For Week 8, write down your thoughts about Ellison's Invisible Man through the end of the novel! Please write at least four or five sentences about:
- your reactions
- your questions
- your thoughts
- words, phrases, or sentences that stood out to you
- your engagement with the novel: dissect it, unravel it, work your way around in it
- what you think will happen next or at some point in the future
Note: I want you to be honest about your thoughts, but this is not your opportunity to whine or complain. Let's keep these posts thoughtful, intelligent, critical, and insightful.
Do not make your post simply a list of questions you expect someone else to answer.
Nor do I want a summary of what happened.
(I apologize for not being at school Friday and Monday- hopefully you used this time and will be ready for a great discussion on the novel on Tuesday!!)
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67 comments:
It was sad to see Tod Cliffton on the streets selling the paper dolls. But i found it weird how he used a piece of black thread that was nearly invisible to control the doll. To me, this seemed like the doll was the narrator and the string was BrotherJack. I thought this because Jack is always making his clients do what he wants without thinking. It was weird how Jack also referred to himself as the "great white father" which I thought that it was showing how since he is white he is still able to control the black society. In a way Brother Jack did control the black society because he tried to make them all think in one way.
I thought the part with Brother Jacks fake eye popping out was a little weird. I would not want to see an eyeball in a glass on a desk.
But overall, the book was really good. It started out reallyyy slow, but ended well.
I'm proud of myself for doing the blog so early. chyeaa
Up until this point, I thought the briefcase was a symbol of the acceptance the narrator was never going to get, but still clings so hard to. But during the riot and the fire, even after he's been disillusioned about the ideals that Brother Jack and others have fed him, he still risks his life to save the briefcase. Then when he goes into the hole and starts burning everything in the briefcase for light, I thought the briefcase took on a new meaning. It's more like the briefcase symbolizes the narrator's journey. Each of the things in his briefcase (college papers, the new name from Jack, the Sambo dolls) represents a different part of his journey and the ideals that he followed during it. The significance of him ending the story with the briefcase, rather than discarding it, suggests that he needed to experience the deceptions in order to come to the realization that he is invisible.
I was happy to be finished with Invisible Man. It was a great book and many lessons were taught but that means one less book to read! But in these chapters, one of the most interesting parts was when I found out that Brother Jack had been the one to write the letter. I did not realize who had written it at first. I asked Brittany Frazier and she told me and then it all made sense. You can figure out who wrote the letter because his brotherhood name and the letter were written in the same handwriting! Therefore Brother Jack is the one who wrote the letter!
So it only took the narrator 570 pages to come around to a revelation! That is about 147 pages later than I thought it would take... I'm kidding. The novel was pretty good. I was really disappointed to see Tod Clifton die. I really thought he might be the character that would bring the narrator around to his senses. Even dead, however, I guess Tod did help the narrator. If it was not for his death the riot would have never occurred, and the narrator's epiphany might have faded into the social abyss. I laughed, in a somewhat sedistic manner, at the narrator's writing on Sybil. Once I thought about it, I realized that Santa, like the narrator, comes in without being scene and does his kind deeds. Santa is this imaginary character that we all believe is real,but at some point in life we must accept was created for happiness. So in a way, the narrator is Santa. They are invisible to all, not real.
Although slow to start, the novel finished off decently.
Invisible Man wasn't too bad... then again i'm glad to be done with it so we can move on to our choice novels! In the last few chapters, I was so glad that he finally came to a conclusion about who he wanted to be. Then again he is stuck underground and the readers do not get to see where he ends up. The most depressing part of the last few chapters was when Todd Cliffton got shot just because he was black. Very sad. In all honesty the last chapters did not make a whole lot of sense. There is a tie for the funniest part between Jack's eye popping out and the narrator drawing on that woman's stomach. Enjoy.
Honestly Mrs. Charbonnet, this book was quite boring. I felt as if we would never get through it, but I'm glad we did! One thing I did like though, was that almost everything was a symbol for something else. I thought the Sambo doll thing was actually kind of funny. To just walk down the street and see a black man selling little black slave dolls, I'm guessing that would be humorous and ironic. I think the saddest part in the whole novel was when Tod Clifton was killed. But other than that, the last few chapters were just bizarre. The Santa on Sybil's belly thing, still just doesn't register 100% with me. All in all this book wasn't the worst, but I definitely won't recommend it to any friends!
Yay, no more Invisble Man reading!-it actually was not all that bad. I honestly enjoyed reading and discussing the narrator's journey in finding his identity. Although, I was ticked off at him throughout the majority of the novel for letting the Brotherhood and his environment shape his identity, rather than venturing out and discovering who he truly is. He was always trying to appease everyone, and let others walk over him- including the two women he slept with! It was a huge relief when he encountered Ras at the riot downtown. The narrator finally had the epiphany that he cannot live by what the absurd world tells him to be; he has to discover what his beliefs are, and form his own and unique identity. I liked that Ellison placed him in a black hole in the final chapter, because this allowed the narrator to reflect upon himself and his past experiences with no distractions. And he finally burned his belongings in that burdensome briefcase!
