Motif Strand

Occurs in PrologueOccurs in Prologue While under the influence of the reefer While under the influence of the reefer

and Louie Armstrong’s music, Invisible and Louie Armstrong’s music, Invisible Man dreams of a black woman in Man dreams of a black woman in congregation who tells how she loved congregation who tells how she loved her white master but killed him with her white master but killed him with poison so her sons wouldn’t kill him with poison so her sons wouldn’t kill him with their knives.their knives.

““That night I found my self hearing That night I found my self hearing not only in time, but in space as not only in time, but in space as well. I not only entered the music well. I not only entered the music but descended, like Dante, into its but descended, like Dante, into its depths” (9).depths” (9).

The Reefer DreamThe Reefer Dream

In this dream he encounters In this dream he encounters what slavery was like. He has a what slavery was like. He has a conversation with an old black conversation with an old black woman who he asked to describe woman who he asked to describe this freedom which she loved so this freedom which she loved so well. The information that is well. The information that is revealed to him in this dream revealed to him in this dream demands action, but he does not demands action, but he does not yet know what to do.yet know what to do.

The Reefer DreamThe Reefer Dream

The Reefer DreamThe Reefer Dream

““So under the spell of the reefer I So under the spell of the reefer I discovered a new analytical way of discovered a new analytical way of listening to music. The unheard listening to music. The unheard sounds came through, and each sounds came through, and each melodic line existed of itself, stood melodic line existed of itself, stood out clearly from all the rest, said its out clearly from all the rest, said its piece, and waited patiently for the piece, and waited patiently for the other voices to speak”(8-9).other voices to speak”(8-9).

Occurs in Chapters 1, 6, 8, 14, 16, Occurs in Chapters 1, 6, 8, 14, 16, 18, 22, 23, and the Epilogue.18, 22, 23, and the Epilogue.

The grandfather told the narrator’s father to undermine the whites with “yeses” and “grins” and advised his family to “agree ’em to death and destruction” (16).

“Son, after I am gone I want you to keep up the good fight. I never told you, but our life is a war and I have been a traitor all of my born days, a spy in the enemies country ever since I give up my gun back in the reconstruction” (16 ).

Grandfather’s Curse Curse

The narrator has a dream of going to a circus with his grandfather, who refuses to laugh at the clowns. His grandfather instructs him to open the briefcase. Inside the narrator finds an official envelope with a state seal.

Chapter 1 Dream

He opens it only to find another envelope, itself containing another envelope. The last one contains an engraved document reading: “To Whom It May Concern . . . Keep This Nigger-Boy Running.” The narrator wakes with his grandfather’s laughter ringing in his ears.

Chapter 1 Dream(cont.)

““It became a constant puzzle which lay It became a constant puzzle which lay unanswered in the back of my mind” unanswered in the back of my mind” (16).(16).

The grandfather felt like a traitor.The grandfather felt like a traitor. Narrator has a dream in which he goes Narrator has a dream in which he goes

to a circus with his grandfather who to a circus with his grandfather who gives the narrator a briefcase, which gives the narrator a briefcase, which contains a document that says, “To contains a document that says, “To Whom It May Concern, Keep This Whom It May Concern, Keep This Nigger-Boy Running” (33).Nigger-Boy Running” (33).

Grandfather’s CurseGrandfather’s Curse

In Chapter 6, the narrator realizes In Chapter 6, the narrator realizes that Bledsoe uses the same mask that Bledsoe uses the same mask of meekness to deceive powerful of meekness to deceive powerful white donors to his advantage, and white donors to his advantage, and recognizes his grandfather’s recognizes his grandfather’s sentiment that true treachery lies sentiment that true treachery lies in the mask of meekness. in the mask of meekness.

Grandfather’s CurseGrandfather’s Curse

In Chapter 8, the narrator dreams of In Chapter 8, the narrator dreams of his grandfather and “awoke his grandfather and “awoke depressed” (170). He felt that depressed” (170). He felt that Bledsoe and Norton were scheming Bledsoe and Norton were scheming against him.against him.

