Welcome back to my last library post. It is bittersweet, but I would like to discuss my overall view of the book The Invisible Man.

The book follows a nameless narrator and his journey to discover himself. He goes through so many betrayals such as: Mr. Bledsoe’s recommendation letters and the organization on the Brotherhood. I overall believe the narrator deserved so much better. He was just trying to find himself in an unfamiliar world. He experienced so much for an “invisible man.”

At the end of the story, the main character is placed underground and says “the end was in the beginning.” This is symbolic. The narrator’s last moments were underground. But as an invisible man, he has lived his whole life underground. His identity is made up of other people’s opinions. He spent a good portion of the story fighting for others beliefs. The young man discovered so much about himself but in probably the worst ways possible. He deserved so much better and to be seen (physically and mentally) for who he is. As the novel draws to a close, the narrator remains bewildered regarding his own identity but determined to honor his individual complexity and his obligations to society as an individual.

Ultimately, I enjoyed this book. Although the characters stressed me out and treated the narrator poorly, it opened my eyes to different lessons. One being, don’t let anyone else describe who you are. The narrator ended his story underground because he let other opinions become him. This book is eye opening and has lessons that can be applied to modern day life. This book is astonishing ,and I completely recommend it!

Hey everyone! Welcome back to my library. Today will be my last post covering the chapters of the book. Last time, I left off describing Clifton’s tragic death. Now, the narrator must grieve and deal with his friend’s death.

In chapter twenty one, the narrator returns back to the office trying to process what he has seen. He sits in his office playing with one of Clifton’s dolls. The last thing he has to remember his friend. Then he is interrupted by many other brothers. They asked is Clifton really dead, and of course the narrator confirms. The narrator organizes a rally in Clifton’s honor. The young man delivers an emotional speech during the service. After he gives the speech, he notices the tension in the room. It seems like the Brotherhood is falling apart one step at a time.

In chapter twenty two, my predictions are shown to be true. After the service, brothers are waiting at the office for the narrator. They are furious that the narrator brought attention to Clifton’s death. They see Clifton as a traitor. Brother Jack finally comes clean and reveals the true reason the narrator was brought to the organization. They needed the young man to talk not to think. The organization would think for him and tell him what to say. I knew it!! The whole thing was a trap. My prediction was correct. They used him ,but he became too powerful. Now, just like Wrestrum said, they are turning against him. The narrator accuses Jack of being a “great white father.” While arguing, one of Jack’s eyes fell out of his head. It was odd to read that but also really funny. I guess it served as comic relief. Eventually the argument settles down, and the committee takes his leave in the young man.

In the next chapter, the community is outraged about Clifton’s death. The narrator is walking when he passes by Ras, now, the Destroyer giving a speech. Two of Ras’ followers recognize the young man and start to fight. Eventually, the narrator seems to escape and buys sunglasses to disguise himself. Every where he goes people refer to him as Rinehart. Unfamiliar with this person, the narrator replies that he is not Rinehart. But everyone keeps calling him this. A bookie, a prostitute, and a pimp call the young man Rinehart.

The young man finally reaches Brother Hambro’s apartment. Hambro tells him that the Harlem division is about to be demolished to pursue other things. The narrator is upset and leaves. He plans to discover the real goals of the organization by gaining a relationship with a women who is close to an important leader. He thinks he will try Emma, Jack’s mistress.

In chapter twenty four, a riot breaks out in the community. The narrator tells the brothers to denounce violence (I don’t know why he is still working for them). The narrator also decides to seduce Sybil instead of Emma to get know the real plans. Once he gets to Harlem, the narrator asks how the riot started. Some people refer to Clifton, and others refer to Ras.

The narrator realizes that the Brotherhood planned the riots this whole time. He becomes placed in a riot plan to burn a building. He runs out of the burning building when he realizes he left his briefcase. Running from the building, he wonders into a place full of lynched bodies hanging from the ceiling. Thankfully, the bodies are mannequins. Then the narrator meets Ras in the mist of the bodies. Ras orders his followers to hang the narrator with the rest of the mannequins for being a traitor to black people. The narrator is able to run away. Thank goodness! He runs into two policemen in the street. They throw him in a manhole underground. To keep light the narrator burns his things one by one including his high school diploma. He decides to stay underground and concludes, “The end was in the beginning.”

