In Ralph Ellison’s Invisible Man, it was almost like all the stars aligned across centuries for the IM to have his solo meeting with Brother Tarp at the time he did as many factors, contributions and allusions all came together at once and culminated into a beautiful father-son-esque conversation. In Ch. 18, the IM receives an anonymous letter that connects him back to what he consider his “past life” when he says, “Only my Bledsoe-trustee inspired compulsion to read all papers that touched my hands prevented me from throwing the envelope aside”, as his discovery of Bledsoe’s treachery put him on edge when it came to letters. This reference to the past can be seen almost like a “shackle” that hinders the IM from completing his full-on transformation as he lacks the ability to truly trust anything or anyone.

This leads directly into his conversation with Brother Tarp as Tarp essentially passes on the figurative “torch” by exposing a story about himself that he hadn’t told any of the brothers to that point: that he was a prisoner. The type of imprisonment Tarp went through was a rigorous chain gang system in which he was shackled at the legs to his fellow prisoners and forced to be denigrated back to essentially the same work and conditions his slave ancestors had faced not too many decades prior to the timeline of the story. His story was actually so relatable to slavery from start to finish that it was nearly unbelievable to the narrator, shown when he says “I couldn’t see it in his face or hear it in his speech, yet I knew he was neither lying nor trying to shock me”, as Brother Tarp was imprisoned just for saying “no” to a white man and had to forcibly escape and flee from the South to the North, much like many slave stories. The presentation of his own chain link to the IM was a beautiful gesture as he understands although his situation is different, the IM is also running away from his past, but is still stuck and looking for his own complete freedom.

The chain goes from being a sentimental item to a meaningful grasp on the generational fight for freedom that the black man in America has been attempting to achieve. The significance of it being broken is understanding that black men do have the chance to finally break the mold and are no longer chained down and limited to what white society decides for them. Because of the chain link’s aura of freedom, Brother Wrestrum found its presence to be problematic. He said that, “I don’t think we ought to dramatize our differences”, as unlike the IM and Tarp, he’s comfortable in the world that has been set up for him by the Brotherhood, almost like some rare cases of house slaves. He sees the link almost a threat to the order that has been setup and that he’s thriving on. The idea that a Brother could be seen being differentiated from the body as a whole and be their own man was appalling to him, which is why he wanted the link removed immediately from sight. Telling the IM to remove it was Wrestrum’s attempt to once again shackle and remove the IM‘s freedom as a means of putting him back into the group to avoid “otherness”, much like how a chain gang is linked together and all forced to do the same thing.

Overall, the chain Brother Tarp gave the IM could signify many things, however I believe it was a sign to the narrator that although at some points you may be shackled and bogged down by the weight of external forces bearing down upon you, it’s always possible to break free from those shackles and choose your own path for your own betterment.

As humans, we tend to keep our most valuable items closest to us as they are worth more to us than any other items. The worth of these items is not measured in monetary value, but in the value of happiness it may bring us or even in sentimental or cultural value. In this sense, some possessions can even be considered priceless to certain individuals. The value of possessions is specifically highlighted in Chapter 13 of “Invisible Man,” which was written by Ralph Ellison.

In the scene where the couple are getting evicted, the narrator initially comes across the possessions and relates them to “junk” as he almost falls over them. “It was piled in a jumble along the walk and over the curb into the street, like a lot of junk waiting to be hauled away” (206). As the narrator starts to observe his surroundings and grasp the situation that is currently taking place around him, he starts to analyze the possessions of the couple. “And I realized that what I’d taken for junk was actually worn household furnishings” (207). It is in the narrator’s analysis that the true value of the items is revealed.

The first item the narrator encounter is the picture frame which holds the dreary image of the couple when they were young. From the narrator’s analysis, we know about the particular expression of “stiff dignity” present on their faces. The invisible man relates to this as he mentions how it brings back memories for him. “Feeling strange memories awakening that began an echoing in my head like that of a hysterical voice stuttering in a dark street” (209). The sad expressions on the faces of the couple may relate to the narrator as they may remind him of feelings of oppression and general sadness he may have felt before.

