Invisible Man Study Guide

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Writing Prompts: Select 3 prompts to respond to. Each response should be a long, dense paragraph.  Write a narrative that is a dramatic study in comparative humanity (xviii)  Is a world withou... t barriers possible? (xxii)  “It was funny and dangerous and sad” (564) - Define the antecedent and explain the significance  “I am nobody but myself” (15) - Discuss this assertion as it relates to the title of the novel and Ellison’s overall development of the themes as they relate respectively.  Why was Norton surprised by Trueblood and the cabins? He argues that “the human stock goes on, even though it denigrates” (47). What does Norton believe his role is in this community and is he accurate in this assumption given Trueblood’s assertion that “no matter how biggity a nigguh gits, the white folks can always cut him down” (53).  Why does music seem to be a recurring phenomenon in this novel? This question will require at least sociological and psychological analyses.  How does this speak to you personally: “Do they come to bury the others or to be entombed, to give life or to receive it? Do the others see them, think about them ,even those standing close enough to speak?... they were the saviors, the true leaders, the bearers of something precious… there was no one to applaud their value and they themselves failed to understand it” (441).  In life, is it important to find your niche?  Examine the idea that it is imperative to make personal sacrifices for the greater good within this text as well as other classic texts.  Defend, challenge or qualify: “That lie that success was a rising upward” (510). Motifs: Identify several quotes that reflect on each individual motif. Then write a brief analysis for each to develop possible themes. Race (xi) Feeling trapped (xii) Humanity (xii) Struggling (xiii) Blame (xv) Nature of language (xx) Wakeful living (5) Invisibility (13) Responsibility (including to protect) (14) Society and Education (47) Pretending (225) Power/Strength/Energy (439) Community (441) Pride (489) Appearance (491) Possibility (499) Cynicism-realism (504) Worship (566) Survival (8, 573) Security (573) Color (577) Direction (577)Action (579) Death (580) Themes: Connect these themes to motifs and identify their cultural significance. We are all slaves (xiv) Society is apathetic (xix) Identify 3 of your own here: Vocabulary: Cite the original sentence from the text if applicable. Use context cues to guess at a definition, then research and write the correct definition. [Show More]

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