The narrator concludes his story, saying that he has told all of the important parts. “I’m an invisible man and it placed me in a hole—or showed me the hole I was in, if you will—and I reluctantly accepted the fact.”

Hello everyone! Welcome back to my library. I haven’t posted in a while , but the wait is over. Today, I am finally back with a new post. After today’s post, there are only 3 chapters left in the book, The Invisible Man. Today’s post is focusing on chapters eighteen chapters though twenty. It’s a wild roller coaster, so buckle up and enjoy the ride.

In chapter 18, the nameless narrator receives an anonymous letter that says “don’t go too fast.” Maybe this letter is referring to his work for the Brotherhood organization. The letter reminds the narrator that, although he is well known for his work, he is still a black man in a white man’s world. Because this is true, anything could happen to him because he is a black man and he is successful. His popularity makes him no different from any other black man during this time. In fact, his popularity makes him a bigger target especially in a place like Harlem. This idea is distributed throughout chapters eighteen, nineteen, and twenty.

Anyways, the young man becomes worried about the letter so he goes to Brother Tarp to discuss it. Tarp tells the narrator that he has nothing to worry about because everyone likes him at the organization. Then, Tarp shares that he was once held in chains for nineteen years because he told a white man no. This is a reflection of the idea I presented earlier. He gives the young man a leg iron to remind him of the world he is living in.

The narrator ,then, talks to Brother Wrestrum. Brother Wrestrum explains his own ideas about the Brotherhood to the narrator. Wrestrum warns the young man to be aware of the people around him because the white men of the organization may soon turn on black members like themselves. However, the narrator shouldn’t have worried about the white men but Brother Wrestrum instead.

Wrestrum accuses the narrator of using the organization for his personal advantage. This act leads the narrator to being kicked our of the Harlem department and moved to women’s rights. Brother Wrestrum is clearly the backstabber in the organization not the white people. Although he is disappointed, the young man packs his belongings and leaves. He will dedicate himself to his new assignment as much as his previous.

In chapter nineteen, the narrator is at an event for women’s rights when he meets a white lady. The white woman invites him to her house to discuss the “Brotherhood’s ideology.” Now if you have watched as many movies as I have, you know she is NOT trying to talk about the Brotherhood’s ideas. She only has one thing in mind ,and as a white person, she knows she can get it. This goes back to the idea presented. He is just a black man living in her world. The two go to her house and sleep together that night. However, her husband comes home!!

Immediately after reading this, a hurricane of thoughts flustered in my head. Will he get caught? Did the lady set him up? What will the husband do? Thankfully, the husband and wife do not sleep in the same bedroom (this is common in this era). The husband peeps in her room to check on her. Because it’s dark he sees nothing unusual. However, the narrator is aware of the husband. Imagine how scared he would be. As soon as the husband leaves, the narrator grabs his things and leaves the house. He vows to never get himself in that situation again. That is a good promise to keep.

Eventually, the Brotherhood transfers him back to the Harlem department. While he was gone, Clifton disappeared. The Brotherhood lost popularity in Harlem as well. Maybe when the narrator left, Harlem left with him. Perhaps, Harlem has become him.

In chapter twenty, the narrator walks into a bar he usually goes to. While there, he sees two familiar men from his lectures. He tried to talk to him , but they respond hostile. The young man soon learns that many of the jobs the Brotherhood supported have disappeared. It seems like a lot has happened since the young man left. Later, he waits for a call to attend a meeting, but the call never comes. The narrator decides to go to headquarters. He finds the meeting has already started without him. This was the plan all along, to leave him out. Furious, he storms out into the street. There, he sees the missing Brother Clifton. He was selling dolls on the corner until a police walked toward him. He grabbed his things and ran. I guess he wasn’t suppose to sell those dolls. However, he dropped one doll , and the narrator picked it up. The narrator walks around the corner and sees a crowd with Clifton in the middle. Clifton was caught by policeman. I’m sure the narrator had great fear for his friend, but that tone changed. Brother Clifton punches one of the officers. The officer pulls out his gun and shoots Clifton dead. He was just a black man living in a white man’s world.