Other items the invisible man comes across include bones used to play music, various hair products and a range of images and photos. The narrator analyzes these items in the same way he analyzed the picture frame and its contents. He goes on to realize that they share the same culture. This may relate to why unpleasant memories flooded back to the narrator when he was analyzing the picture frame.

The invisible man’s speech also plays a role in explaining the value of the couple’s possessions. Once the invisible man realizes that he shares the same culture as the couple, he treats the possessions as an extension of his culture and slowly becomes enraged whilst giving his speech after seeing how the possessions were treated. This may have reminded the narrator of how African American culture was being mistreated as well.

The narrator sees the mistreatment of the possessions as a contribution to the mistreatment of African American culture which was present at the time, and which is still unfortunately present today. He relates to the couple as not only getting mistreated by others, but also as sharing the experience of an African American living in the United States during that time.

In the Invisible Man, we see how he progresses through the story. He changes many of his ideologies and he is not the same person that he was at the beginning of the novel. I argue that the Invisible Man actually becomes more open-minded and begins to analyze and understand things rather than to just accept it for what it is. The Invisible Man begins to question himself and others around him rather than just accepting what is in front of him. That goes without saying that the Invisible Man had to experience different events in order to be able to “see” in different ways. I believe that it was in this encounter that the Invisible Man learned that some things are not what they seem to be. I am referring to when the Invisible Man saw the possessions of the elderly couple on the curb as they were being evicted from their home. When the Invisible Man first sees the belongings of the couple, he refers to it as, “ junk waiting to be hauled away”(Ellison). We can see how the Invisible Man sees these items as “junk” rather than actually looking at the possessions and seeing what they actually are. Upon further inspection, the Invisible Man learns more about the situation and sees that the “junk” is actually important and valuable to the old couple. The Invisible Man gains clarity and even begins to feel anger for the couple. 

There were many items and belongings from the couple that the Invisible Man identified. One of the first belongings that made the Invisible Man begin to think and question himself was the portrait of the old couple when they were young. He had begun to feel “strange memories awakening that began an echoing in my head like that of a hysterical voice stuttering in a dark street. Seeing them look back at me as though even then in that nineteenth-century day they had expected little, and this with a grim, unillusioned pride that suddenly seemed to me both a reproach and a warning”(Ellison). He was referring to how the couple looked sad and appeared to lack dignity in the photo. In this instance he begins to analyze the photo and begins to reflect on himself, it is interesting how he takes it as a “reproach” and a “warning”. He is seeing the oppression and sadness that the couple had and still have, he is reflecting on this and becomes connected with the old couple. He begins to think about where he is presently and how he himself is still oppressed and sad much like the young couple. He begins to understand them and grows closer to them.

This sparks emotion in him and we can see this spark growing larger as he sees more items. He continues to see all the possessions the couple had from baby items, letters, pots, and various other trinkets. When the Invisible Man saw these he was entranced and I believe that he begins to think about how human the couple are and even gets an insight into their life. He begins to analyze each object and gives these items his own meanings. Even though he does not know the story, meaning, or history of these items he gains a new perspective and creates their own narratives. He no longer sees the objects as useless but rather filled with stories and life. The Invisible Man even gets a vision of his mother as he relates these objects to his own experiences and life, he says that “And with this sense of dispossession came a pang of vague recognition: this junk, these shabby chairs, these heavy, old-fashioned pressing irons, zinc washtubs with dented bottoms — all throbbed within me with more meaning than there should have been”(Ellison). The Invisible Man had begun to see the bigger picture and realized that even junk has a history. It is quite interesting to see how the Invisible Man had built narratives from these objects and how he connected them with his own.

