I started off by once again reiterating that the goal for the summer is to do our best to move from the level of making significant observations (not always easy in itself) to making assertions about why those observations are meaningful in the context of the book as a whole. I then moved on to describe the nature of Questions 1-3 on the AP exam, taking more time to describe question 2, known as a passage analysis. I brought up the skill of "close reading" in relation to question 2, for which there is no solid definition, but I offered the following advice: a) look closely at words in a passage for multiple meanings, echoes of other words, shades of meaning, levels of diction, or groups of words that may suggest irony, patterns of words etc. b) pay attention to the syntax of sentences and what the syntax may suggest, particularly regarding tone, and c) do your best to associate all you have observed re: words, syntax, tone, phrasing, etc to what you determine is meaningful about the passage as a whole. Use your quotation response journals as a chance to practice these skills, and we will be practicing them during the school year in a formal setting.
As for The Invisible Man, we returned to Trueblood's dream (which few of us wanted to think about last time) and took notes -- passage analysis style -- on what we noticed going on in the passage. Most of us primarily noted the dominant images in the passage: the grandfather clock, the white room, the white woman who is both seductive and threatening, the warm and cold water, and so on. We thought through the book and tried to connect these dominant images to other parts of the book, and students brought up the woman at the Battle Royal, for instance. We then discussed how the passage dramatizes sexual relationships as a power struggle or struggle for control, as in the scene at the end of the book when the Invisible Man meets Sybil. One of the students noted the slightly humorous tone of the passage, and another brought up other borderline absurd images such as Ras on horseback with a spear, and Jack's glass eye falling out. Someone mentioned that the humor in the book relieves the heavy-handedness of the metaphors, but the humor does this without losing the impact or seriousness that is suggested by the metaphor. We then thought about some of the big metaphors, such as Clifton's sambo dolls, and how every detail is so suggestive: it is what we could call a controlling image, embedding a tremendous amount of meaning in a single object. Several students brought up the Invisible Man's first speech to the Brotherhood as a meaningful moment, and one student pointed out how the tone of the narrative or speech changes dramatically according to the level of emotion experienced by the narrator, as though the "thinking brain" gives way to the "reptilian brain." These students were analyzing the text on the level of tone and figurative imagery, which are essential skills. Retelling the story was not a concern, for they saw the story embedded in the images and language choices of the author.
I'm really hoping to see more of you next time, for all of our sakes! I need to address a few things, however:
a) if you are not able to make a meeting, you are expected to post a comment in the comment box for that meeting. They need to be at least 250 words and should extend the discussion of the book in some way. I'll be looking at, and marking these, very soon.
b) If are not able to make a meeting, you must send me a quotation journal by email. I am very concerned about some students that have not been giving me any work. I am not accepting late papers -- this is an AP class and everyone was informed of the expectations in the commitment letters. The three quotation response journals and one creative project (detailed at next meeting) as well as the blog comments will be averaged and rolled into your first quarter grade. Those who attended meetings will receive some form of credit for coming, although if you did not attend meetings you will not be downgraded for anything -- only if you did not turn in work.
And finally: the next meeting is scheduled for Friday, August 24 at 9:00. The book: Wide Sargasso Sea by Jean Rhys. Hopefully that will accommodate everyone, even band campers (!). Thanks for reading, Mr. Telles.
This is a very intense, very heavy book. I agree that the metaphors are delivered very seriously, and also found that humor lightens the “load” of the book. I believe, however, that the humor serves a purpose beyond smoothing the delivery of the metaphors. I found that the humor in the book enhanced the ideas that it expressed. The wry, sarcastic tone of the narration strengthens the delivery of the ideas in the novel. Invisible Man is both powerful and memorable due to its satirical depiction of the society in which it is set. The humor itself is heavy, since it wraps around serious problems such as racism, isolation, identity and individuality. While the sambo doll, the coin bank in Mary’s apartment, and Jack’s glass eye embody the motifs of the book in perhaps too literal a style, the presentation has its merits. Since they are so literally presented it is impossible to ignore them, and perhaps that is why some dislike Ellison’s delivery of these ideas. I found it helpful at times in reading the novel, which is so tightly packed with ideas, to have these motifs and metaphors delivered in a literal, “heavy-handed” fashion.