Hey guys and welcome back to my library! Today’s post will be about our nameless narrator and his journey to become a new man.

In chapter 16, the narrator is driven to a rally provided by the Brotherhood (his new organization). He is supposed to give a speech, but his fellow brothers tell him to wait until the crowd is excited. When he gets to the rally, the young man notices the setting is an old boxing ring. This is interesting. In the beginning of the book, the narrator goes to an event which had a boxing ring ,and he gave a speech as well. Perhaps this is foreshadowing. That night started the main character on his journey to college. Maybe this night will begin another significant journey for the young man.

At the rally, the young man notices a picture of an old boxing champion. The champion lost his sight during a rigged fight. The man died in a home for the blind later in his life. When the narrator gives his speech, the spotlight, ironically blinds him. He finished his speech and mentions phrases such as: “regain our sight.” The whole speech was full of allusions toward the blind boxer. After the speech, the brothers criticize the narrator’s work and send him to Brother Hambro to add Brotherhood methods in it. The young man finally returns home and feels like a brand new person. A different person from the boy expelled from school. But is the Brotherhood changing him for good or bad?

In the next chapter, months have passed and the Brotherhood elects him as the chief spokesperson for the Harlem district. Now that I think about it, what if the organization is using him for their benefit. What if the Brotherhood wants Harlem under their control? The only way to succeed is if people see their own as a leader for the organization. Maybe that’s why they need the young man. Just a thought. Anyways, the narrator gets his own office and meets Tod Clifton. Tod is another black member of the organization. Tod is apart of the executive committee. Mr. Clifton informs the young man about Ras the Exhorter. Ras is in charge of the Brotherhood’s rival organization. Ras is completely against white people and believe they are manipulators.

One day, Brotherhood hosts a protest rally on racist eviction (just like the one the narrator saw before he joined the organization). Ras and his followers crash the rally and fight afterward. Because it was dark, the narrator has trouble differentiating his followers from Ras’. He finds Clifton and Ras fighting. Ras pulls a knife on Clifton but spares his life because they share the same skin color. Ras warns Clifton that the white members of the Brotherhood will eventually turn against the black members. I think this is true and hope Mr. Clifton takes it into consideration. The Brotherhood is just another Mr. Bledsoe waiting to take over.

The narrator calls all leaders in Harlem to raise awareness for racist eviction, Brotherhood or not. The narrator’s name becomes popular in Harlem (and we still don’t know it yet lol). He becomes very committed to his job.

Hey everyone! Welcome back to my library. Today I will continue the story of the nameless, main character in The Invisible Man. I left off talking about the main character’s new job with a mysterious organization. The story continues in chapter 15.

After accepting his new job, the narrator wakes up the next morning to a loud banging from his neighbor. He already has a lot on his mind. He is moving out of Mary’s house , but he has not told her yet. It almost seems like he doesn’t want to tell her. Perhaps, he doesn’t want her to feel like she did anything wrong for him to move. When the two talk over coffee, he keeps referring to the money he owes her. Maybe he wants to give her the money because he will feel less guilty when he leaves. After all, Mary is a mother figure toward the young man. She ignores the money he owes her and accepts him as her own. She eventually allows the narrator to give her $100. After he gives Mary the money, he tells her he has an appointment for a potential job. However, he is heading to see his new apartment provided by his new job. She wishes him the best not knowing he will not return home. And he starts another journey.

On the way to his new home, the young man constantly tries to get rid of the offensive piggy bank he has broken. First, he throws it away in a garbage can. A “short yellow woman” comes out of her house and yells at the young man. “Come on back an’ get your trash. An’ don’t ever put your trash in my can again… we don’t want you field niggers coming up from the South and ruining things.” When the lady shouts at the young man, this shows he experiences mistreatment from different races, not just white. This yellow woman expresses so much hate toward the young man because he used her trash can. Although the lady was rude, I questioned morals because of another quote she says. She states,”I’m sick and tired of having you southern Negroes mess up things for the rest of us.” This lead me to think a couple of questions. Was she raised to hate black people? Or did she learn to hate from white people? Does she hate to protect herself? Who is the rest of us? I believe the lady has seen what happens if she helps black people, therefore she shows hate to stay out of trouble. Oddly, the main character responds:”That’s enough out of you, you piece of yellow gone-to-waste.” The main character won’t normally say that. Maybe this new job has given the young man a sense of power. Maybe the narrator has found the wrong identity accepting this job.

