Invisible Man (479-581)

This section starts with Harlem in an outrage over Clifton’s death. Many important events and changes result from the aftermath of the shooting. With the community so riled up, Ras is able to gain support and attack the Brotherhood for their lack of involvement. One significant result is that Ras gains much more power and becomes much bolder. This can be seen in his name change from Ras the Exhorter to Ras the Destroyer. After debating with Ras, the narrator is forced to run away from some of Ras’ men and adorn a disguise. The result is one of the most interesting parts of the novel.

After purchasing dark sunglasses in a drugstore, the narrator is mistaken by many as a man known as Rinehart. The really weird thing is that the narrator is identified by many different people, and that these people know Rinehart for different reasons. It is very bizarre that Rinehart is recognized as both a prostitute and also a reverend. It is also very interesting that Barrelhouse, who would have recognized the narrator, also misinterpreted him for Rinehart. This brings forth quite a conundrum- everyone seems to know the narrator, yet nobody actually knows he is. This contrast in identity is very important for the narrator- it highlights the differences between his self-image and what others take him for.

Another turning point is reached when the narrator talks to Brother Hambro. The narrator is shocked to learn that the brotherhood is planning on “sacrificing” the narrator’s district to pursue different goals. This twist is very important and exposes the idea that the narrator is just being used by the brotherhood. This ironically parallels the idea about the magazine article from earlier in the story, except that the brotherhood is using the narrator solely for their own advances, as opposed of their accusation of the narrator using the interview for personal gain. After realizing their true intent, the narrator interprets his grandfather’s advice as a way to get back at the brotherhood for using him.

The narrator finds even more betrayal after the riot erupts in Harlem. The narrator learns that the Brotherhood had been deliberately giving power to Ras and was at fault for causing the riot to break out. After much chaos, the narrator runs into Ras and his men. During the chaos, the narrator’s glasses broke, effectively destroying his identity as Rinehart and leaving him totally exposed to Ras. At this point, the narrator realizes that he is truly invisible, and that becoming a martyr would do absolutely nothing, because nobody would remember his cause.

The novel ends with the narrator trapped in a sewer. This part of the story completes the narrator’s transformation and self-realization. While imprisoned in the darkness, the narrator decides to burn the contents of his briefcase. The narrator’s past identity is completely burned away, including his high school diploma and his letter of recommendation from Bledsoe. By destroying his past, the narrator has finally completed his long and arduous transformation. By saying “the end was in the beginning,” I think that the narrator was hinting that his old self was slowly changing ever since the first events of the novel, and that the all the events in the story helped show his progression and transformation.

~ by jdmann16 on May 21, 2011.