ReplyDeleteI have a different perspective on the presentation of sexual relationships in the novel. The narrator has similar experiences with two women, Sybil and an unnamed woman attending the narrator’s women’s rights lecture. The unnamed woman calls the narrator “primitive,” in a thinly veiled instance of racism, before seducing him. Sybil hopes to fulfill her bizarre rape fantasy with the narrator. I found that these two encounters were additional examples of both blindness and racism. Both women view the narrator as “savage” due to his race, and only wish to satisfy their lust with one whom they consider to be this beast. These two women do not view the narrator as anything but a beast to overpower them (for their own pleasure) and thus to them he is also invisible. I found these moments to only enforce the blindness of the people the narrator associates with. He believed in the Brotherhood, in the sense of community and camaraderie (and colorblindness!) that it so seemed to embody, but he was nonetheless viewed and used by that organization, as he was by these two women, as a means to end.
On another note, I found certain images to be particularly symbolic. The specific image I find most interesting is of the narrator throwing the spear back at Ras, locking his jaws. Ras was, despite his truthful criticism of the Brotherhood, another figure trying to impress a view upon the narrator. He is on the same plane as Norton, Jack, Emerson, and Bledsoe. I viewed the narrator’s throwing of the spear as his first true moment of rebellion. He stops Ras from speaking, silencing one of the many voices that attempted to influence him. This scene does seem slightly exaggerated, however. There are a number of instances, as we have discussed in our meetings, where the reality of these scenes is questionable. Another notable example of this is the factory hospital scene, where the narrator’s apparent electroshock therapy invites a similar level of skepticism. Despite their seemingly ridiculous or unrealistic nature, these scenes express relevant concepts. Ellison’s exaggerations only enforce his concrete, tangible ideas.
I agree with the fact that this is a very intense book and found the imagery throughout the whole book as intense as the dream. The descriptive element of feelings as well as environment provided an element of captivation that not every novel achieves. The controlling images spread throughout the story represent the theme of power and control struggle such as the paper dolls that mean so much to the story. That whole scene, not only the clear image of the dolls but the struggle with the cop shows a change of power that is signifying a greater change in the book. Another element of this scene that I found fascinating was the insert of the little boy dramatizing clifton’s final moments is a clever use of a situational character that arises to show how image is projected in the world. In my mind the whole book could be related back to image in the eyes of personal image as well as external view of a subject as he presents himself to the world. The word invisible doesn’t relate to the character being seen or not seen it relates to who sees him and how they see im. A character can be seen as invisible but this still means he is seen. This book uses an abstract sense of the word invisible to tie together an argument represented by image throught the entire novel.
ReplyDeleteI felt like the humor in the book didn’t lessen the intensity for me. I found that the bleak tone (which became more helpless towards the end of the book) made it harder for me to be relieved by the humor.
ReplyDeleteI also noticed the metaphors with the objects that were used to represent the big themes of the book. I saw that in most situations, people and objects in the book had some symbolic value. People could find something they could relate to racial conflicts and society even in the narrator’s descriptions of the appearance and behavior of animals (a dog once, horses.) There were major objects that appeared towards the end of the book that the narrator carried with him. One that particularly stood out to me was Brother Tarp’s chain which I saw as symbolic of the struggle for freedom. Other objects like Clifton’s doll, his briefcase, his hat and sunglasses disguise, and Mary’s bank were significant and appeared multiple times.
I found the character Ras to be interesting particularly because of his change in titles. He began as Ras the Exhorter and transformed into Ras the Destroyer; first he encouraged people to act and when the time came for action, it was violent. The scene with the spear-wielding Ras reminded me of a character from Star Trek (everything can be related to Star Trek.) The character Q would show up every now and then and harass the Enterprise, he was an omnipotent being from the “Q Continuum.” He would often wear elaborate costumes and sometimes throw the crew into interesting situations (like when he made all of them characters in Robin Hood.) He would find amusement in manipulating the crew in his fantastic scenarios. The final image of Ras, and the strange, somewhat dreamlike aspects of this scene reminded me of Q.