I liked IM a lot but, the ending was not too amazing, at least not to me. I feel like the last few chapters were nothing but explanations and chitchatting, with the exception of the Sybil chapter. However, I did like some of the quotes in these last chapters a lot and I will probably end of using them and acting like I'm phylisophical. I definitely like the fact that he enjoys staying in the hole full of coal but I was a little concerned when he started lighting matches and papers in there: not incredibly bright. Overall the last chapters were not too surprising but the destruction chapter was pretty suspenseful. I am left with one question though. How will he get out of the hole?
Sucks to all your bad reviews; I really enjoyed this one. It was not by any means a favorite, but Ellison is great and I loved his style, especially the random situations (e.g. the narrator's writing on Sybil's unconscious body), quirky metaphors, and allusions to music.
While working on my MWDS, I was pleased but not surprised to learn that Ellison was educated in music. In my opinion, he did not allude to arpeggios and dissonance simply to flex his music theory muscles, but instead to add a separate understanding to the things he described in each scene. For instance, while describing the college for the first time, Ellison points out the "earth-shaking rhythms" of the powerhouse engines and the "majestically mellow" trombones playing hymns. Here the author describes the glamorous facade of the school that is later revealed as a corrupt organization.
I thought it was crazy how much the briefcase meant to the IM. When he went with Scofield and Du to start that fire and he was running out of a burning building, he goes back to grab his briefcase. Like what? He could have died! I guess it hit me how he needed those papers in his briefcase (high school diploma, birth certificate etc.) to really validate himself. He let those papers define him. I mean without them he still has an education and he certainly still has life, the papers are just papers. I think when he finally had to burn all the papers to try and find a way out of the hole, it was something that was coming all along. It's like he was burning all the things needed to prove to others who he is, and now all that is left is himself. He has to know who he is now.
Wow, what a relief, all this time we've been waiting for the narrator to find his identity.... and he finally did it! All by himself, too..
Well, the narrator was too naive for my tastes, even though I did enjoy reading about all of the crazy things that he was put through. That lady that seduced him--very entertaining! And Brother Jack's eye ball falling out of his head.. YES! haha I definitely laughed..
Tod Cliffton dying was very tragic, however, as much as I don't want to say this, it was necessary for the narrator to make any progress. His death resulted in the narrator taking action for the first time by himself. It resulted in the narrator being able to stand up to Brother Jack, which in turn helped him say what HE believed for once! And then all the truth was revealed. I was proud of the narrator for finally getting up some guts. Yay! Now lets move on to choice novels...
I am glad we've finished the first novel!!! It was a pretty good book, and I was relieved that it wasn't just some guy ranting about his problems. I do think that the narrator goes crazy in the end. He laughs at random moments, and starts talking crazily to try to get people to understand. There were moments when I wondered if all the time he spent struggling to find out who he is, made him lose his mind.
I was very proud of myself, when I guessed earlier that Brother Jack sent the letter to the narrator. When he sees that the handwriting is the same in the hole, I wasn't surprised. Brother Jack was always trying to manipulate people and his plan to start the riot played into the note letter that he sent.
Probably my favorite part at the end was when the narrator burns the paper in his briefcase. It was so symbolic of his rebirth and his rejection of the identity that people had created for him. I think the book ended on an optimistic note, and I wonder what the narrator is going to do when he emerges from hibernation.
By the way, the part with Sybil has made me see Santa Claus in a bad light...thanks a lot, Ellison!
I liked the book for its themes and the fact that it is still relevent to life even though it was written a while back. On that note i really don't agree with the final message that it send. In the end the narrarator gives up on his dreams and lives in a hole. That just isn't a very good life lesson. It should have ended with some kind of message about perservering or something. Overall the ending didnt make sense but the novel was good.
I liked the book overall except for the fact that everything was a sybol for something else. This got tiring after awhile, but it makes you think which of course is a good thing. My favorite part of the whole novel was when he wrote on her stomach saying,"Sybil you were raped by Santa Claus, Surprise." This creeps me out and yet it is still funny because Santa Claus is nice and a saint. He should not be raping people. It makes it seem like Santa is a creeper. The narrator finally figures out that he is being controlled by the Brotherhood and that he should not want to be white, but himself. It only took him 581 pages to figure this out. I am glad that this book is over. There is just too much symbolism.
Well, suprisingly, I really like the book. I felt it was a lot more than a book about racial issues, because identity is something that everyone faces, especially when we're younger. I was really surprised that the whole book ended with him falling in a man hole, but I guess things like that happen. I liked the dream he has at the very end because it is saying that you can only find your identity through being broken. Finding identity is sacrifice and giving up all your pride to discover who you really are. The epilogue keeps me wondering how he plans to become active again. After being alienated so long, I imagine it will be difficult. I also think he'll have trouble integrating without being extremely skeptical of everyone else and their superficial nature.
