Questions and Answers
What reminds the narrator of the South when walking down the street?
What does the narrator see after buying yams on the street?
A group of people watching a black couple getting evicted
What does the narrator do after seeing the evicted couple fight back?
He gives a speech to the crowd about standing up to white people
What is the name of the couple?
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How old is Mr. Provo?
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What happens after the narrator gives the crowd his speech?
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While running from the cops, who does the narrator meet?
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What does Brother Jack offer the narrator?
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Why does Brother Jack suggest the narrator accept his job offer?
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Why has Mary been running low on money?
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Where does Brother Jack and other men take the narrator?
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Who does Brother Jack introduce the narrator to at the hotel?
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What is the first thing Emma says about the narrator?
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What is Brother Jack's political organization called?
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What does the Brotherhood fight for?
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Who does the Brotherhood mainly focus on?
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What does Emma give the narrator $300 for?
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How much will the narrator be earning a week?
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What disgusts the narrator at Mary's house?
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What does the narrator do to this piggy bank?
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Does the narrator tell Mary that he will not return once he leaves?
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What does the narrator see as a title in the newspaper?
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Where is the narrator's new apartment?
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Where does the narrator give his first speech for the Brotherhood?
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Who is the narrator sent to after his speech and why?
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How did the narrator's first speech go?
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What was the main idea of the narrator's first speech?
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After studying the Brotherhood's ideology for months, what is the narrator appointed as?
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Where does Brother Jack take the narrator to tell him his new job?
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Who does the narrator meet at his new office?
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Who does Tod Clifton say the main enemy of the Brotherhood is?
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What is Ras the Exhorter's ideology?
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Is the Brotherhood anti-violent?
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What is the narrator's second speech on?
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Who arrives at the narrator's second speech?
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What happens when Ras the Exhorter shows up?
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How does Ras the Exhorter believe Clifton became involved with the Brotherhood?
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Does the narrator still have nightmares about Dr. Bledsoe and his past life?
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What does the narrator still feel about himself?
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Study Notes
Key Events and Characters
- Street vendors selling baked yams evoke memories of the South for the narrator.
- The narrator witnesses a black couple, the Provos, being evicted, inspiring a response from him.
- After observing the couple's fight against eviction, the narrator passionately addresses the crowd, urging them to resist white oppression.
- The Provos consist of Mr. Provo, who is 87 years old.
Political Involvement
- The narrator's speech mobilizes the crowd to confront the white men evicting the Provos.
- While fleeing the police, the narrator encounters Brother Jack, who offers him a position in a political organization.
- Brother Jack emphasizes the safety of public speaking within a political structure compared to doing it alone.
Brotherhood Organization
- Mary, a benevolent figure in the narrator's life, faces financial strain by providing him with free lodging.
- Brother Jack and associates take the narrator to Chthonian Hotel, introducing him to his mistress, Emma, who comments on his appearance regarding race.
- The Brotherhood focuses on advocating for marginalized groups, particularly blacks and women.
Financial and Living Situation
- Emma gifts the narrator $300 for paying Mary and buying new clothes.
- The narrator’s salary at Brotherhood is set at $60 a week.
- The narrator is disturbed by a racially insensitive piggy bank at Mary's house, which he shatters.
Speech and Ideology
- The narrator's new apartment is located in the Upper East Side.
- He delivers his inaugural speech in a former boxing ring, overcoming initial nerves and eventually connecting with the audience.
- The primary message of his first speech is the necessity for solidarity among black individuals against systemic obstacles.
- After months studying the Brotherhood's ideology, he is promoted to chief spokesperson for the Harlem District.
Dissent and Rivalry
- In a meeting at El Toro Bar, the narrator is introduced to Brother Tod Clifton and Brother Tarp.
- Tod Clifton identifies Ras the Exhorter as the main adversary, promoting the idea of complete separation of black and white culture.
- The Brotherhood maintains a stance of non-violence in its approach to activism.
Ongoing Struggles
- The narrator's second speech focuses on racist eviction policies in Harlem, coinciding with Ras the Exhorter’s disruptive arrival.
- Conflict erupts when Ras confronts Clifton, revealing underlying tensions within the community.
- The narrator continues to grapple with haunting memories of Dr. Bledsoe and experiences a dichotomy within himself, reflecting on his identity as both a public speaker and a man with personal struggles.
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Description
Explore key moments and themes from Chapters 13 to 17 of Ralph Ellison's 'Invisible Man' with these flashcards. Learn about the narrator's experiences and the societal issues he confronts, from street vendors to evictions, through thought-provoking questions and answers.