The main character eventually reaches his new apartment. He is surprised how large the apartment is. It seems from his new attitude, he will not have trouble adjusting to his new lifestyle.

Hello everyone! Welcome back to my library. In my last post I talked about our main character’s struggle after his accident. In today’s post, I will be continued struggle and somewhat rise.

In chapter 12, the main character is leaves the factory’s hospital and heads home. On the subway the young man collapses on the ground. Some kind people carry him to a woman named Mary’s house. Mary is a black woman. It is important to know this because she gives the young man advice from the black point of view. She asks the man why he came to New York, and he replies he wants to be an educator. The advice she gives to the narrator is be cautious of New York and stay true to his self. But how can he be true to his self if he doesn’t know who he is? He is an invisible man in an crazy city with no direction. The only thing he knows about himself is his invisibility. She says she came from the south as well. Mary says, “I’m in New York, but New York ain’t in me.” She warns the narrator to not be influenced by the city’s wicked ways. The young gets up to leave, and Mary that she has a room to rent if he wants it. Perhaps, the young man made is first friend in the big city.

As soon as the man gets back to the Men’s House, he knows he cannot stay there anymore. His white overalls draw hostile stares and attention. He mocks anyone that believes in dreams of freedom with segregation. People still dream of black success even through segregation. This shows how hopeless the young man actually is. He rejects the beliefs of his own people.

The man heads up to his room. On the elevator, he empties a spittoon on a Baptist preacher’s head. He escapes without anyone seeing him. Soon he tries to get someone to get his stuff from his room. He finds out that he is banned from the building for 99 years. Then, he takes Mary’s kind offer and rents the room. Although he has no job and pays no rent, she still allows him to stay there.

In chapter 13, I believe the narrator begins to rise and find himself. One day, the young man is walking down the street when he notices a crowd. The crowd is watching an eviction. He witnesses white men taking furniture out of a home with an old black lady sitting in on it. The narrator becomes angry and unexpectedly gives a speech that ignites the crowd. He becomes filled with a “spot of black anger.” This anger is the beginning of his life in New York. I believe this may be a huge part of his story. He is finding him self. He is becoming visible. Maybe his purpose in life is to become a leader. A leader who his people can look up to. Being a leader could help his people as well as himself.

The young man flees from the police. He thinks that he has escaped only to hear a voice behind him. The voice says, “That was a masterful bit of persuasion, brother.” This voice was not a cop. It was a white man who says he is a friend. The two go to a coffee shop , and the white man tries to persuade the narrator to become a spokesperson for his political organization’s Harlem branch. The narrator says no. The man says his name is Brother Jack and gives him a card just in case he changes his mind.

Once the narrator gets back to Mary’s house, he changes his mind. He calls the number, and he meets Brother Jack at a cocktail party. Brother Jack describes his organization as “social activism” that fight for people who are “dispossessed of their heritage.” Maybe this is the narrator. Maybe the young man is dispossessed of his heritage. Maybe that’s why he feels invisible. The narrator agrees to the position. Therefore, he must change his name. Brother Jack gives tells him his new name (and we still don’t know what it is lol). The narrator will also move to a new place provided by the organization. He will be paid 60 dollars a week. The young man returns to Mary’s home as his new life and identity begins.

Hey guys and welcome back to my library! Today’s post is going to cover chapter 11 of The Invisible Man. At the end of chapter 10, we saw the nameless man left unconscious after an explosion. And the story continues.

In the beginning of chapter 11, the main character wakes up in distraught and confusion. He describes seeing a “man with two eyes and a third one that shines bright.” Little does he know, this three eyed man was a doctor examining him. He also sees “ladies in white dresses” and a shiny tools. The young man was in a hospital. He gave so many clues of his surroundings but couldn’t seem to put them together. This fact made it harder to comprehend what the narrator was talking about. After reading his clues, I was just as confused as he was.