I am kind of undecided about the narrator ending up living in a cellar type of thing that he got to from hiding but I have come to the conclusion that it was probably for the best. I almost just wanted for him to jump out of there and restore Harlem to a more peaceful place and become a more stereotypical hero. However, it was not to be but I was content eith the way that things ended. I also wish that we could find out what happens to Jack and the rest of the brotherhood afterwards. Whether or not their plan works and what they do in Harlem after that. But, my guess would be that they never try to return to Harlem at all.
Finally, the book is over!! Just kidding (but seriously). So I liked the end of the book a lot, but I didn't really see how the chaos at the end of the book really fit with the rest of the calm and symbolic separate story lines that came and went during the novel. I guess it was just a little surprising and I felt it had less of a symbolic aspect than the rest of the book until he explains his revelations in the manhole. Despite this, I did like the end of the book more than the rest, perhaps because I didn't enjoy the symbolic filling of the rest.
I enjoyed the scene where the narrator hurls the spear at Ras and also the description of Ras charging the mounted policeman like a Roman Equites and smiting them with his shield. Overall, I just liked the hectic atmosphere and fast flowing story. And obviously the narrator finally standing up for himself was a relief to me. Reading through all of his naivety and ignorance was pretty frustrating. I found his mocking laughter during the dream enjoyable as it mocked his former manipulators. I'm glad he finally found himself in all the chaos and ended up baffling his captors and slandering everything they stood for. Overall, I think I just liked the awake invisible man a lot more than the asleep one.
I honestly didn't think I'd like this book because I think the whole "finding you identity thing" is kind of cliche. But the end summed everything up for me and I really enjoyed it! Even though not everyone is black and has to struggle to break out of the racist social expectations they are given, there comes a time in everyone's life when they have to define who they are--either by someone else's ideas or their own.
I also liked IM because it reminded me of the hero/quest formula of writing. I think we learned about that in sophomore English or maybe Latin, but I like going by a formula because you can predict what will happen next.
I liked how Ellison snuck in some humor, like the glass eye falling out, and him writing on that woman's stomach (although that was pretty weird).
This book will be hard to beat! I would definitely recommend it.
The book was good and can still be applied today. Invisibility is not just based on race today. It seems that kids that aren't accepted by the 'popular' kids become invisible. The whole Brotherhood can be referred to when people are recruited to certain things. Normally, the recruiters only have themselves in mind and what is good for the matter at hand. Who they are recruiting and what happens to them doesn't seem to matter. People don't think about others well being really anymore. Its all about ones self. The narrator's stupidity is astounding too. It took him FOREVER to realize what society was doing to him....no matter how many hints he had.
I liked that almost everything in the book was a symbol. It kept me, as a reader, on my toes and expecting something strange to happen.
I couldn't believe that Tod Cliffton got shot.
I liked that the novel also had a lot of morals built in.
I'm glad that the narrator finally figured some things out even though it was right in front o fhim the whole time.
When brother Jack's eye popped out, I laughed so hard! It is a little nasty though!
I thought this was an overall good book. It was frustrating that it took so long for the narrator to realize he needed to emerge from underground. Like some other people, I was kinda sad when Tod Clifton died. He seemed like he might be the one to knock some sense into the narrator. I thought that the scene with Sybil was a little strange yet comical. I'm glad to be through with the first book! But it was good and I would recommend it to others.
It was interesting to see Clifton on the side of the street selling little paper dolls. This seemingly insignifigant low class job was to him so much better than "making a difference" in the brotherhood. He was able to realize that being a respected citizen of a higher class is not worth it if your identity and morals are sacrificed.
It was also VERY exciting to see the narrator FINALLY realize that the Brotherhood was corrupt. He was finally able to lose a sense of ignorance and stand on his own two fight. He was able to fight for his own ideals instead of those of everybody around him.
The reference to IM seeing Mr. Norton at the train station was a good way to end the novel because it tied the book together. It provided a contrast of the ignorant and naive narrator at the beginning who really believed he could affect a man of power and the n arrator at the end who realizes he was being taken advantage of.
Overall, I enjoyed Invisible Man. The ending was a little disappointing though. I figured that he would have some great epiphany about his identity in some awesome scene where he triumphs over Bledsoe and Jack. However it was upsetting to read that he just falls into a man hole and goes into "hibernation". However, I do think that upon his re-emergence, he will defeat them somehow. Through all that he learned, he is definately prepared.
Repeatedly, in the novel, there is a repetition of blindness, whether it's physical or metaphorical. First, the narrator is blinded by his ambition and naivety. He is overzealous for the Brotherhood and his desire to reach the top clouded his sensible judgement and reasoning capabilities. Then, there is Bartleby. He is physically blind, but he preaches about blindly following the Founder's ideals. Ellison makes a direct correlation between his blindness and speech. Finally, Brother Jack is also partially blind, symbolized by his fake eye. He, too, is a fanatic about the Brotherhood and exercises arbitrary control of the Brotherhood. Despite him being the leader, he seems distant from the true mood/feelings of the people and always believes he knows what the best course of action is.
