Hey
Verity, how are you liking Invisible Man so far? I think its really
interesting—I like that the main character isn’t given a name. I think that it
emphasizes his invisibleness. I can already see why the book is named Invisible
Man, since in the prologue he’s already saying things like “you never recognize
me even when in closest contact with me…no doubt, you’ll hardly believe that I
exist” (13). Do you think he’s addressing everyone reading specifically with
this sentence? I feel like it’s mostly aimed at the white people who only
acknowledge him when they want something, i.e. entertainment. They make it
pretty clear that everything is fun and games until the main character crosses
the line: when he tries to say “social responsibility” and says “social equality”
instead, one of the white men addresses the main character and says, “You
weren’t being smart, were you, boy?...We mean to do right by you, but you’ve
got to know your place at all times” (31). The only time he’s really talked to
is when he’s being told to watch what he says and remember his place.
Also,
why do you think Jim Trueblood’s story is included in the book? The main
character mentions that Trueblood and other “peasants” were doing “everything
it seemed to pull us down” (47), and that Trueblood “had brought disgrace upon
the black community” (46). I think the main character is upset enough with the
treatment of himself and other black people in the time, and I think he sees
Trueblood as someone that people could point to as some sort of justification
for their hatred or superiority. What do you think?
