Invisible Man Chapter 21-Epilogue Quiz

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Questions and Answers

What does the narrator try to make the doll do?

He tries to make the doll dance.

What story does the narrator confirm to the Brotherhood members?

He confirms that Clifton is dead.

What does the narrator rally the members in his building to stage?

A funeral march for Clifton.

Describe the march and the narrator's speech.

The community is angry at Clifton's death. Hundreds of former brothers show up, and the narrator gives a 'sobering' speech. Signup and view all the answers

What does the narrator hope the Brotherhood will be able to harness?

The tension that resulted from the narrator's speech. Signup and view all the answers

Who is waiting for the narrator's return to his office? What are they angry about?

Brother Jack and the other members. They're angry that he associated Clifton's rally with the Brotherhood without permission. Signup and view all the answers

What does Jack inform the narrator that he was hired for?

Thinking, not talking. Signup and view all the answers

How does the Brotherhood officially regard Clifton? Why?

A traitor to the organization and the cause, because of his 'anti-negro dolls.' Signup and view all the answers

What does the narrator accuse Jack of?

Trying to be the 'great white father.' Signup and view all the answers

What pops out of Jack's head? How does Jack explain its loss?

A glass eye— he lost it while doing his duty for the organization. Signup and view all the answers

Who does Jack instruct the narrator to see? Why?

Brother Hambro, to learn about the Brotherhood's new program. Signup and view all the answers

What does Ras now call himself?

Ras the Destroyer. Signup and view all the answers

What does Ras denounce the Brotherhood for?

For not following through with the momentum gained from the funeral. Signup and view all the answers

How does the narrator first try to disguise himself? Who is he mistaken for?

He wears a pair of sunglasses with dark green lenses and is mistaken for 'Rinehart'. Signup and view all the answers

How does the narrator further augment his disguise?

He adds a large hat. Signup and view all the answers

Who is this 'Rinehart' that the narrator is mistaken as being?

A pimp, a bookie, a 'spiritual technologist'. Signup and view all the answers

What does Hambro inform the narrator about the Brotherhood? How does the narrator react?

He tells the narrator that the Brotherhood intends to sacrifice its influence in Harlem to pursue bigger political goals. This infuriates the narrator, who storms out in anger. Signup and view all the answers

How does the narrator plan to discover the committee's real goals?

By cultivating a relationship with Emma, Brother Jack's mistress. Signup and view all the answers

What is happening in Harlem?

Crowds are beginning to form, windows are beginning to be smashed and clashes are erupting. Signup and view all the answers

How does the narrator lie to the Brotherhood?

He lies to them and says that Harlem has begun to quiet down and gives them a false list of new members' names. Signup and view all the answers

What does the narrator decide against? What does he decide instead?

He decides against using Emma to discover the real goals of the Brotherhood. He instead decides to use Sybil. Signup and view all the answers

Why does the narrator receive a frantic call?

Because a riot has erupted in Harlem, and the Brotherhood needs him to get to Harlem as soon as possible. Signup and view all the answers

What conflicting stories does the narrator receive regarding the outbreak of the Harlem riots?

He encounters a group of looters who give conflicting stories about what caused the initial outbreak. Signup and view all the answers

Who does the narrator learn has incited the violence? Who has planned it all along?

He learns that Ras incited the violence. He learns that the Brotherhood planned the race riots all along. Signup and view all the answers

Describe the narrator's ensuing predicament at the tenement building and a further looted building.

He runs from the burning tenement building and realizes that he left his briefcase inside. Signup and view all the answers

Describe Ras. What does he call his followers to do to the narrator? Why?

Ras is wielding a spear and is dressed in the costume of an Abyssinian chieftain. He tells his followers to lynch the narrator as a traitor to black people. Signup and view all the answers

What does the narrator try to explain?

That the black community by turning against itself and burning and looting is falling into The Brotherhood's trap. Signup and view all the answers

What happens to the narrator after his escape from Ras and the crowd?

He encounters two police officers in the street who ask to see what is in his briefcase. He falls into an open manhole and the police mock him. Signup and view all the answers

How does the narrator provide himself light?

He burns the items in his briefcase one by one including his diploma and Clifton's doll. Signup and view all the answers

What does the narrator realize about the slip of paper with his new Brotherhood name and the anonymous threatening letter?

He realizes that the handwriting on both is identical. Signup and view all the answers

Who does the narrator dream of while he sleeps? What do the men do?