In general, I liked the novel. It had its slow moments, but had a nice finish to it.
I thought that Invisble Man really ended with a BANG! I mean, Tod Clifton, the handsome, intelligent, active Brotherhood member, is turned into a ratty, everyday street vender with his obscene Sambo dolls only to be shot down by a cop. What a way to save one's identity! The whole scene between Sybil and the narrator, especially with the message "Sybil. You were raped by Santa Clause. Surprise" in purple metallic lipstick, was so bizzare, yet hilarious. I still wonder who it was that called the narrator while he was at Sybil's; I don't think it was ever revealed. The chaos of the Harlem riot and Ras's insane appearance really proved the disorder of the people and the evils the Brotherhood really promotes. Brother Jack's glass eye popping out was really the icing on the cake that secured, in my mind, the true motives of the Brotherhood. On the outside they appear so inviting and glossed over, yet on the inside only the raw redness of corruption and manipulation is left. I never trusted Brother Jack. And finally, only after the narrator is pushed into a manhole and left in the darkness is he able to see the light. His burning of the papers in the briefcase really seemed to represent a new beginning and rebirth for the narrator. And after seeing Mr. Norton on the subway, the narrator was really able to see that he cannot go back to his old, naive way of life. It is not the true him. He may not have an easy time struggling against the conformity of society, but at least he will feel secure and know where he fits in, finally.
Ahhhhh this book has been amazing. Ellison seriously makes this story comes to life with his description of everything. I thought it was hilarious how Sybil was drunk and passed out, and how Brother Jack had a glass eye. There were times when it got intense like when Ras caused a huge riot. The brotherhood did leave a bad taste in my mouth. They basically left Harlem in chaos. I somewhat do think that they did played this whole riot off of Clifton's death. It wasn't cool to see him on the street selling dolls that resembled slaves, and it was just weird how he died. I would have called it police brutality.
You all must be crazy because I loved this book! It's weird to think it's the longest novel we'll read this year, because it seemed to go by pretty quickly. My favorite scene in the whole novel was at the end when the IM is forced to burn the papers in his briefcase for light. He's realizes he'll be invisible his entire life and he must accept that as his identity. Only in darkness was he able to see the light. Epic!!!
Not to be too off topic, but the ending scene where the IM burns his papers reminds me of the ending scene of the movie fight club. At the end of the movie, the narrator realizes he actually has a split personality disorder and has been acting as two people. He and his girlfriend Marla watch buildings explode that his other personality planned to bomb. It just goes to show, that only through destruction can one find his true identity.
I really liked Invisible Man and the lessons that are taught. It was frustrating to watch the narrator take so long to see things that us as the reader saw all along. I was anxious to see if the narrator would ever truly find himself or if he would be lost forever, and it is a great relief in the end. He has grown so much from who we read about in the beginning of the novel. I loved how in the opening scene the narrator is in a manhole and is stealing light from a nearby power company, which seems ridiculous, but in the closing scene he is in a hole again except this time he has found his own light. I think it reveals so much about the narrator's personal growth. He no longer needs outside influences to see himself. Society can't define a person, and we should try to let it have as little influence as possible on our personal identity.
My interaction with the end of this novel is kind of hard to describe. I felt
like I was seeing the character stripped naked, completely vulnerable. Yet I
was relieved because I felt like I could finally identify with him, especially
when he describes being free of illusion as "painful and empty."
Also, he feels that good and evil change, it's not a concrete thing. All in
all, I loved the ending of the book, and felt like the end justified the means.
He had to endure a great deal, but in the end is a better man for it.
Agh! So it's finally over. In all honesty this was one of the hardest books I have read. It took me awhile to begin to get interested in this novel but as time went by it got a little easier. What made it an easier read was that the book itself related very well to life itself, pertaining to the racial conflicts between blacks and whites and also the struggle for ones self to understand who they truly are. The one thing that aggravated me at the end of the novel though, even though we knew the outcome from the beggining was the fact that IM just gave up and hid himself down in his own little hole "Invisible".
Honestly, I didn't like the book. All of highschool, we've read this same book every year just with a different title. However, Ellison does have a way with describing things thats a little outside of the box, which I love. Most of his characters were really interesting. Its weird, but the entire rest of the novel, I wondered whatever happened to Trueblood. You can't just introduce an incest character and leave it at that. Whenever I visualize Brother Jack, I get this weird mental picture of the Black Panther guy Jenny runs off with in Forest Gump (except with red hair.)He seemed a little naive throughout the entire novel to me. How many times would he allow people to take advantage of him? I guess he just got dealt a cruddy hand of cards.