In Chapter 14, the narrator thinks In Chapter 14, the narrator thinks back to when his grandfather had to back to when his grandfather had to quote the entire U.S. Constitution “as quote the entire U.S. Constitution “as a test of his fitness to vote” (315).a test of his fitness to vote” (315).

Grandfather’s CurseGrandfather’s Curse

In Chapter 16, the narrator realized that he In Chapter 16, the narrator realized that he still has a part of him that is like his still has a part of him that is like his grandfather, “the traitor self that always grandfather, “the traitor self that always threatened internal discord” (335).threatened internal discord” (335).

In the Epilogue, the narrator struggles to In the Epilogue, the narrator struggles to find the deeper meaning behind his find the deeper meaning behind his grandfather’s advice. grandfather’s advice.

Grandfather’s CurseGrandfather’s Curse

Trueblood tells the narrator and Trueblood tells the narrator and Mr. Norton of a dream that caused Mr. Norton of a dream that caused him to have sexual relations with him to have sexual relations with his daughter.his daughter.

Mr. Norton became very troubled Mr. Norton became very troubled by this dream, which led to the by this dream, which led to the incident at the Golden Day.incident at the Golden Day.

Trueblood ends up impregnating his daughter in his sleep. The black people scold him for his mistake but he receives help and care from the white men of the town. This stereotypically symbolizes what whites think black men are like.

Trueblood’s DreamTrueblood’s Dream

““I looked at Mr.. Norton and stood up, I looked at Mr.. Norton and stood up, thinking that now was a good time to thinking that now was a good time to leave; but he was listening to leave; but he was listening to Trueblood so intensely he didn’t see Trueblood so intensely he didn’t see me, and I sat down again, cursing the me, and I sat down again, cursing the farmer silently. To hell with his farmer silently. To hell with his dream”(57)!dream”(57)!

Trueblood’s DreamTrueblood’s Dream

Trueblood’s Dream Trueblood’s Dream AfterwardsAfterwards

Trueblood’s dream of incest leads to:Trueblood’s dream of incest leads to:– Mr. Norton almost dies thus leading Mr. Norton almost dies thus leading

to the Golden Dayto the Golden Day– Golden day problemsGolden day problems– Invisible Man’s confrontation with Invisible Man’s confrontation with

Dr. BledsoeDr. Bledsoe– Invisible Man gets expelledInvisible Man gets expelled– Invisible Man forced to New YorkInvisible Man forced to New York

The Founder’s DreamThe Founder’s Dream

In Chapter 5, Homer Barbee In Chapter 5, Homer Barbee addresses the student body of the addresses the student body of the college that the Invisible Man is college that the Invisible Man is attending, telling about the attending, telling about the Founder’s vision of the ideal Founder’s vision of the ideal college for African-Americans.college for African-Americans.

“New York! That’s not a place, it’s a dream. Now all the little black boys run away to New York. Your speech will change, you’ll talk a lot about ‘college’..... You might even dance with a white girl” (152)!

New York is supposed to be the place where young black men are treated as equals. The Invisible Man wants to start over and make a better life for himself.

New York CityNew York City

– Young Emerson lets IM read Young Emerson lets IM read recommendation letter from recommendation letter from Bledsoe; finds out that why he Bledsoe; finds out that why he can’t get a job.can’t get a job.

– Work at paint plant troublesomeWork at paint plant troublesome– Gets blown up in plant explosionGets blown up in plant explosion– Can’t get job after explosion, has Can’t get job after explosion, has

no money. no money.

Dream of RevengeDream of Revenge

““When I stopped, gasping for breath, I When I stopped, gasping for breath, I decided that I would go back and kill decided that I would go back and kill Bledsoe. Yes, I thought, I owe it to the Bledsoe. Yes, I thought, I owe it to the race and to myself. I’ll kill him”(194).race and to myself. I’ll kill him”(194).