After a while, the narrator finally comes to his senses and realizes where he is. He becomes panicked when he finds out he is in the factory hospital. He makes the conclusion that if he is in the factory hospital, then he must still have a job. That thought possessed his mind. But it seems as though he is worried about his job more than his injuries. When you think about it, this thought is pretty logical. Most people in society or anyone in his position would also think like this. At the time, a job is more important than his injuries. He is a former college student who has struggled to gain employment in a new and unknown city. And when he finally lands a job, he is almost fired and blows up equipment. Without this job, he is a man with no career, no money, and no identity. This job is worth more than money. This job will give him the identity he yearns for. He may no longer be invisible.

Finally, the young man is told he is released from the hospital. When the young man asks when he can he work again, the doctor tells him that he is not allowed to work for a while. He is told he needs to rest before returning to work. The young man no longer has to stress about keeping his job. He has a job, but he cannot work there for a while. The narrator takes this news hard. His mind goes back to the way it was when he first wakes up. The young man says farewell to the doctor and starts to leave his office. Then, he turns around. He asks: “Do you know Mr. Norton?” The doctor replies no. “Do you know Mr. Bledsoe?” The doctor says no again. The young man shakes his hand and leaves. However, those questions stay in his mind. He thought it was odd he didn’t know them for some reason. Maybe they were invisible just like him. What if invisibility is contagious like a disease? Maybe everyone he had a connection with became invisible.

Hello everyone! Welcome back to my library. Last time, I talked about the huge transition the main character overcame. He was kicked out of school and moved to New York. Chapter 8 begins with the young man starting his new life.

In chapter 8, the narrator arrives to his new room. He describes the room as nice with a “dark orange” bedspread, a chair, and a dresser. He also sees a Gideon Bible. When the main character sees this bible, he is reminded of Dr. Bledsoe. The Bible also represents his old life. His life was put together with a nice cover on the front. On the outside, the narrator is a young, educated man with a bright future ahead. However, inside, the man is conflicted and feels invisible to everyone around him. The Bible contains stories of struggle and hardship. This was all true until that special day with Mr. Norton.

To cheer himself up, the young man looks in his mirror and lays his letters of recommendation in front of him. He starts to feel better. The main character picks his head up and begins to get started with his new life. He delivers his letters to each employer. However, each employer is busy and not able to talk to him. After reading this, I began to see this as an allusion. This is an allusion to the Bible in the story of Jesus. In the Bible, Mary and Joseph are turned away at every place they go. Similarly, the main character is turned away from every employer he approaches. He even telephones the employers but is still rejected.

In chapter 9, he delivers his last letter to Mr. Emerson. On the way, the character also meets a man named Peter Wheatstraw. Peter is an African-American who speaks with an unfamiliar accent. He recognizes that the narrator is a southerner. Wheatstraw describes Harlem as a “bear’s den.” This description states that Harlem can be a dangerous place to live. Although it is full of opportunities, you may have to go outside in the wild to gain some opportunities.

The main character eventually reaches Mr. Emerson’s office. He meets Mr. Emerson’s son and he reads the young man’s letter. After he reads the letter, he comes back with a disturbed expression on his face. The son allows the young man to read the letter. Mr. Bledsoe has written that the young man was expelled from school and more negative things about him. No wonder he hasn’t gotten a job. Once again, Mr. Bledsoe has shown his true colors and his egotistical personality.

Although Mr. Bledsoe, tried to ruin the young man’s career, Mr. Emerson’s son promises the young man a job at the Liberty Paints plant. The young man leaves the office in a range and calls the plant. They tell him to report to the plant the next morning.

The next morning, the narrator reports to the Liberty Paints plant and meets his boss Mr. Kimbro. Mr. Kimbro leads the young man to a room and demonstrates the job. Mr. Kimbro says the Optic White color is the purest white that can only be found there. This is the company’s trademark color. This may symbolize the white supremacy the employees may feel. This color can cover anything including the struggles inside.

