Invisible Man Chapter 14 Reading Questions

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

The odor of Mary's cabbage causes the narrator to change his mind, but owing Mary is was really pushes him. The cabbage makes him realize that they'd been eating it so much because Mary was short on money. The IM feels guilty for not thinking of Mary when rejecting the job offer. It could allow him to pay off his rent.

2. Note that the building is called the Chthopia. In Greek mythology, that 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?

"The car nosed slowly into traffic, dropped swiftly down a hill." --> The underworld is underground.
"...lighted by dim bulbs set behind frosted glass, going past the uniformed doorman.." --> The underworld is assumed to be a dark place and the doorman could symbolize the guards to hell.
"I was uncertain whether we had gone up or down."
"one entire wall was hung with Italian-red draperies that fell in rich folds.." --> red = the flames of hell.

Entering The Brotherhood is like entering the underworld because the narrator must give up all ties to his old life. It reminded almost of selling your soul to the devil. The narrator must give up his old home, friends and family in order to join The Brotherhood.

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 The phone number has been replaced by a new name in an envelope.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 in the envelope will serve as the narrators new identity. We are never told the name because to the IM this new identity remains unclear and he is unsure of what it entails.

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

The Brotherhood allows itself all of these luxuries, while claiming that they are fighting for the equality of men. While they want the narrator to represent them, they want him to be in the image of Booker T. Washington. The Brotherhood does not truly understand how difficult it will be to equalize the treatment of Blacks. They aren't truly concerned with the immediate things happening to Blacks.