Jeff Wall Photo Analysis (Invisible Man)

The photograph by Jeff Wall posted to the left is a clear and artistic cinematic depiction of the prologue of the novel The Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison. This depicts shows the struggles and troubles that black men had to face at that point in time. The man is literally is too big for his home, which is clutter with his essentials. I believe that the house is not actually cluttered but actually quite neat but when you have a limited space or a shack to live in you make do, just as the man in the photograph. The dynamics of the picture also have to be taken into account. The setting was put together amazingly for a picture and has the quality of a high definition movie, which gives you a feeling of being in the same room as the poor man in the chair listening to the radio. The purpose of this is to give you the feeling of being in the same low class living as he is. The photographer says that this photo is an “accident of reading” but in no way is this a mere “accident” this was a well-structured photo with the intension to capture the attention and emotion of the onlooker. The emotion to be caught is a sense of dread or the sense of struggling to survive in a world (in 1940s standards) that didn’t want you in it.
The song by the great singer and trumpeter Louis Armstrong  “(What Did I Do To Be So) Black and Blue” is has a deep meaning about the struggles of the black people in that time. Armstrong says “even a mouse runs from my house,” showing that even lowlife animals such as mice wouldn’t want to be in the same predicament as a black man. This signifies the hardship of the black man, which Armstrong points out by saying “What did I do to be so black and blue.” Armstrong’s question, “What did I do to be so black and blue” can be a cry of why has he been forsaken by this burden of being black.  Armstrong continues to address his burden by stating, “the only sin is in my skin” meaning that he is just like everyone else but the only difference is his skin color.

The quote “You ache with the need to convince yourself that you do exist in the real world, that you’re a part of all the sound and anguish, and you strike out with your fists, you curse and you swear to make them recognize you.” This quote speaks to the people who let their words speak for them instead of their actions. The quote is to show that your actions as a human should go to your character. “You ache with the need to convince yourself that you do exist in the real world," this quote goes with the topic of the invisible man the need to belong in the world but being shut because of simple reasons. 

Chapter 1

1.     How does the Battle Royal illuminate to the narrator the differences between Blacks and Whites?

 It showed how the blacks struggled to be taken seriously when it comes to political views and ended off being taken as entertainment.

2.     What shocking surprises does the narrator have that night?

The shocking surprise was the narrator being forced to stare at the naked lady with the American flag.

3.     How does the Battle Royal symbolize the narrator’s struggle for identity?

The narrator is fighting the invisibility to find his own identity. The battle royal can be a symbol of his inner fight between identity and invisibility.

4.     How does it symbolize the plight of Blacks in that time period in general?

This symbolizes the plight of blacks by showing how the white men viewed the blacks as just entertainment and not a race of people and didn’t care about the political reasons they are there for.

5.     The narrator gives a number of speeches throughout the novel. This is the first. Study it carefully and write a brief summary. What is the topic and why is that topic ironic?

The topic of this speech was the narrator’s view of Booker T. Washington’s view of humility and submission. But states social responsibilities which is ironic because blacks as a race are trying to get equality and he was proposing that they be submissive.

6.     In what ways are the Blacks at the smoker humiliated? Why do the White men take such pleasure in that humiliation?

Forcing them fight watch the naked lady, boxing, and insulting them.

7.     The narrator clings to the White man’s chair and thinks of tossing the man on the electrified rug. How does this scene symbolize the consequences of Black rebellion in a White world?

The situation is getting more severe.

8.     List all reference to the image of blindness.

Blind terror

"The boys groped about like blind, cautious crabs crouching to protect their mid-sections..."

9.     What is the significance of the narrator’s dream at the end of the chapter?

Giving insight on the narrator’s grandfather’s character and personality.

Chapter 2

1.     How does the statue of the founder fit into the sight imagery begun in the Prologue?

The narrator talks about the statue with a sense of admiration and he ties it back to the prologue by the veil being raised or lowered over the eyes which go with his idea of blindness.

2.     Look at the “Maxims of Emerson” handout. Are Norton’s comments ironic? Why or why not?

No handout

3.     Notice that Norton smokes a cigar. Does this connect him to other men of power? Who?

It makes a connection back to chapter one where the rich men can be found smoking cigars

4.     Do you sense anything unnatural about Norton’s relationship with his daughter? On p. 51.

Yes his description seems a little too sexual to be describing his daughter and also how he was so interested with Jim Trueblood’s story.