I thought that there were many brilliant aspects to the book, the symbolism and tone really captured the woes of the narrator and the conflicts within society, however, the reoccurring helplessness made the book less enjoyable for me.
The somewhat depressing tone of the entire novel certainly made it a difficult book to get through at times. However, the themes of the story and the very intricate details were able to assist in still making the book a very interesting and entertaining one to read. The moments in the book when the narrator was able to come to great realizations about the circumstances he had ended up getting himself into and the way he has been living his life, really held the most meaning for me. When the narrator finally comes to notice that the Brotherhood is not an organization that is really interested in him at all, or even the people of his race it almost feels like an “ah ha” moment. It is through his frustration with the Brotherhood that I believe most of the bizarre occurrences begin to happen as the novel comes to an end. When deciding upon his own invisibility, the narrator becomes very adamant about this conclusion and I would say that this is with good reason. After the issues he has continued to deal with throughout his entire life, it is certainly accurate to say that there has not been anyone who was every able to truly see him for the person he was all aside from his race or class or any other generalization that could be made from his outward appearance. It was these realizations that were able to make the novel worthwhile to me.
ReplyDeleteThe book dealt with some serious issues that, at times, made it difficult to get through. However, the book in itself was a very interesting one to read and at the end of it, I felt as if it was worth reading. Although the humor in the book helped to make certain parts easier to read, I don't think it lightened the load of any of the messages or ideas in the novel.
ReplyDeleteRacism was a huge issue throughout the story. I felt as if the entire novel was mainly focused around it. The narrator dealt with racism his entire life living in the South, and even when he moved to the North, it was an issue that he couldn't escape.
I felt as if the second half of the book was a lot different than the first half. In the first half of the novel, the narrator was finding his way in his new city and still meeting people. He was new in the Brotherhood and was just beginning to search for his true identity. In the second half of the book, he is beginning to see what the Brotherhood really is. He also meets Ras the Exhorter which opens his eyes up even more in regards to the Brotherhood and what it stands for. In the second half, he is still searching for his true identity, although he begins to get closer to finding it.
After seeing Tod Clifton selling Sambo dolls and later on being killed, the narrator begins to be disillusioned about the Brotherhood like Clifton was. He begins to see that it is not really concerned about helping the people of Harlem. He vows to help put an end to the Brotherhood. This ironically helps lead to what Brother Jack was hoping for. A riot in Harlem and Ras the Exhorter, now Ras the Destroyer, trying to take control.
I think that the most symbolic part of the novel was when the narrator was underground, where he fell through the manhole. He needed light to find his way out and the only paper he had with him were papers such as his high school diploma and his new name that was given to him when he joined the Brotherhood. Desperate for light, he burned them all one by one, feeling no remorse for what he was doing. I think that this was a crucial part in the story because it was him officially moving from his old identity to his new invisible identity. Throughout the whole novel, he was searching for what his true identity was. He finally realized that he was meant to be an invisible man, and burning all of those papers was an official way for him to become the invisible person he so wanted to be.
I would have to agree with many of the people here who say that this book was intense. It was definitely not like ordinary books about race. There were many times, like when the narrator found Cliff with the Sambo dolls and when the parts of Harlem were being destroyed to name a few, that the book felt almost like it was depicting something impossible because of the way the narrator described it. It had sort of a dream-like quality, like the things that were happening weren't actually happening although I can't quite point out why I got that feeling. I'm assuming it's because the book started out by saying he was invisible, and that set up the tone of the book to be one of a man who disappeared's life before he became that way.
