Invisible Man Observations

While I definitely see the literary value of Invisible Man, it is nonetheless a very difficult book to get through. There are a lot of images to notice, and frankly, the plot moves relatively slowly. Thus, in the midst of attempting to index/annotate everything important while also attempting to stay awake, the reading process is slow. Although, I have discovered a process that really helps me get through the book quicker. If I sit down with the book and force myself not to annotate, only highlight words to index, and read for an hour, I get through the book much quicker. Then, for about 15 minutes, I go back and annotate the sections I read. This helps me read the book quicker while also covering the necessary material. It’s a good tip for anyone struggling with the same thing that I am.

On a side note with Invisible Man, it is interesting that the narrator introduces a lot of blood imagery and Biblical references. With these images, I cannot help but think that the narrator is, in a sense, a Christ figure and maybe even a tragic hero. Of course, I have not read enough of the story to speculate, but from the prologue, it appears that he sacrifices his personal freedom and desires in order to infiltrate white society, and basically destroy it from the inside-out. This is similar to the sacrifice Christ made on the cross. However, while many doubted Christ’s holiness, he was a well-known figure in his area, far from invisible. Thus, that slightly breaks his connection with the Invisible Man. Also, the man’s irrational act of violence during the prologue seems far from Christ-like, although he makes it sound like this loss of control is an anomaly, not a regularity.

Also, there is a lot of fruit imagery, connecting the story to Adam and Eve and the fall of man. This connection would make sense considering the book focuses on many of man’s faults including discriminatory attitudes.

As I have read the book, I have begun to question the purpose of the school the narrator attends. It appears, as the narrator seems to slowly discover, that the school is enslaving it’s students in yet another manner. It is forcing them to believe the white man’s views, thus enslaving the students in their minds. As a result, the students feel inferior to the white men and are thus emotionally enslaved.

With this idea, one must consider the purpose of the headmaster. He seems to have power, but puts on the appearance of inferiority when white guests come to visit. This seems similar to the narrator idea to infiltrate white society wearing a cloak of invisibility. Thus, is the headmaster the initial invisible man? Did he give the narrator the idea to live apart from society?

One other question I have is when does the narrator become invisible? It appears that, at the start of his life at college, that he is not invisible, but rather one of the favored students. What changes this?