Invisible Man Ch.23 Analysis PDF

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P483 After buying himself a pair of dark glasses, the narrator was mistaken by a woman for RineChart. He did so after realizing that men were wearing dark glasses for reasons other than imitation. The glasses are dark green and almost black -- symbolism? P484 Upon hearing that the woman had bought a hat for Rinehart, the narrator too purchased a hat, leading him to be further mistaken by Reinchart’s friends. The narrator thought to himself that he had to learn more about this man to avoid further misidentifications. P485 Ras renamed himself the destroyer. The narrator was greeted by a group of hipsters then some zoot-suiters. The man Rinehart seems to possess many identities. P486 Even Barrelhouse could not recognize him and addressed him as “pops”. Everyone seems to be addressing the narrator with paternal nicknames. P488 The narrator wondered “why am I talking like this?” when confronting brother Maceo. He noted that the old man looked “dreamlike through the green glasses”. Later, the narrator wondered “why am I acting from pride when this is not really me?” He seems to lose his identity after putting on the glasses, perhaps it is because he is trying to fit into the role of Rinehart that he had forgotten how to act on his own behalf. The glasses grant him a power similar to that of invisibility, as nothing he does will be attributed to him, thus giving him a false sense of security. P490 Another group of men addressed the narrator as Mr. Rinehart and even asked him for a job. What is the true identity of Rinehart? P492 The narrator's shoes are black and white, which can be representative of how he walks the line between the black and white. While he is a black man, he is serving an organization of the white. P492 The policeman said Rinehart “better have our cut in the regular place”, while a group of black man said Rinehart “would be driving that Cadillac this time of night”. They also explained that Rinehart has “a smooth tonguew, a heartless heart, and be ready to do anything”.

P495 The narrator stopped by a sign that read “holy way station, behold the living gold”. He then took a handbill from some children, which read “behold the invisible” and was from Rinehart. P498 The narrator realized that Rinehart seemingly had infinite identities, thus making his world possibility. He realized that more people know Rinehart than any other member of the brotherhood. P499 The narrator realized that he knew so little people in the north that he could walk without encountering anyone. He felt that “his entire body started to itch, as though I had just been removed from a plaster cast and was unused to the new freedom of movement”. The recognition of possibility made him feel free, as freedom is largely made out of choice and possibility. Perhaps this is the instance that he is truly separating himself from brotherhood. P500 The narrator had the glasses, Tarp’s leg chain, and Clifton’s doll in his pocket. His pocket seemed to be carrying different people’s identities/symbols of freedom. P501 The narrator felt that the discovery of Rinehart has opened up a gap between him and Hambro, perhaps signifying his departure from brotherhood. Hambro insists that “members will have to be sacrificed” after the narrator asked him what to do about his district. There is likely a disparity between their ideologies at this point, as the narrator had grown to realize the power of the individual while Hambro still believes that the individual is nothing in the face of a group. P504 The narrator accidentally said “Rinehart” instead of “charlatan” and “Rinehartism” instead of “cynicism”. This is likely another instance in which his subconscious took over, and he had realized that the brotherhood is similar to Rinehart -- both of them are frauds who take advantage of the popel. P507 When leaning against a stone wall, the narrator began “to accept his past”. He realized that his past humilitations were not separate experiences but were instead experiences that defined him. He realized that he was accepted my brotherhood not because they believed him to be equal, but because he was merely a tool to be used, a name “scribbled on fake ballots”. Jack and Norton and Emerson “merge into one single white figure”, and he realized that they were very much the same, all forcing “his picture of reality upon me”. He realized that he had been playing into this role others want him to play, and that he had no true identity. He realized that he was invisible.

P509 The narrator thought that he would yes the white man to death, he would play into everything they want until they don’t want it anymore. P511 The narrator noted that if he hadn’t been shifted downtown, he would “still be living in a world of illusion”. Again, by trying to keep the narrator away, the brotherhood unknowingly did him a favor. It’s similar to the previous instances in which the narrator was kept running, only to achieve the enlightenment that white men did not want him to achieve. P512 The narrator realized that he could get with a woman of the brotherhood to reach the information he needs. By getting with a woman, he is not playing into the illusion of freedom as he used to, instead, he is controlling that symbol of freedom to achieve real freedom. He is no longer inferior to white woman, instead, he exerts power over them and soughts to control them....