Bledsoe has told each of the addressees Bledsoe has told each of the addressees that the IM has earned permanent that the IM has earned permanent expulsion and that Bledsoe had to send expulsion and that Bledsoe had to send him away under false pretenses in order him away under false pretenses in order to protect the college.to protect the college.

Dream of Revenge(cont.)Dream of Revenge(cont.)

Bledsoe requests that the narrator Bledsoe requests that the narrator be allowed to “continue be allowed to “continue undisturbed in [his] vain hopes [of undisturbed in [his] vain hopes [of returning to college] while returning to college] while remaining as far as possible from remaining as far as possible from our midst”(191). our midst”(191).

Dream of Revenge(cont.)Dream of Revenge(cont.)

The Invisible Man leaves the office The Invisible Man leaves the office full of anger and a desire for full of anger and a desire for revenge. He imagines Bledsoe revenge. He imagines Bledsoe requesting that Emerson “hope the requesting that Emerson “hope the bearer of this letter to death and bearer of this letter to death and keep him running”(194).keep him running”(194).

In Chapter 11, the Invisible Man is in In Chapter 11, the Invisible Man is in the hospital, due to an accident at the the hospital, due to an accident at the factory in which he works. His doctors factory in which he works. His doctors put him in a clear, coffin-like box. put him in a clear, coffin-like box. While he is there, the doctors ask him While he is there, the doctors ask him his name, where he is from, and who his name, where he is from, and who his mother is. Because of the his mother is. Because of the medicine the doctors give him for pain medicine the doctors give him for pain his thoughts were impaired.his thoughts were impaired.

“I was struggling and breaking through, rising up, to find myself lying on my back with two pink-faced men laughing down” (232).

The Machine DreamThe Machine Dream

The Dream BookThe Dream Book

In Chapters 13, 15 and 17, references In Chapters 13, 15 and 17, references are made to are made to The Seeing Eye, The The Seeing Eye, The Great Constitutional Dream Book, The Great Constitutional Dream Book, The Secrets of AfricaSecrets of Africa, and , and The Wisdom of The Wisdom of Egypt. Egypt. The Invisible Man learns The Invisible Man learns about dream books, where men about dream books, where men actually record their dreams in a actually record their dreams in a journal. Some men believed that their journal. Some men believed that their dreams had a true significance.dreams had a true significance.

““I lay the prisoner of a group consisting of I lay the prisoner of a group consisting of Jack and old Emerson and Bledsoe and Jack and old Emerson and Bledsoe and Norton and Ras and the school Norton and Ras and the school superintendent and a number of others superintendent and a number of others whom I failed to recognize, but all of whom whom I failed to recognize, but all of whom had run me, who now pressed around me had run me, who now pressed around me as I lay beside a river of black water, near as I lay beside a river of black water, near where an armored bridge arched sharply where an armored bridge arched sharply away to where I could not see”(567).away to where I could not see”(567).

Chapter 25Chapter 25

He sleeps and dreams of Jack, Emerson, He sleeps and dreams of Jack, Emerson, Bledsoe, Norton, and Ras. The men Bledsoe, Norton, and Ras. The men mock him, castrate him, and declare mock him, castrate him, and declare that they have stripped him of his that they have stripped him of his illusions. He wakes with their cries of illusions. He wakes with their cries of anguish and fury ringing in his ears. He anguish and fury ringing in his ears. He decides to stay underground and decides to stay underground and affirms, “The end was in the beginning.”affirms, “The end was in the beginning.”

“And now I looked around a corner of my mind and saw Jack and Norton and Emerson merge into one single white figure” (508).

Jack, Norton, and Emerson

The Invisible Man finally embraces his Grandfather’s curse. All of those three men tried to make him see and believe their point of view and didn’t care what he thought about it. They were using him.

“You go along for years knowing something is wrong, then suddenly you discover you’re as transparent as air” (575).

The Invisible Man has spent so much time trying to fix his life, but he realizes that he never really mattered and he ended up back at the beginning.