Invisible Man Chapters 3-5 Reading Questions

Chapter 3

1. Look carefully at the descriptions of the Golden Day. What is it? What has it been in the past? Is there any symbolism in the description? 

àThe Golden Day is a bar but it was a mental hospital.

2. Describe the veterans at the Golden Day.

à  The veterans were very conservative since they were from the South. They really didn’t protest or offended the African American people.

3. Read p. 81 carefully and comment on the ways that the normal rules of society are reversed at the Golden Day.

à  The owner and the people that work there are black.

4. The vet who had been a doctor gives the narrator a warning. What is it?

à The doctor tells the narrator that his invisibility was causing him more harm than good. He wants the narrator to be known for something rather than to keep quiet.

5. The vet is the first to introduce the narrator to the concept of invisibility (pp. 94-95) and blindness. How do his comments tie into the statements the narrator makes in the Prologue?

àThis connects to the prologue because the white people did not see the black people as being human but they saw them as a thing and because they were invisible, it was harder for them to stand out.

Chapter 4

1. Look at the description of the campus. How does it contrast with the Golden Day? 

à At Golden Day, it was messy and unorganized and in the campus it was clean and organized.

2. Why does the narrator call the campus “a flower-studded wasteland?” 

àThe campus was very well maintained and it looked very pretty. It was well organized.

3. List as many images (with page numbers) as you can find in this chapter of black against white.

à "while black and bald and everything white folks poked fun at, he had achieved power and authority.” (pg. 79)

4. List all the images you can find (with page numbers) of masks and veils in this chapter.

à" composed his angry face like a sculptor, making it a bland mask" (pg. 81)

 "a veil seemed to fall" (pg. 81).

5. How does the scene in Bledsoe’s office parallel the Battle Royal scene?

à It parallels to the Battle Royal scene because Bledsoe is bigger(stronger) than the narrator.

Chapter 5

1. Retell briefly the story of the founder. How does it parallel the story of the narrator? 

à The founder got his education and got out of living a poor life. The same thing happened to the narrator but the narrator furthered on his education.

2. In what ways has Bledsoe perverted the founder’s dream?

à Bledsoe wanted the money rather than giving the education to the black people that attended the college.

3. Is there any symbolism in Bledsoe’s name? 

àBledsoe symbolizes someone that is greedy for power.

4. Consider Rev. Homer Barbee’s name and blindness. Is there a classical allusion? 

àI’m not sure

5. Does the revelation of Barbee’s blindness force the narrator to reevaluate Barbee’s statements? Why?

à  It distorts the narrators perspective of Barbee because he cannot see who is black and who is white. Barbee cannot see what has happened to the school since he lost his ability to see.

6. Examine the images of rebirth on p. 110. Why do you feel Ellison included them?

à Ellison included them to show that everyone can advance to a better state in which they were born if they really intended to do so.