Find concrete details, images and definable moments that have symbolic meaning in chapter one,

1
Find concrete details, images and definable
moments that have symbolic meaning in chapter
one, The Battle Royal. Be prepared to make
specific reference to the text and explain your
interpretation of the symbolism 1) 15-17 ...our
whole community. 2) 17-18 the little
shines! 3) 18-20 with his boxing gloves. 4)
20-21 the battle royal to begin. 5) 21-23
thuds of blows. 6) 23-24 sonofabitch. 7)
24-26 ...deliver my speech. 8) 26-27 hard
American cash! 9) 27-29 beaten with wires.
2
Mr. Norton 42-43 Mr. Norton and Mr.
Trueblood 68-69 The Old Vet and Mr.
Norton 93-95 What lessons is (or should) the
Invisible Man be learning from and about his
elders?
3

• Examination of Themes in Chapters 2 and 3
• Create, and be prepared to explain, a poster that
  presents
• A visual summary of the scene. (Note any
  symbols)
• Three focused interpretive questions about the
  scene.
• A developed interpretive response to one of
  those questions.
• 1) 34-46 breeze filled the car.
• 2) 46-69 (End of chapter.)
• 3) 70-84 where you mouth is.
• 4) 84-96 (End of chapter.)

4

• Good, Old-fashioned Reading Assessment
• (Two to four sentences per question.)
• Who is Lucious Brockway?
• What is the significance of, If Its Optic
  White, Its the Right White?
• What happens when the IM goes into the locker
  room where the union is meeting?
• What happens when the IM goes back to his post
  with Mr. Brockway?

5
Interpretive questions Why does Mr. Norton give
Trueblood the 100? What is the significance of
the parallels between Nortons and Truebloods
incestuous feelings and actions? Why does
Ellison give such a lengthy portion of the novel
to Truebloods story? What level of understanding
does the narrator have of his experience with
Norton and Trueblood?
6
The social causes of alienation Pick on aspect
of the reality you live in that is alienating.
Create a symbolic representation of it, label
which of the six forms of alienation it causes,
and the degree to which it correlates with
instrumental forms of production and/or
relationship. After viewing some of the
examples, we will discuss the existential
question What can the individual do about the
forces of alienation?
7

• Examination of Themes in Chapters 3 and 4
• Review the chapter and scene and clarify any
  factual questions.
• Develop three focused interpretive questions
  about the scene.
• Decide as a group to focus on one of the three
  questions.
• Be prepared to share your question and a passage
  especially useful to discussing the question.
• 71-75 (bottom of page)
• 76-79 (bottom of page)
• 80-84 (bottom of page)
• 85- End of chapter
• 98-103 (bottom of page)
• 104-End of chapter

8
Review the plot of your chapter. Discuss how it
deals with the theme of invisibility. Note and
interpret any elements of symbolism. Any
surrealistic qualities? Anything else that we
should note?
9
Delving Deeper into Chapters 7-10

1. Decide which group member is going to be
   responsible for which of the four chapters 7-10.
2. Each group member should find a passage in
   his/her designated chapter.
3. After you have found a passage, free write in
   your notes about the significance of that
   passage, in relation to one of the essay topics.
4. I will tell the whole class when to stop writing.
   
5. At that point, go through the four
   passages/chapters in order, with the person who
   selected the passage facilitating a five minute
   discussion of it. (You will thus spend about
   twenty minutes discussing the four
   passages/chapters in order.)
6. After you have finished all four chapters, we
   will prepare to share our passages and
   discussions with the class as a whole on
   Thursday, after the reading assessment.

10
What plot elements of Ellisons biography are
paralleled in the novel? What thematic elements
of Ellisons life are paralleled in the
novel? How does his biography inform your
understanding of the novel?
1952
1914-1994
11
Factual Reading Assessment through Ch. 9 Three
or four accurate, detailed sentences on each
topic should suffice. 1) Describe the
conversation that the Old Vet has with the IM and
Crenshaw on the bus north. 2) Describe the
conversation the IM has with Mr. Emersons son.
12

• Individually
• Review chapter 11 to refresh your memory of the
  plot.
• Select key details that reinforce the
  surrealistic quality of the chapter.
• Write for five minutes about the chapter, in an
  open-ended free write, focusing on at least one
  specific passage.
• In your group
• Share the passages you focused on and your
  written responses to them.
• Discuss surrealistic details you noted and their
  purpose in the chapter.
• Discuss the relationship of this chapter to the
  themes of the novel so far, especially those
  from the essay assignment.
• Discuss the reasons why Ellison might be using
  surrealism as an aspect of his style in this
  chapter, the Battle Royal, and other parts of the
  novel.