I can't begin to descirbe how happy I am that I finally finisehed this man's lifelong journey; he even says in the conclusion, "maybe my anger is too heavy; perhaps being a talker, I've used too many words." I love how the narrator puts that statement two pages from the END of the novel, rather than maybe giving a warning at the beginning. The irony is almost frustrating. Anyway, I liked the progression in the final chapters; it moves at a good pace and is interesting. I especially liked the parts about Rinehart; I thought it was amazing how a man could fit into so many vastly different roles, and yet appearently no one knew the real Rinehart. It seems as though he was the first invisible man. I didn't exactly like the anticlimactic ending though; I really wanted a more grand confrontaion between Ras and the narrator. I wanted something more than the narrator throwing a spear, running away, falling into a hole and deciding not to get out. I believe there could have been a bigger climax than what was written.
Overall, I enjoyed Invisible Man, even though it was nearly 600 pages. I was disappointed with the ending, however. The entire novel was a long story about identity. I know this. But, I was hoping that he would actually find his identity and do something with it, rather than simply reemerge into society with the prospect of discovering his identity. And I was also hoping for a confrontation with Bledsoe, though I know that him not returning to the college was a vital part of him discovering his identity. Maybe I just like stories of revenge. Nonetheless, the novel sustained my interest and, although I did not necessarily like the ending, it was satisfactory.
I was not very suprised to see Tod clifton selling the dolls because it seemed that Tod would have to show up again at some point. I thought it was interesting that the doll was on a black string, though. I interpreted it as a sign of how some of the powerful blacks were in control of the black population, basically Dr. Bledsoe.
I also thought that the phamplet for Rhinehart's church was interesting. It's appeals for the invisible connect diredtly to the narrator, who is socialy invisible, but is also trying to be invisible to Ras's men at that point. Because of this, I was very supprised when he threw it away. To me, it seemed like an appeal to his situation and a source of hope, but I guess the narrator saw it as a fake or something because of the many sides of Rhinehart.
I liked the book overall, but towards the end it seemed to drag on in the analysis of the whole story.
I was so happy that I made it through this novel; it turned out to be a lot better than I thought it would! Though it disgusted me when Ras's cheeks were pierced by the spear and I wasn't expecting the narrator to end up in a manhole, it was a good ending. When he needed light, I did expect that he would end up having to burn the contents of the briefcase. The fact that Jack was the writer of the anonymous letter though angered me, even though it confirmed my earlier post that the Brotherhood was no good. Ellison really brought into perspective the search for one's identity in life, and I liked the ending when he suggested that the readers themselves could be invisible.
In the Brotherhood, the narrator lets everyone control him and take advantage of him just like at the college and in other places in New York. I think that he should have learned that he should not not trust anyone from his experience with Dr. Bledsoe. Brother Jack ends up being just like Bledsoe, aiming to have power over the poeple instead of really helping them. The narrotr knows this is happening, but does nothing about it until the riot. He lets out his true feelings when he is trying to calm the people who are trying to attack him, and also when he throughs the spear at Ras. Also, I think that the breifcase represents the narrator's past that he needs to let go of, and he continuously experiences failure because he can't let go of it.
i was so sad when clifton died and i was kinda mad that IM seemed to not care too much. he turns it into another poor me deal. it seems like all he ever does is whine but won't change anything himself unless it has to do with sleeping with girls. the *surprise, Santa raped you* was the best part of the book, though and i thought it was really funny. i feel like, even by the end of the novel, IM is still completely stupid. he's so immature and learning to be yourself is not a really hard thing to learn and it takes him FOREVER! everything bad that happened to him, he let it happen. he let people take advantage of him all his life and he creates bad circumstances for himself. i hope he just stays in his little hole forever.
I would have to say that the end of the story made it enjoyable all together. If it hadn't ended the way it did I probably would have cried. NOt really but you get my point. He finally sees reality and leaves his naive world that he was in through out his whole life. Im glad he discovered his identity and i believe this novel was a good example of the struggles people face because of racisim in society and stereotypes.
I don't like how the end of the story was him falling in a manhole. I think the riot could have been played out a lot more and maybe the invisible man could have been a hero or something. Falling into a manhole with no way to get out really isn't a happily ever after ending. But I guess he redeems himself when he decides he's done being bitter and wants to go back into society. I wish I could understand the whole "surprise, you've been raped by santa clause" thing. I'm probably not going to be able to look at santa the same way again. I guess it could mean something like Sybil has been betrayed by her naivety and innocence to wish a fantasy of that nature considering santa is representative of that childlike innocence and by raping her he would be betraying her. who knows.
I was shocked by Clifton in these chapters. I could not believe that he was selling such a degrading product, the Sambo dolls. It was even wierder because he is a black man and i felt like he was just trying to conform and didnt really care to stand up for his beliefs after the brotherhood had sort of seperated. This was surprising, but then his death was even crazier to read about. I almost thought that after what he was selling, he should be punished, but not by such an untimely and unfair death.