5.     Norton seems amazed that Trueblood has “looked upon chaos and [is] not destroyed.” What do you make of this comment?

Norton is interested in Trueblood because he has the same (may) plans for his daughter. 

6.     How might the clock in Trueblood’s dream symbolize the modern mechanized world?

The clock symbolizes that in due time the blacks gain “approval” from the weight man.

7.     Do you find any symbolism in Trueblood’s name?

Trueblood is symbolic because of the stereotype of the black man in that time period.

8.     Did you find the incest story disturbing? Why does Ellison include it?

Yes I found it disturbing because Trueblood was describing his daughter as a better-looking version of his wife when they first met. Also he says when he noticed what he was doing he didn’t want to move and his daughter pushing him off but also holding him tight. Ellison added this to show the stereotypes of the black male.

9.     Read the final paragraph on p. 67 that begins “Things got to happenin’ right off.” What do you make of the White community’s willingness to help Trueblood? How does this relate to the grandfather’s deathbed speech?

Their willingness to help was to get Trueblood’s disgraceful deed out of their community. Trueblood’s response was no which went with the narrator’s grandfather’s death speech because Trueblood refuses to be submissive.

  

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?

The Golden Day is an insane asylum and partial bar. It was a jailhouse, bank, gambling house, church and restaurant.

2.     Describe the veterans at the Golden Day.

The veterans were drunken, loud and were easy to lie to.

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

The blacks say whatever they want to with no regards to the whites.

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

The warning was that him being black will be a setback no longer how far he gets in life.

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

This is where the narrator is embracing his invisibility that he spoke of in the prologue.  

Chapter 4

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

The campus is described as peaceful and serene but the Golden Day is described as chaotic.

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

He is speaking of how the it went from a horrible plantation to a beautiful serene college.

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

“He grabbed his black homburg, starting for the door.”  (I have pdf)

“…while black and bald and everything white folks poled fun…”

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

“Then a veil seemed to fall.” "…buildings flowed and froze for a moment in mist"

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

Bledsoe tells the narrator that the whites cannot see people such as Jim so they can get to the social equality that they desire, which is the same thing the narrator said in his Battle Royal speech. 

Chapter 5

1. Retell briefly the story of the founder. How does it parallel the story of the narrator?             The Founder is described as a God-like figure but he was bored a slave and was left for dead but survived.

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

Bledsoe doesn’t care about the education or quality of education the students receive but he only care about his finances and power.

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

The symbolism is that the college is bleeding and he doesn’t care, Bled-So.

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

The reverend’s name is an allusion to the poet Homer from Ancient Greece.

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

The narrator feels that Homer is lying about what he is preaching because he has no idea what the school is now compared to the older days.

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

Ellison included these images because he feels that you can make a positive out of any negative situation.

Chapter 6

1.     What shocking aspects of Bledsoe’s character are revealed to the narrator?  
  Bledsoe does not care about the advancement of blacks but he pretends to care to gain more power.
2.  What specific statements does Bledsoe make that show his concern is for himself rather than for the school or for the advancement of other Blacks?
"I'll have every Negro in the country hanging from tree limbs by morning if it means staying where I am"
3.     Read the last paragraph on p. 146 beginning “How did I come to this?” What do you make of the paragraph in terms of the narrator’s struggle to find his identity?
The narrator was in belief that he was doing what people wanted to but then releases that he is following in the steps of his grandfather and becoming a traitor.

Chapter 7

1.     Who does the narrator meet on the bus to New York? Why dos the encounter make him uncomfortable?

The narrator meets the vet who mocked Mr. Norton. This encounter makes him uncomfortable because the vet tells him that Bledsoe sent him to a psychiatric facility in Washington. But as he gets off the bus the vet tells him to serve as his own father.

2. On p. 152, the narrator is told New York is “not a place, it’s a dream.” Interpret this statement.  They viewed New York as somewhere where they can be who they want and be as invisible as possible and also they can also be saying it as that it’s so far from the south that they are used to that it seems just like a dream.