 From these comparisons and connections, we can see how the Invisible man becomes more aware and open-minded. This encounter serves as a roadmap for what happens in the later chapters as he realizes that history is flawed and that it has various perspectives. He learns that history truly is not history as only the witness of that history decides if it is important or not, and this in itself is unfair and biased. This encounter allowed the Invisible Man to see a bigger picture and begin to be open-minded. It was the self-reflection of his own thoughts and flaws that allowed him to realize this. He saw his flaw in assuming that the items were junk and now thinks twice before accepting something for what it is. We as readers can also learn from these experiences as we too are growing just like the Invisible Man.

Here’s everything you need to play along today in our first asynchronous session. First the video (be sure to have your copy of the book in hand):

Ch 17-20 lecture (Vimeo)

In Dropbox (.mov format)

Here’s the text of the lecture, more or less, if you want it.

And here’s the prompt for the blog post that’s due by tomorrow at 5pm. Note that this post counts as Blog Post #3 on the syllabus! Definitely take in the lecture before writing; the writing assignment will be easier and make more sense after the lecture.

1. The jumble of possessions from the “dispossessed” couple’s apartment in Chapter 13
2. Mary Rambo’s figurine in Ch. 15
3. Brother Tarp’s chain link in Ch. 18
4. Tod Clifton’s dancing paper puppet in Ch. 19

The Invisible Man is also writing about his own experience as a black man living in America. While reading his book, I found some similarities with Hurston, especially in the beginning. The first thing that grabbed my attention was the idea that blacks think that slavery ended. Ralph Ellison explained that “about eighty-five years ago they were told that they were free, united with others of our country in everything pertaining to the common good, and, in everything social, separate like the fingers of the hand and they believed it”(15). Hence, most blacks were told that all American citizens are equal and benefit from the same rights, and everyone believed it. in the same way, Zora Neale Hurston argued that slavery ended sixty years ago (2). Both authors believed that slavery ended a long time ago but they kept acting that they were socially equal with whites. Although Hurston mentioned the first day she felt colored, she still does not believe that slavery still exists. Ellison was told by his grandfather that oppression still exists and that he was a subservient to white men (16). Something that Ellison could not believe and made him confused about white people’s intentions towards him, whether they want him to succeed or not. One strong evidence that slavery was still existing in their time is that both authors were used as entertainment for whites. Hurston was singing for whites to please them and get money in return. In her writing, she pointed out “They liked to hear me “speak pieces” and sing” (1). Hence, whites were treating her nicely because she was singing for them and pleasing them. Similarly, Ellison was invited to give a speech in front of some white leaders of the town. He wrote, “it was a great success. Everyone praised me and I was invited to give a speech at a gathering of the town’s leading white citizens. It was a triumph for our whole community” (17). It can be seen that Ellison considered that giving a speech in front of some white leaders was an honor for him and his black community, but the truth was shocking. Ellison was used as a piece of entertainment by whites. Ellison wrote “…I might as well take part in the battle royal to be fought by some of my schoolmates as part of the entertainment. The battle royal came first” (17). Ellison was forced to be involved in the royal battle instead of giving a speech and leave. The outcome is that Whites never looked at blacks as intelligent people, instead, blacks are considered as a source of amusement. For both authors, they thought that whites value their talents, but they were wrong. Anything that blacks do, they get something in return (money for Hurston and scholarship for Ellison) with the condition to please the whites. For me, this is a sign of aggression applied to blacks but in a hidden way.

The second similarity is how whites are threatened by blacks. Hurston argues that “The position of my white neighbor is much more difficult. No brown specter…as the game of getting” (3) The writer confirms that whites are always afraid of losing their privileges anytime because of blacks. For Ellison, I think the fact that he steals energy from the white power company is a strong message addressed to whites. He claims that “I use their service and pay them nothing at all, and they don’t know it” (5). The outcome is that whites are not aware of black people’s potentials and intelligence. If Ellison were not noticed by the white company when using their service without paying a penny, maybe one day he could use his intelligence and gain political and economic power causing whites to lose their privileges. So, both authors want to convey that black intelligence is not to be underestimated.