At lunch, the narrator goes to the locker room to retrieve his lunch. There, he walks into a union meeting. The people in the meeting are outraged because they learn he is Brockway’s assistant. This goes back to the white supremacy. Of course the employees are upset, because a black man has come and taken an important job they feel they deserve. Although the factory’s name is Liberty, the company is anything but equal. When Brockway hears about the meeting, he threatens to kill the young man if he doesn’t leave. The narrator denies being apart of the meeting. The two begin to fight until Brockway loses his teeth lol. The young man sees a boiler is still on. He runs to turn it off , but he is not strong enough. The boiler explodes. Chapter 10 ends with the main character lying on the floor unconscious.

Welcome back to my library! Last time, I left off talking about the wild day the nameless character in the Invisible Man experienced. This rough and chaotic day continues in chapters 5 and 6.

In chapter 5, the young man leaves his uncanny companion, and he goes to the chapel as told by Mr. Bledsoe. In the chapel, the students have come together to listen to a sermon. The book introduces Reverend Barbee. Barbee is there to speak respectfully about one of the founders of the school. The young man notices that Mr. Bledsoe pats a white man on the back. The school-boy then realizes that Mr. Bledsoe might be the only other person that is able to touch a white man physically and mentally (other than himself with Mr. Norton). He feels Mr. Bledsoe is noble and very powerful. The nameless man begins to think about what is to come in the future. He worries about the conversation he will have with Mr. Bedsoe. The young man also worries about the if he will be expelled from his college for his actions regarding Mr. Norton.

The worrisome conversation finally comes in chapter 6. And the young man’s respect for Mr. Bledsoe withers minute after minute. Mr. Bledsoe’s true colors come out through this conversation. The “notable” president seems so focused and helpful to the school. NO! In the middle of the conversation, Mr. Bledsoe calls the young man a “nigger” when he thought he was lying. I was just as shocked by this as the young man. The nameless character is used to white people saying that word, he is shocked when another black person says that to him. That word is used to turn African-Americans against each other. And this action is a prime example. This conversation shows that Mr. Bledsoe is ruthless and hungry for power. This word makes the president feel very powerful over the young man and everyone around him. Mr. Bledsoe continues to prove he is power hungry. He makes the statement: “I’ll have every Negro in the country hanging on tree limbs by morning if it means staying where I am.” This statement alone is enough evidence to show how heartless Mr. Bledsoe is. He constantly puts the young man down to flaunt his power. “You’re nobody, son. You don’t exist–can’t you see that?” If the young man didn’t feel invisible before, he does now.

The main character is expelled from the university. At first, he is upset and worried about his future. Then, he decides to take responsibility for his actions and make the best out of the situation. The young man states, “Somehow, I convinced myself, I had violated the code and thus would have to submit to punishment.” Although Mr. Bledsoe was a jerk, he told the young man he would help him get a job in New York. The man packed and got up the next morning to catch the bus to his next destination.

When he gets to New York, the young man notices everything was different in the North. Everything is more peaceful between black and white people. He sees black police officers directing traffic, and white people following their directions. He also sees a “squat of men” made up of West Indian and African-American people. He is fearful that a riot would break out, and he could be innocently caught in it. But that isn’t the case in New York. Nothing bad happens. Ironically, the young man is still scared. I believe he is scared of change. He is used to so much tension between black and white people. When he comes to New York, everything he knows doesn’t matter. Once he reaches his destination, the young man makes a statement that sums up his fear. “I would have to take Harlem a little at a time.”

“I am invisible, understand, simply because people refuse to see me. Like the bodiless heads you see sometimes in circus sideshows, it is as though I have been surrounded by mirrors of hard, distorting glass. When they approach me they see only my surroundings, themselves or figments of their imagination, indeed, everything and anything except me.” 
― Ralph Ellison, Invisible Man

The quote above captures the central feeling of the main character in the book Invisible Man. The book centers around a young man that seems to be lost or invisible in the world during the early 1900s. In chapters 1-4, the author, Ralph Ellison, introduces the main character. Also, he describes a very interesting day the young man experiences.

In the first chapter of the book, the main character is given no name. No wonder he feels invisible. I would also feel invisible if no one knew my name. Throughout the book, everyone calls him “young man” or “schoolboy.” Although I do not know his name, the author does tell a very small description of the young man. He is a “ginger-colored” African- American boy (I told you it was very small). That is all told about his physical appearance. Enough with physical features, let us dive deeper.