I can honestly say I really liked this novel, and there are some parts where I had to just keep reading. I think the ending delivered what the 500 pages built up to. However sad it was, Tod Clifton was the right character to be killed off. His sacrifice ultimately led to the Invisible Man's epiphany, but I mean, come on, why did it take him so long to realize he was invisible when people had been telling him throughout the whole novel?? I think he was a bit too naive for a man to be in his early 20's. Also I loved Ellison adding the "hibernation" to the ending. The death and rebirth, his metamorphosis in a way, was the perfect way to end the novel.
It humored me going back to the prologue and reading it again. It finally makes sense!
It was a pretty good book and all. I'm glad we're done with it though. I think that the scene when Clifton is selling those dolls was pretty bizzare. He was just standing on a street corner playing with dolls and singing a wierd song. Then the police shoot him because he's black, which a lot of people thought was sad, personally i didn't think it was that sad. Pretty much saw it coming. The end was kind of a let down. He just jumps into his hole for a while then decides to come out. What does he do after that?
The end of the novel was full of action. One scene that stood out to me was the scene when Jack's eye falls out. Jack's entire demeanor changes. When talking to the narrator, he tells him he was hired to talk and only say what the Brotherhood told him. Jack also says that it is not their job to ask what the community wants but rather to tell them. When his eye falls out, it just goes to show how blind he really is to the problems facing the Harlem community. Jack is one of the leaders of the Brotherhood, and therefore it's like the blind leading the blind.
For the most part I really enjoyed reading Invisible Man, and even though the ending wasn't exactly happy ever after, I think that the narrator has learned a lot about himeself and about society. I think that if the story were to go on, we would find the narrator living a much happier and fulfilling life. I didn't want him to have to live in a hole all alone for him to learn his lesson, but I think it was necessary for him because he had such a hard time letting go of the world and its standards. I think he will be happier because he will no longer have the burden of living up to what the world expects of him. I hope that he finally realizes that being true to himself is the only way he can be happy.
I think that it was good that IM finally figured out the true motives of the Brotherhood and Brother Jack's thoughts. I think that he could have been able to figure all of this stuff out in less words. Other than that, I really enjoyed reading about all the drama he goes through. I was able to see him trying to accomplish things for the betterment of the people but I got frustrated when things kept going bad for him. It's just like everyone had alterior motives when IM was trying yo be honest the whole time.
I started out not liking the book at all but I sort of came around. It still wasn't my favorite thing to read but it definitely got better. I really did like the way Ellison used tiny details in the story to illustrate his themes, the way everything was a symbol. I did feel like the end of the book was all explanations though, except for the riots and the women, it seemed chit-chatty. Overall though, it was pretty good!
So its finally over with!! It's not that I didnt like Invisible Man, I just felt like IM was never going to reach his goal of acceptance and independence. Im still confused about the whole Sybil-fantasy deal, but I would much rather remain blissfully ignorant. The briefcase took on a whole new level of importance in the last few chapters. It went from being his safety net and who he wanted to be, to who he was. He defined himself through his briefcase and the papers it contained. Brother Jacks eye was the grossest part of the novel and Tod Clifton's death was the saddest. After reading both section is was like, wait what happened? Tod Clifton was the character i had hoped would change IM's mind and allow him to see reality. I guess in a way he did though.
ps. I googled the significance of Santa Claus and St.Nicholas street, but there werent any definite answers. most people speculated that it was one of the few places he felt comfortable as a child. But who knows?!
I actually enjoyed this novel, the first required novel in any of my English classes. It didn't have all of the abstract symbols that could literally stand for something one day of the week and another the next.
Anyway, I was shocked to see Tod on the sidewalk, selling dolls that degraded everything he had worked for, but that was before we discovered the Brotherhood's true intentions. I think that he discovered the true intentions before the narrator. And I totally agree with Lucy's connection of the narrator and the puppet and Brother Jack and the invisible string. I knew there was something fishy about Brother Jack from the moment he was the mysterious man following the narrator on the rooftops. There was this supicious feeling he gave me. But I have to admit that I didnt's see the fake eye thing coming.
I think I made a good connection about the symbolism of the breifcase and the burning of its contents. Stay with me here. I think the breifcase is the narrator, and the contents were the things the narrator's surroundings filled him with. The education, the note, the name, everything. And his burning of this is him letting go of everything and starting anew, leaving only the breifcase...himself. How 'bout that.
I thoroughly enjoyed the novel. It didn't seem as long as it actually was. I wish the narrator had taken some better action against the Brotherhood or shown Jack a thing or two. However, I still laughed tremendously when the narrator threw the spear into Ras's cheeks. In fact, that is a hilarious/awesome picture. A man on a horse with blood running down his face, with a fur hat and cape, throwing spears at police and blocking their bullets with his shield. That is definitely my favorite image in the entire novel, I mean what a haggard dude!
It was sad too see Clifton die and the narrator have all of his dreams and aspirations lost. But, it was great to see the narrator acting out and joining the action during the last chapters. I was glad to see him finally resolve his issues and discovery his true identity. I also found it a little disappointing that it took the narrator so long to act on his own and follow his own intuitions . But, overall I thought this book was great and enjoyed reading it.