3. How does the fate of the vet parallel the fate of the narrator? Think of how both are controlled. They both caused problems for Bledsoe so Bledsoe sent them both away. They’re parallel because Bledsoe is drastically changing their living situations.

4. Reread the final paragraph on p. 153 What do you make of the vet’s advice?                           The vet tells the narrator to serve as his father would. This advice seems to be stuck in his ways and his advice could mean, submit but try to get ahead, but advancement would be impossible without standing up for yourself.

5. On p. 155, the vet says, “there’s always an element of crime in freedom.” What does this statement mean to you? Do you agree or disagree?

This means that people are used to servitude are not able control themselves in a free society. I agree to an extent because if you are used to one situation your entire life then when you step into anew you become lost.

6. Describe the narrator’s encounter with Ras.

In the encounter with Ras he is speaking about chasing out the whites and giving the oppressed freedom and the ability to govern themselves.

Chapter 8

1.     In the first six chapters, the narrator’s identity is defined by the scholarship. Now the letters defines it. Describe them.

The letters of recommendations describes him because they are from Bledsoe that are supposed to get the narrator a good job in New York.

2.     Notice the narrator’s decision to get a watch. How does fit with his new identity. Look for other images to watches and time.

He saw the black professionals with watches and pouches and he believes that he would look professional as well if he had a watch.

3.     How does the narrator deny his Southern heritage? Why does he do this?

When he sits at the bar and was offered a southern breakfast he denies it and asks for coffee and toast. He does this to try to fit in and blend in with his surroundings.

4.     Why do you think the narrator dreams of his grandfather?

A he dream of his grandfather because in his mind is becoming a traitor and his dream is a way of telling him this.

Chapter 9

1.     How does Peter Wheatstraw (with plans) make the narrator homesick?

He sings some old songs that reminds him of the of the college.

2.     What is the symbolism of Wheatstraw’s blueprints?

The blueprints are the symbols of the black people hopes and dreams.

3.     How does the narrator continue to deny his Southern heritage?

He doesn’t accept the pork from the drug store.

4.     Look at the details from Emerson’s office.

Emerson’s office has birds and global artifacts.

5.     Why does Emerson keep referring to Huck Finn?

Because he is Huck because he fits the description and speaks back on his adventure.

6.     Walt Whitman wrote a series of homoerotic poems called the Calamus poems. Can you make any inferences about young Emerson from his reference to the Calamus Club?

Emerson is an homosexual. The description of Emerson’s walk, him loving the works Calamus and his hip switching can lead you to believe so.

7.     Why might young Emerson identify with the narrator and Blacks in general?

Because he was a homosexual and that was frowned upon and he would have been denied opportunities just as the black were in that time period.

Chapter 10

Ellison says that beginning with chapter 10, the novel begins to rely heavily on expressionism. In very simple terms, expressionism uses concrete objects to attempt to objectify abstract inner feelings. Therefore, objects in the novel function as complex multifaceted symbols. Remember that chapter 10 and 11 are not to be perceived as realistic, but rather as expressionistic.

1.     Consider the racial connotations of Liberty Paints. Think about the company name, trademark, slogans, government contracts, and Optic White. What do you think the company symbolizes?

This is a symbol to keep America pure white and don’t taint it. The optic white was made with 10 black drops is supposed to be the whitest white in America. This is a symbol that the white men are benefiting off of the work of the blacks.

2.     Why has the company been hiring Blacks?

They were hiring blacks because they did not have to worry about the blacks complaining to unions about low wages.

3.     Think about how Optic White is manufactured. What do the 10 drops of “dead black liquid” symbolize?

This is a symbol of the black people working behind the scenes to help the white man get rich but they get no recognition that’s why it’s the brightest white.

4.     Note that Lucius Brockway works deep in the basement of the factory, hidden from view. Is this symbolic? How is Brockway like Bledsoe? How is he different?

This is symbolic because the blacks are underground out of view making what the white man is selling in plain sight. Brockway and Bledsoe are similar because they do not care about the advancement of blacks but only cares about himself.

5.     How is Brockway himself like the 10 drops?

Brockway is like the 10 drops because the people who buy the paint aren’t supposed to know he is there working.