The narrator explains that he has a misunderstanding when he interacts with white people. His great conduct gains him praise from white people. The young man becomes confused when he thinks about his grandparents who were former slaves. His grandfather described great conduct toward white people as “treachery”. Yet, the old man did the same thing in his days. I can’t blame the young man for being confused because I was confused while reading it.

Although the young man is conflicted with his conduct, he does what he has to do to succeed. He makes a great speech for his high school graduation, and he is invited to give his speech “at a gathering of the town’s leading white citizens.” Before he gives the speech, the committee asks him to participate in a battle royal. For those who don’t know, a battle royal is a competition used for entertainment in the early 1900s. Men (usually African-Americans) are blindfolded and placed in a boxing ring to fight until only one person is left. During this battle royal, the main character suffers from a swollen eye and a bloody mouth. Keep in mind this occurs BEFORE the speech is given. Therefore, the young man is bleeding and can only see out of one eye while delivering the speech. In my opinion, this was obviously a set up towards the young man. Yet, his injuries did not matter. Just as I established before, the man is invisible. So, no one paid him any attention during his speech. Because of his speech, he earns a scholarship to a university. This was the least they can do for taking advantage of him. This university is specifically built for African-American students from the upper-class Caucasian people.

In chapter 2, this book had my blood boiling. Fast forward to the young man’s college life. This is where the main character changes from a “young man” to a “schoolboy.” He is given the responsibility of taking care of a founder of the university. The founder is a rich, old white man named Mr. Norton. When first meeting Mr. Norton, the schoolboy is again confused by white people because Mr. Norton’s wants him to find his fate. The white man claims his fate is in the schoolboy. This led me to question my own fate. What if everyone searches for their fate in themselves, but it is in someone else? What if we have no control over our fate but everyone else does? The school boy’s responsibility is to take the founder wherever he needs to go. As they are driving, the old man becomes curious with a certain family a few miles away from the school. This where bad things happen and the story gets interesting. I will try to make it brief. They meet a man, Jim Trueblood, who has impregnated his wife and daughter. I know what you are thinking; This is disgusting. While you are disgusted, you are oddly curious to know more. That is the same feeling Mr. Norton had when he heard the story from Trueblood. Trueblood claims to have had a crazy dream, and he woke up having sex with his daughter. Because Mr. Norton wanted to be nosey in the hot sun, he became faint and needed a drink.

The reason I became mad while reading this chapter was that of Mr. Norton, not Trueblood. Although Trueblood’s act is unforgivable, Mr. Norton made himself sick because he was trying to be super nosey. Therefore, he became overheated and close to death. I can also argue that Mr. Norton became mentally sick from the traumatic story. He may have been overwhelmed by the details. That is still no excuse. The schoolboy constantly asked if he would like to go but Mr. Norton refused. He has no one to blame but himself for his illness. This ignorant act leads to the next challenge of the day.

Because Mr. Norton became sick, the schoolboy was forced to get him a drink. I use the word forced because the schoolboy’s future depended on that old man. He repeatedly said the man “caint die.” If Mr. Norton died, the schoolboy’s college career would die along with him. So, the two went to the Golden Day. This place was anything but “Golden.” It was a rough bar with lawyers, doctors, and “peasants” found in it. It also contained what I assume to be prostitutes from the description given. The owner of the bar, Halley, was a jerk and hated white people. He demanded the “white man” to come inside to get his own drink. Mr. Norton was in such a bad position, the schoolboy had to literally drag him to the bar. Inside he met a friendly, former doctor that cared for Mr. Norton. After Mr. Norton felt better, the doctor became unfriendly. I have no clue what happened, but his mood changed tremendously. The schoolboy and Mr. Norton were literally kicked out of the bar. Mr. Norton left with a bruised forehead and angry temper. As I said before, He has no one the blame but himself.

The two, eventually, returned to the campus. Mr. Norton took the blame for his wound and started to pack up to leave. Although Mr. Norton made some bad decisions, the goodbye was bittersweet. The schoolboy promised to find Mr. Norton’s fate and tell him about it.