I came to like the book in the end. Like Lucy said, it started slow, but it picked up pace after the hospital scene for me. I enjoyed all the symbolism in the novel. It really helped for my first novel to be pretty obvious about the symbolism, because then I made myself look for it. Now maybe I will get better at finding themes and ideas in a novel. I am glad to say that we are done though.
When Tod Clifton died, that's when I thought the narrator was going to go into the hole, because he would realize how bad the Brotherhood is, but it actually made him accept the grandfather's advice, which made a nice twist in the story.
Overall, it was a good book and I hope the rest of our novels are just as good or better.
I believe that these last few chapters provided a sufficient ending to the novel and the epilogue really drew everyone's focus back to his main points in the prologue (even though they are 500 pages apart). I was shocked to see Clifton appear again in the novel, only to be shot and killed a few pages later. However, that one event really gave meaning to all of the advice the narrator had been receiving throughout the novel. He had been naive for the greater part of this novel, but it took a devastating event for him to really understand everything. As far as the riot goes, I wasn't surprised because there had been foreshadowing of such an event in many of the preceding chapters. What i was surprised to read about was how Ras was riding around on a horse with animal skins and a shield. That entire scene just caught me off guard because it seemed so out of place in Harlem (which is what i'm guessing was Ellison's purpose).
Overall, I liked the novel. Although it is long, everything flows together in the end. I actually think this novel has made its way onto my list of favorites.
I thought one of the most interesting parts of the final section was the narrator's confrontation with Jack. It is the first time he has really stood up to any of the powerful white people in the novel. When Jack's eye falls out, I realize he is blind in one eye. Not only does this say that he is a blind leader but emphasizes another characteristic. Jack is a pirate; He has only one good eye, and jack is a common name among pirate-lore. What treasure does he seek? He wants more power and influence like any man who has power. The narrator and ras are his wheel to steer, he uses them to guide him toward his goal. The society's reactions act as a map to guide him what to do next. The narrator will arise from his hibernation when Jack steps off his vessel to pursue his treasure further on land and is vulnerable to attack.
The last scene of the book, when the riot takes place in Harlem, reminds me of the apocolypse. Like the apocolypse all order has disappered. People are running and screaming in panic. Bulidings are on fire. People are doing things they normally wouldn't. and Ras and the police officers are riding around on horses like the horsmen of the apocplypse.
This book is just so in-depth and dense, and it seems crazy that IM used to go to college at the beginning of the novel. I was still hoping for a happier ending, but I guess I was just kidding myself.
So many things about this novel were just so in-your-face. When IM found Clifton selling Sambo dolls in the street, it really reminded me of those Truth commercials and how they just blatantly tell the shocking truth that no one wants to acknowledge that it exists. It reminded me of the "sleepwalkers" that IM calls those who choose not to see the truth (about his identity).
Sybil. Sybil, Sybil, Sybil. What a freak! I cannot believe the crazy woman wants to be raped, and that Santa Clause thing was really odd. I understood the symbolism behind it, but it was still strange. "Boo'ful, Boo'ful"
Clifton's demise was sad, but I was kinda irritated with IM for being so depressed about it. In one place, IM refers to Clifton as his best friend, and I really do not understand how Clifton was his best friend. Did he really even know him that well? I only really saw it as that Clifton was everything IM wanted to be.
Ras the Exhorter-now Ras the Destroyer-was ridiculous, and he is definitely no better than the Brotherhood, and I am really glad IM didn't somehow stray down that path.
I thought it was interesting that IM first fell down the manhole, so it wasn't his initial choice. It kinda made me wonder if that really was the best thing for him (and also I don't really believe living in a hole is a very good thing--it almost seems like giving up).
I actually kinda felt a reality check at the end of the novel. I guess I had put myself in the narrator's shoes, and once I finished reading, it was all kind of overwhelming.
At the end of the novel, I feel as if IM was destined to be invisible the whole time. Whether he was invisible in front of a crowd, making a speech or something.. or whether he was in his basement, he was invisible.. And I feel like everyone's like that in a way. When he was popular, he just lived up to this stereotype that everyone laid out for him.. And when he is invisible, literally, no one sees him. So yea.. I thought that was interesting.. :)
*btw.. I had to do some major kissing up to get to do this. We're out of town on a cross country meet, and the lady at the front desk was like.. ya know, i really shouldn't allow you to do this! And i was like, please?!! It's for my english class! haha. :)
~~ sorry about being random
I thought the last few chapters were quite humorous overall. The scenes with Sybil, Brother Jack's eyeball, and the Narrator being camouflaged in the pile of coals all brought a chuckle. It was sad how the Brotherhood used the black society to destroy themselves and their own homes. It was also very interesting to know how the Narrator came to live underground. I also liked scene where he burned all his personal belongings from the suitcase when he was in the dark. To me, it not only symbolized him forgetting the past and moving on, but it also symbolized that the white community's power over the black community was beginning to dwindle ( the small fire in the huge, dark background ).