6.     After the explosion on p. 230, the narrator is thrust “into a wet blast of black emptiness that is somehow a bath of whiteness. How does this immersion of a Black man into a world of whiteness continue the expressionism of the chapter?

This is showing that the black was empty and lacked meaning which means the black is not as important as whites.

Chapter 11

The expressionist images of chapter 10 are black and white. Here they are death and rebirth.

1.     What images of this chapter echo the Battle Royal?

The narrator’s loss of identity, white people holding him down on the table and the white women echo the Battle Royal.

2.     The doctors at the factory hospital shock the narrator until he enters a warm watery world. Look for other images of the womb and birth.

The face in the circle of lights this is the head coming out the womb of the mother.

3.     Afterwards, the narrator is a blank slate with no memory or identity. How do the doctor’s questions develop this image of rebirth?

The narrator has fragmented memory and no memory of his parents and his overall past.

4.     Why has the narrator been reborn? What aspects of his old identity have died?

To have him forget the malpractice of the Liberty Paints and to have the narrator forget his old ways and beliefs.

5.     Buckeye the Rabbit is the same as Brer Rabbit. Remember the reference to the Tar Baby in chapter 10? In realizing that he is Buckeye the Rabbit, the narrator finds the wit and strength to escape from the machine. How is the machine like Trueblood’s clock? How does Buckeye the Rabbit embody the folk wisdom of the narrator’s childhood? How has he been reborn into the identity he at first denied upon arriving in New York?

The machine is the clock that Jim saw in his dream. That the narrator’s new identity is an escape from his old thoughts and feelings even though it was not planned.

6.     What lesson has the narrator learned?

The narrator is no longer afraid of important men.

Chapter 12 (transitional bridge between the two halves of the novel)

1.     In what way is the narrator childlike?

The narrator is childlike because he is dependent on Mary. He is like a child living for his mom.

2.     How does he permanently close off the link with his old aspirations and dreams?

He stays with Mary and ignores his ambition.

Chapter 13

1.     Peter Wheatstraw foreshadows the encounter with the yam seller. How do these encounters differ? What changes are revealed in the narrator’s identity? How is his change in identity linked with his desire to show Bledsoe as a fraud?

The first yam seller angered the narrator because he wanted to hide the fact that he enjoyed the yams. The second time he took the yams because he did not want to hide the fact that he liked yams like Bledsoe did.

2. In the eviction scene, the narrator makes his second speech of the novel. Study it carefully. Compare it to the first speech. Take notes about the narrator’s developing identity.

The narrator wanted the people to be civil and wanted them to stop the violence and come together as a people. This was different from the first speech because he is saying what will help the blacks instead of pleasing whites.

3. How does the narrator meet Brother Jack? The Brotherhood is a thinly veiled version of the Communist Party. Richard Wright, Ellison’s first mentor, was an active member in the Communist Party. At Wright’s request, Ellison wrote a number of articles for leftist publications between 1937 and 1944, but never joined. He objected to the Communist Party’s limitations of individuality and personal expression

The narrator met Brother Jack after the chase on the roof.

4. What new piece of paper replaces the letters from Bledsoe as the narrator’s identity?

The paper that replaced Bledsoe’s letters is Brother Jack’s contact information.

Chapter 14

1.     What pushes the narrator to accept The Brotherhood’s offer?

The narrator smells cabbage and was not accepting because he was being selfish.

2.     Note that the building is called the Chthonia. In Greek mythology, this is another name for Hades’ realm, the underworld. What descriptions and images can you find that convey the sense of entering an underworld type of realm? Why is entering the world of The Brotherhood like entering the underworld?

"one entire wall was hung with Italian-red draperies that fell in rich folds..."

"I was uncertain whether we had gone up or down."

The narrator entering the underworld is like entering the unknown.

3.     The phone number has been replaced by a new name in an envelope? Why? Why are we never told of this new name?

The name is the narrator’s new identity and we are never told because the narrator is not sure if he agrees with the new identity.

4.     How does the party scene remind the reader of how limited and/or hypocritical most whites are in the understanding of the treatment of Blacks?

The brotherhood does not see that the narrator is not used to the treatment being given and is not aware of their true goal but they still want him to lead their cause.

