haven for them. Noticeably, the various blueprints the man is carrying refer to the idea that each blueprint is a separate idea that has not come to fruition, showing all of the missed opportunities. This is like many of the scenarios presented in the book, where people in power are both controlling and being controlled, and many blacks have been taken advantage of by the system, preventing free thinking in almost every part of their lives. The blues singing is related to the culture and the way that black people express themselves in sorrow, also symbolized by the color blue in both the prints and the singing. For the marrator, all of this represents his lack of control and the culture that continues to haunt him.
ReplyDeleteOne of the major parts of that conversation was when the blueprint guy asked about the "dog". The "dog" could mean that does the narrator have the guts to go forth with his plans. One of the narrator's plans represents becoming invisible. The blueprints represents each of the narrator's ideas that could lead him to happiness in the future. The guy is basically asking him if he has the guts to carry them out. Does the narrator have the guts to become an invisible man.
ReplyDeleteAn important part of the blueprint guy is the mention of "The Bear" and "The Bear's Dean." Both, representing how Harlem houses fierce creatures like bears, creating a safe haven of ferocious animals (thus, you need to be a ferocious/tenacious animal to live there). The blueprints themselves represent the creations of the white man that the black man will soon have to build, enforcing the idea behind the fact that black men work for the white men unwillingly, and usually receive no accreditation for this (hence, why a white man is carrying the blueprints). In agreement with Dean, the singing of the blues can represent the narrator's lack of control of his situations, but it can also allude to Harlem culture and the blues an music focused in time around the Harlem Renaissance.
ReplyDeletePeter Wheatstraw, or the man with the blueprints, is found by the narrator singing blues. He speaks with a southern dialect and refers to slang that the narrator does not know. The real Peetie Wheatstraw, was a black musician who lived in the early 20th century. From his encounter with the cart-man, the narrator learns that he cannot escape his past, or his Southern roots. He also learns that in order to live in New York, he must learn not only to survive, but to adapt. The old, thrown out blueprints represent old ideas that were changed to adapt to the ever evolving Harlem.
ReplyDeleteThe conversation between the narrator and the blueprint is about whether the narrator has the dog and the bear, and Harlem being referred to as the bear's den. The dog can refer to a cultural connection the narrator has to the south and home, which he as cut to live in Harlem. This means that the narrator does not have the dog. The bear's den as Harlem represents a place where people like him, a black man who is viewed as scary and dangerous by society can take refuge. The man says that the blueprints he is carrying have no meaning and nothing can be built from them. This shows that plans are not set in stone and each blueprint represents a possible path in life. The color blue is also symbolic of home, and the fact that he was singing the blues is reminiscent of home. The blueprints are future plans, and once those plans have been "built" they become your home.
ReplyDeleteThis chapter is packed with symbolism. The man carries a cart of blueprints that have no meaning to them. At this point the narrator is at a crossroads and is trying to find work. Th blueprints represent the multiple directions that his life can be built. I agree with the above posts that the bear represents the harshness of society, especially because Harlem is referred to as the bears den. The scrapes on his side represent the tolls that the life of Harlem can take on you. Because the man is singing the blues and the blueprints are blue this could represent home for the narrator, especially because of the mentioning of the dog which is a pet and pets remind a person of home.
ReplyDeleteThe conversation with the blueprint guy is about life in Harlem. He refers to "the dog","the bear", and "the bear's den" (Harlem). These three could represent how people who live in the city are bears, comfortable in their own "den." Meanwhile, new city-goers are "dogs" much less fierce than a bear, and not even on their own turf. The blueprint guy's name was Peter Wheatstraw, and his named was based off Peetie Wheatstraw, a successful and influential black musician from the early 20th century. The name could mean that the blueprints represented success, as someone being able to buy a house means that they are successful.
ReplyDeleteAt first, I did not understand the narrator’s conversation with the blueprint guy at all, and I had to reread the scene several times. I honestly still think that guy didn’t really know what he was talking about, or at least was a little out of it. He mentions “the dog,” “the bear,” and “the bear’s den.” The dog represents the narrator’s connection to his past in the South. The man in the diner also connects the narrator to the South. The bear represents the harsh life for those who live in Harlem, and the bear’s den is Harlem. The blueprint guys name is a reference to Peetie Wheatstraw, an influential black musician in the early 1900s. This name could connect to the blueprints in that they are plans that lead to success, but they have to be followed to get there.
ReplyDeleteThe blueprint guy carries around blueprints with no meaning to him whatsoever, and talks about "the bear" "the bear's den" and "the dog". The dog can represent the narrator's connection with home and south, which he doesn't have. The bears den can represent Harlem in this case and the people living in it are fierce and violent, in our cases in racism. Also, blueprints are the start of a structure for a completed structure. The blueprints could symbolize the directions and steps that the narrator has to take to achieve his goals. And the many different blueprints represent the many different directions he can take for different outcomes in his life and he just needs to choose the right one for what he wants. The narrator has a lack of control for what his real outcome will become a culture that haunts him.
ReplyDelete