He dreams of Jack, Emerson, Bledsoe, Norton, and Ras. The men mock him, castrate him, and say that they have stripped him of his illusions. Signup and view all the answers

What does the narrator decide to do? What is his final affirmation?

He decides to stay underground. He affirms 'The end was in the beginning'. Signup and view all the answers

What does the narrator mean by, 'I'm an invisible man and it placed me in a hole - or showed me the hole I was in, if you will - and I reluctantly accepted the fact'?

The narrator means that he was always in this hole, but by being an invisible man he was able to see that he had always been in this hole, and allowed him to better accept it. Signup and view all the answers

What does the narrator not know about his decision to stay underground?

He is unsure whether his decision to stay underground placed him in the avant-garde or in the rear end of social activism. Signup and view all the answers

When does the narrator realize he has accrued the most hate to himself? Received the most love?

He realizes that the moment he has accrued the most hate to himself is when he speaks and acts with the most honesty and that he accrued the most love in the moments that he worked to affirm the misguided beliefs of others. Signup and view all the answers

How has the narrator decided to escape the dilemma?

He decided that the best way to escape this dilemma was to become invisible. Signup and view all the answers

What words does the narrator begin to reconsider the meaning of? How?

He begins to reconsider the words of his grandfather, 'agree em' to death'. He thinks that maybe by saying 'yes' his grandfather meant to instead take responsibility for society's evils. Signup and view all the answers

What does the narrator state he doesn't covet?

He states that he does not covet Jack's power, Rinehart's freedom, or even the freedom not to run. Signup and view all the answers

What has the narrator learned while hiding underground?

The narrator learned that though he is invisible, he is not blind. Signup and view all the answers

Describe the narrator's account of an incident with an elderly white man on the subway.

An elderly white man was wandering around the platform, seeming lost. It was Mr. Norton. He finally approached the narrator and asked how to get to Centre Street. Signup and view all the answers

What does the narrator wonder he bothered with? Why?

He wonders why he even bothered to write this story down, because he found that the writing process has not served to cast his anger out but rather to diminish his bitterness. Signup and view all the answers

Why does the narrator declare the end of his hibernation?

Because he must, 'shake off his old skin and come up for breath'. Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Narrator's Perspective and Actions

The narrator attempts to animate a doll, representing Clifton's manipulation through external forces.
He confirms Clifton's death to the Brotherhood, marking a significant turning point in his allegiance.
Organizes a funeral march for Clifton, reflecting community solidarity and anger.
Delivers a sobering speech during the march, igniting tension among attendees.

Brotherhood Dynamics

Tension arises with Brotherhood members after the march, particularly from Brother Jack, who criticizes the narrator's actions.
Jack emphasizes the Brotherhood's expectation of the narrator to think, rather than speak freely.
Clifton is labeled a traitor for his actions, underscoring the organization’s rigid ideology.

Conflict with Ras

Ras emerges as a radical figure claiming to be "Ras the Destroyer," criticizing the Brotherhood for their lack of action.
The narrator's attempts to disguise himself lead to being mistaken for "Rinehart"—a symbol of disreputable behaviors.

Riots in Harlem

Harlem descends into chaos, with riots and violence erupting, linked to Ras and potentially orchestrated by the Brotherhood.
Narrator witnesses the destruction but sees parallels in the black community’s self-inflicted harm versus external manipulation.

Narrator's Stratagems

He devises a plan to discover the Brotherhood’s true agendas through personal ties with Sybil rather than Emma.
Lies to the Brotherhood about Harlem’s quietness, reflecting his internal conflict and desperation.

Symbolism of Invisibility

The narrator grapples with the duality of being invisible yet aware, revealing insights about societal neglect.
His choice to stay underground represents a nuanced understanding of activism—a pursuit to escape societal expectations.

Personal Reflections

The narrator contemplates hate and love, discovering that honesty often breeds hostility while affirming false beliefs garners affection.
His grandfather's advice is reassessed, suggesting acceptance could lead to transcendence of societal evils.

Climax and Conclusion

After a harrowing encounter with Ras and the enraged mob, a fall into a manhole symbolizes his struggle against societal perceptions and systems.
He gains clarity about his narrative and social role, drawing insights during his time hiding underground.
Concludes that his experiences and reflections on power, freedom, and societal responsibility shape his identity, encapsulated in the phrase: “The end was in the beginning.”

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Description

Test your understanding of the key events in Chapter 21 and the Epilogue of 'Invisible Man'. This quiz covers important moments such as the narrator's struggles and the characters' actions following Clifton's death. Dive deep into the themes and symbols presented in these sections.