Chapter 15

1.     Think about the symbolism of the Sambo bank. Is it related to Clifton’s Sambo doll? What about  the fact that it belonged to Mary Rambo? What about the bank’s “grinning mouth” that swallows coins? Think back to the Battle Royal in Chapter 1.

The Sambo bank and doll are both black male stereotypes. Mary Rambo owning the bank is a showing of her ignorance and how people are willing to do anything to keep a steady income. The “grinning mouth” is the greed and incentive for which blacks are drawn to because of their desire to be in a better position.

Chapter 16

1.     List all the images of blindness in this chapter. What do you think the narrator means when he says he has become “more human?”

“Then swiftly we were in the dark again…”

“Let’s reclaim our sight; let’s combine and spread our vision.”

They know, if we aren’t careful, they’ll slip us on our blind sides…”

2.     How does the narrator use the image of blindness as the central theme of his speech?

The narrator attempts to tell the audience about how the white man is using them as puppets to get ahead and leave blacks behind.

3.     Be prepared to discuss the speech as a further expression of the narrator’s developing identity.

The narrator is now acknowledged as a great speaker and a possible force in the community.

4.     The rewritten quote from James Joyce is often discussed. Do you think that it is the duty of an individual to represent a particular race, gender or group? Do you believe it is more important to concentrate on developing ones individual identity?

Yes because with stereotypes are set for each race and if you carry yourself in a better way than your stereotype then you make your race’s stereotype shatter little by little.

5.     What is The Brotherhood’s reaction to the speech? What is your personal reaction? What criticism of The Brotherhood is implied here?

The brotherhood didn’t like the speech, they thought it was lacking the facts and needed less appeal to emotion.

Chapter 17

1.     How much time has passed since the narrator’s speech?

4 months

2.     Describe Brother Hambro.

"A tall, friendly man, a lawyer and The Brotherhood's chief theoretician, he had proved to be a hard taskmaker."

3.     What is Ras’ political doctrine and why is it in conflict with that of The Brotherhood?

Ras believes that blacks should stand as their own force and the brotherhood thinks whites and blacks should join together.

4.     Who is Tod Clifton? Why do he and the narrator become friends? Note that “tod” means death in German.  Why does Ras spare Clifton’s life?

Tod Clifton is the leader of the youth. The narrator befriends Tod because he is a young black educated male. Tod’s life is spared by Ras because Ras does not like black on black crime because he wants them to join together.

5.     Ras pleads with the narrator to become a part of black unity and leave The Brotherhood. His arguments are similar to those of Black Panthers and others who came to the political forefront in the 1960’s. The Communist Party did, in effect, betray the Blacks who helped build the party in the 1930’s. What side do you believe Ellison is supporting?

I believe Ellison is neutral because he shows the brotherhood has great points and views but with Ras he also shows the negatives of the brotherhood.

6.     What is significant about the portrait of Douglass that hangs in Brother Tarp’s office? How is Tarp like Douglass? Like the narrator’s grandfather?

Douglass is hanging on Tarp’s wall because he feels that Douglass’ escape from oppression and becoming educated is a feat that the blacks of that time are facing. He is like the grandfather because he that blacks should stand against the white oppression.

Chapter 18

1.     Consider the symbolism of the link of chain Tarp gives the narrator. It what ways does it link the narrator to Tarp? To his past? Is it significant that Westrum rejects that link?

The chain link is a symbol that even though the chains of slavery are broke the oppression of that time can still be found.

2.     What seems to cause the fight between Wrestrum and the narrator? What do you think is the REAL reason for this fight?

Westrum thinks that the narrator is becoming too powerful and is out for himself. Westrum is mad because the narrator is getting more acknowledgement than he is.

3.     At the end of the chapter, the narrator is sent out of Harlem. Why would The Brotherhood remove a successful member of the party and send him off to lecture on a subject about which he knows so little either by training or personal experience?

It is to show that the Brotherhood does not want him to believe he has enough power and sends him out of Harlem so he can start from the bottom again.

Chapter 19

Note that chapter 19 is a transitional chapter like chapters 7 and 12.

This chapter details the narrator’s seduction by the nameless “woman in red.”

1.     In what ways is Ellison playing with the idea that white women are drawn to Black men?

The woman is inviting him in and is more hospitable to the narrator.