Invisible Man was a really good book, although after reading so many books in high school about racial equality, I found the overall plot (not specific details) very easy to anticipate. When I first read the part about Jack's eye popping out, I didn't read entirely through to the sentence that reveals it's an eye, so I thought he'd been shot or something. It sounded like a bullet exploding through his face, but it was his glass eye. Maybe my bullet-thought is like his true face being ripped apart with the revelation of his true nature. The thing with Sybil was disturbing on so many levels. I nearly gagged while reading it. All of the women in this novel acted like desperate, dim-witted, lustful seductresses, except for Mary. With all the lies and deceptions in the novel, I have to wonder if they retelling by the narrator is somewhat enhanced/fabricated/etc?
Overall, I enjoyed much of the novel despite the sometimes overload of symbolism. I was happy that the narrator finally realized that he could not look to anything but himself to conceive his identity, but I was sad that it had cost him so much so find that out. In the end, I thought Ellison's thoughts on finding one's identity could relate to all people, not necessarily black or white. When we found out that Brother Jack had written the mysterious letter to the narrator, I was not that surprised. I think the letter was to more keep the narrator in check due to Brother Jack's fear of losing power in the brotherhood.
My favorite part of the novel is the epilogue when the narrator talks about how he know gets to move on with his life. He talks about the 'big picture' and how "diversity is the word." I think it is an important part of the novel, because he realizes that to be an individual in this world means you must be true to your own identity, not what society wants you to be. This is the best part of the novel because it shows the changes invisible man had to overcome in order to make it where he is. When he realizes that he too has a responsibility in society it reminds me that no matter who you are, you are an important part of society.
i throughly enjoyed the ending of this novel. although it was rather pessimistic i still liked that the theme of self identity truly being found only through alienation. it seems as though you have to almost lose sight of everything youve been taught in life to fully enjoy yourself. i over all really enjoyed this novel. it will probably be one of my favorite african american novels ill ever read. mostly because it identifies to everyone.
I actually enjoyed the last part of the novel---i was really grateful the narrator finally found who he was and identified himself. It was a relief to see him actually realize something and come out of his naivety and innocence and become the experienced and intelligent adult he really is. I felt happy for him in a way, even though it is sad that he recognizes his invisibility, because he was able to overcome all of he hardships and mistakes that he went through and finally learn from them. Overall, i think that this novel was welldone and successfully displays a person searching for their identity and what they had to go through in order to get there.
Blogspot wouldn't let me post till this morning >.<
Anyway, my the scene that stuck out to me the most was his last dream. It's really sad and shows the reader that he didn't win after
all. He didn't get to accomplish his dreams... all because he was black and intelligent. His oppressors completely destroy and dehumanize him from the start.
Also, I think the manhole is symbolic of a final transition. He is making a drop from society into his own world. It kind of reminds me of the rabbit hole in Alice in Wonderland.
The end of the novel ended pretty much as I expected with more detail. I predicted an eruption within either the Brotherhood or Harlem and got both. Tod Clifton's character seemed too perfect to remain untarnished the rest of the novel and it was sad yet understood when he died as well. We know from the prologue that the narrator's body remains in tact, yet his mind undergoes a revolution. It was interesting to read about a total transformation of a naive character such as IM to a maverick with a grudge.
In my opinion, the end of the novel was, by far, the most entertaining and fulfilling. I may be the only one, but I found it hilarious when the narrator pierced Ras's cheks with the spear. The narrator used Ras's medicine against him; he returned to barbaric ways and defeated his arch rival. I also found his final dream very interesting. Though he sacrifices his masculinity, he is enlightened. Just as Hambro says, success is the result of sacrifice. The narrator realizes that in order to be free, he must sacrifice his dreams and exile himself.
A bit late, but this was by far the weirdest section of the novel. Jack can... yeah, Jack's not very cool. The glass eye bit was rather... out there; yes, the blindness symbolism, but still, that was weird. His lecture to the narrator reminded me of a discussion I had with somebody once upon a time; very, familiar. I'll bet money Ali has read this book. But anyway...
My head was about to explode during the part with Sybil. If I hear her version of "beautiful," I will shoot something (please do not suspend me). The entire situation was ridiculous. I'm still trying to play connect-the-dots with the Santa Claus stuff; I'm torn between the Santa-isn't-real/narrator-isn't-real thing or that the narrator gave her what she thought she wanted. But yeah, pretty disturbing, and I read Chuck Palhaniuk novels.
I would say, while this was the weirdest part of the novel, the whole Sybil and the lipstick thing was odd, I actually enjoyed this section the most. The reason being the the invisible man finally gets it! When he starts to burn the things in the briefcase, I was so happy because he is finally breaking free of the things that had tied him down for the entire novel. It was so obvious to everyone, but the narrator, that he was being oppressed by all those men that he dreamt about in the end. I also enjoyed the humor, with Jack's glass eye and the lipstick on the stomach. I'm cheering for the narrator when he comes out of "hibernation."
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