ReplyDeleteI think the biggest irony of the whole story is that the more the narrator tries to make a name for himself, help people, and become visible, the more he's put down and scoffed at by his followers and colleagues alike. The more vocal he became within the Brotherhood, the more they wanted to silence him, and the more he tried to move the people of Harlem to action to help them get away from what they'd been dealt, the more things were destroyed. In the end Ras the Exhorter, who was named because of how he urged people to take action and not just sit and take it, became the Destroyer. I found it interesting how the narrator and Ras were complete opposites of each other, each working for a somewhat common goal. Ras wanted black people and only black people to unite and the narrator wanted everyone of all colors to work together. Ras knew who he was. Even when his name changed, he still had a name. The narrator's name was never given throughout the book, an example of how even though he talks about those times as the time before he was invisible, he was always invisible because he was trying to make other happy while helping people. That's the main reason he didn't succeed. And in the end Ras, the one who knew who he was, ended up dead.
The second half of the novel seemed to me to be more effective and intense. Although the difficulty concerning depressing situations and peculiar detail was still present, it did not present as much of a challenge as the first dozen chapters had. I agree with Elizabeth regarding the irony in the novel. The narrator constantly reached for success however he was continually thrown down, usually harder as he continued his attempts. His goal as a younger man to make change and become something was not for nothing however. As he fought and resisted, those around him did the same. Although his actions were only seen to a certain extent; if those around him had been able to see what the narrator was thinking much more could have been accomplished. There is a chance that situations could have taken a major turn for the worse as well.
ReplyDeleteThe dream-like aspects of the novel as well as drastic turns bring the story to a different level. I did not feel as much of a connection to the narrator when he stressed these strange and unbelievable traits or situations. Certain characters such as Ras seemed so extreme that he could not be real. Although I could not imagine Ras as a real person, it was his character who enticed me the most. His transformation to Ras the Destroyer after Brother Jack's death brought about questions and new ideas on how events were to change. The Brotherhood always seemed to be a dark force and it was the narrator's vow to end it that pulled me in to the end of the book. The narrator saw his goal clearly and was willing to risk everything to fulfill it. The ending was odd as well as very interesting for me. If readers had not been forewarned of the narrator's fate, his new life underground would be seen as solely a downfall. However I see it as another attempt at rebellion. Rebellion continually pops up in the novel as a theme that may not be as prevalent as racism although it is a theme highlighted ever so brightly at the conclusion of the narrator's story. He chooses to light the light bulbs as one last attempt to stick a knife into the aspects of society that did him wrong. The narrator did become invisible from the world he lived in before, however by rebelling one last time, he did have an effect on those above him.
Sorry for the delay, I could not get to a computer until this time.
ReplyDeleteInvisible Man proved to be a memoir filled to its capacity with motifs and complicated themes. The question of identity proved to be more of a figurative positioning of himself in the world then what he really is, no one needs to reaffirm yourself if you are happy with who you've become. Identity proved to be a oncurring theme throughout the novel, whereas I found the second half to be dedicated mores to uprisal and rebellion, like Melody said. The invisible man makes rebellious actions in three separate instances in the second half of the memoir. First, the invisible man fights and becomes hostile while in the meeting with Brother Jack and the rest of his brothers. Then, it is when he sleeps with the white woman, although he is fully capable of understanding that it is not in his place to be doing what he is doing. Finally, instead of going directly to the Brotherhood's headquarters during the reprisal the invisible man choses to falter behind and go off on his own. this choice then leads to him escaping the madness and going into hiding until the end of the memoir. I believe the importance of reprisal and rebellion in this half of the memoir is based on the fact that each action he makes distances himself from the Brotherhood, and distance from a group is the only way he can begin to truly understand who he is as an individual.
I was also highly intrigued by the presence of the many metaphors in this memoir. Clifton's Sambo doll left a large impact on me that I was not able to shake. Clifton had been controlled by the Brotherhood for so long that it is not ironic that he'd seek a career controlling someone or something else. His Sambo doll captured his audience's attention, and he was able to play on their emotions through use of the doll. Clifton's control only lead to his death, which I thought to be foreshadowing the invisible man's own demise; seek control and receive death. The invisible man never got to this extreme, but was certainly hurt in the process of gaining importance in the Brotherhood.