2.     What reaction does the woman give when her husband comes home?

The woman does not care.

3.     What is the narrator’s action?

The narrator believes he is being set up and leaves.

4.     Do you think this chapter is humorous, or is it serious social commentary.

The chapter was humorous because the husband didn’t react to the women being with another man like a normal man would.

Chapter 20

1.  The narrator has been away from Harlem for several months. What “emergency” calls him back downtown?   The narrator feels the need to talk to Brother Maceo.
2. What changes have taken place in the movement since he left. (Note how things have changed in the Jolly Dollar Bar.   People have been disbanded from the brotherhood. The narrator uses the term brothers and people disbanded become offended.
3.  What does Ellison mean when he says that returning to Harlem was “like returning to the city of the dead?”  The evidence of the brotherhood is little to none and the city is no longer “home” for the narrator.
4. What is Clifton selling?   Sambo Doll
5. How does the Sambo doll relate to the Sambo bank? The Sambo Bank is a symbol of the negative stereotypes of blacks.
6. What do you think the doll symbolizes? Consider the fact that it is a puppet whose strings are pulled. The doll is the black man and the puppet master will be the white man who is controlling the black’s actions and decisions.
7. How does Tod Clifton die? What is the narrator’s reaction to his death?  Clifton punched a cop and in response the cop shot him.  The narrator is in disbelief by Clifton’s death and actions.

Chapter 21

1.     Why does the narrator feel guilt over Clifton’s death?

Because he did not tell Clifton the meaning behind the Sambo dolls and it lead to his death.

2.     Look at the funeral speech. How many times does the narrator use Clifton’s name? Why so many?

Twenty-three times to show that Clifton was a person and not an item he had a life and a meaning for living.

Chapter 22

1.     Why is the meeting with the Brotherhood described in terms of a dream?
The meeting doesn’t seem like it’s really happening.
2.     On p. 463, the members are said to have “flowed in one channel too long and too deeply.” What does this mean?
Their thoughts have been to themselves for too long.
3.     Why does the Brotherhood object to the phrase “personal responsibility?”
The only person that you are responsible for is yourself.
4.     Contrast the reaction of the Brotherhood to the funeral speech to the audience’s reaction to the graduation speech. Has the narrator come full circle?
The brotherhood was appreciative of the graduation speech and the funeral speech was rejected because it showed the narrator’s views instead of the brotherhood’s.
5.     What is the significance of Brother Jack’s glass eye? How does it develop the sight image that is throughout the book?
The glass eye shows blindness but also a false vision.

Chapter 23

1.     What symbolism do you find in the narrator’s purchase of dark glasses?

He brought them to hide himself from Ras but was mistaken to be Rinehart.

              2.  What are Rinehart’s various identities?
Daddy, Reverend Rinehart, Rine the Runner, Rine the Number Man
3.     Is there any symbolism in Rinehart’s name (Rind and heart)?
To be inside and outside at the same instant.
4.     Has Rinehart learned to play an identity game?
Rinehart has many identities because of his invisibility.

Chapter 24

1.     Contrast the narrator’s encounter with Sybil with that of the woman in red whose husband came home early.    They both wanted use the narrator for sex because they had the desires to have sex with a black man.
2.     What is the significance of the last line in the chapter?    It shows that he is going back to Harlem because that is the city who made him who he is.

Chapter 25

     1 What causes the riot?

         The reason is not known but he got different assumptions.
2   Think about the Book of Revelations in the Bible. In what ways is Ras like one of the four horsemen of the Apocalypse?
      The horseman of Death because he calls himself Ras the Destroyer, he tries to kill the narrator and he is suspected to be the cause of Tod Clifton’s murder.
3  What drives the narrator underground?
He is running being from Ras the Destroyer and a group of whites.
4   What does the narrator do with the papers in his briefcase? How is this action symbolic?
He burns them to use as a torch it’s symbolic with because he is burning everything that held him back to help guide him forward.

Epilogue

1   In what ways has the novel come full circle?

The narrator started off in his “little hole” with 1,369 lights and at the end is in the manhole.

2  Is this a satisfactory ending for the novel? Why or why not?

No because I was expecting the narrator to have a clue who he was or could be but honestly I feel that he either has no identity or he was given another clean slate.