13
A Journey Through Icons of Culture, Race and
African-American History Review the passages
below. Be sure you have a clear factual
understanding. Then discuss the IMs experience
of/views toward/unconscious connection to these
aspects of his cultural background 262-267
(Skin Whiteners and Yams) 272-273 (A familys
possessions on the curb) 312-313 (They can all
sing and dance) 319/327-331 (Cultural
tchotckes) How are we affected by the images
associated with our culture? Should we escape the
images associated with our culture? Can we?
14
Chapter 16 (The invisible celebrity.) Start on
page 345 (Look at me.) -Justin, standing at
the front of the room, reads the Invisible Mans
speech. (Just the IMs quoted dialogue) -Margo
reads the rest of the prose the IMs thoughts,
descriptions, etc. EXCEPT The class reads the
quoted lines that come from members of the
crowd. -Colin reads Brother Jack -Amanda reads
the man with the pipe. Stop on 350 at
scientists answer that. Write in your
notes What is it about this scene that helps us
understand how a celebrity is invisible or made
invisible? What does (or should) this scene add
to the IMs understanding of invisibility and
blindness?
15
Find three passages from our reading of IM so far
that illustrates the IMs experience alienation,
one for each of three of the forms of alienation
from the lecture notes we read powerlessness,
normlessness, meaninglessness, cultural
estrangement, self-estrangement, social
isolation. You can pick any three that you
like, but consider which of the six seem most
central to the IMs experience and the themes of
invisibility and blindess as well as the other
themes of the novel. Create a visual symbolic
representation of his alienation that represents
the three forms he is experiencing. (I will give
you paper and pens.) Be prepared to read your
three selected passages. The class will interpret
your symbolic representation of his alienation.
16
Ras the Exhorter, Clifton, and the plunge
outside of history Page 368-377 From My
Brothers, the time has come for action... to
the break on 377. Page 430-438 From Hello,
there, I began to the break on 438. What does
it mean to plunge outside of history? Which, if
any, characters have done it? Is it possible?
(According to Ellisons presentation of it.) How
does this idea relate to the larger themes of the
novel?
17
Find a passage in which one of the symbols is
presented (through the leg chain in chapter 18).
Re-read the passage and discuss how the symbol
functions as a part of the story. How is it
presented descriptively? What role does it play
in the plot? How do characters interact with
it? What is your interpretation of the symbol?
Consider not only the object itself, but its
description, its role in the plot and how
characters interact with it. Be prepared to
present your ideas visually as well as
verbally. Examples The stripper, the brief
case, the white paint, the yams, the toy bank,
the leg chain plenty more you might think of.
18
Individually Write a thesis statement on your
chosen theme. In your group Share your thesis
statements and revise them into one that you
think is good. Put this on your groups
sheet. Find three specific examples from the
text related to your chosen theme. Put the page
number and the first lines on the sheet. Find
ones we have not yet discussed. Revise your
thesis statement, based on your reading of those
examples. Write this on your sheet. Be prepared
to share and discuss.
19
Examine your assigned scene and find connections
to the themes we have been discussing. Using
specific examples from the text, be prepared to
explain at least one specific passage and your
interpretive ideas about it. Consider Ellisons
overt and subtle symbolism in your analysis. 1)
The conversation with Brother Tarp and Brother
Wrestrums reaction to Tarps leg iron 384-393 2)
The IMs assignment to the women question and his
night with the white woman 409-418 3) Clifton and
the Sambo doll 431-438 4) Cliftons funeral march
and the IMs speech 450-461
20
Elements of Narrative Writing in Ralph
Ellisonss Invisible Man Character development
and use of dialogue Setting development Plot
Point of view/Tone Prose style (diction and
syntax, figurative language)
21
Reading Assessment Invisible Man by Ralph
Ellison Be specific in your responses to
demonstrate careful reading. (Three to four
sentences.) 1) Describe what the old vet says to
Mr. Norton and the narrator. 2) Describe what Dr.
Bledsoe says to the narrator (IM) when he hears
of Mr. Nortons experience on his drive with the
narrator. 3) Describe the story that Reverend
Barbee tells the audience at chapel.
22
Demonstrate careful and thoughtful reading by
selecting a passage from your most recent reading
and writing a response to it. Note the page and
first line of the passage. Discuss the situation
and characters in the story that provide the
context for the passage. Explain the thematic
significance of the passage, in its immediate
context. Explain the thematic significance of the
passage as it relates to the novel as a whole,
particularly key scenes in other parts of the
novel that relate to the same theme. Discuss the
significance of the characters, events and themes
as they relate to the real world.
23

• (Two to four sentences per question.)
• What happens when Clifton and the IM confront
  Ras?
• How did Brother Tarp get the leg chain on his
  desk?
• What does Brother Wrestrum accuse the IM of doing
  to undermine the Brotherhood?
• How does the Brotherhood resolve the trial
  Wrestrums charges lead to?

24

• (White) Women in Invisible Man
• The Woman at the Battle Royal (19-21)
• Emma at the Chthonian (300-315)
• Woman after lecture (410-419)
• Sybil from the Chthonian (515-532)
• Examine the scenes above and be prepared to
  discuss the symbolic and political meaning of
  Ellisons representation of White women and the
  narrators interaction with them. You can
  discuss Mary as a contrast, too.

25

• Violence in Invisible Man
• The narrators mugging of the man in the
  street (Prologue)
• The Battle Royal (Chapter 1)
• The riot at the Golden Day (Chapter 3)
• The narrators fight with Lucious Brockway and
  the explosion at the paint factory. (Chapter 10)
• Todd Clifton is beaten and shot by the police.
  (Chapter 20)
• The riot in Harlem in response to Cliftons
  death. (Chapter 25)
• Examine the scenes above and be prepared to
  discuss the symbolic and political meaning of
  Ellisons use of violence as an aspect of the
  narrators life and world. You can discuss other
  related scenes, too.

26

• Two to Four Sentences per Question
• What happens when Sybil visits the IM at his
  apartment?
• What do the men do with the Kerosene they take
  from the hardware store?
• What happens in the last confrontation between
  the IM and Ras?
• What symbolic process does the IM go through when
  he first wakes up in the dark in his hole?

27
Feedback on interpretive and analytical essays
on Ralph Ellisons Invisible Man Write out at
least one clear, specific, concrete suggestion
for the author 1) What is the authors central
interpretive argument? How could the author state
that argument more clearly, especially in the
introduction? 2) What are the authors key
supporting points? How could the author more
effectively state those points and tie them to
the central argument? 3) What could the author
do to more effectively use quoted examples to
support the supporting points and central
argument? 4) What could the author do to develop
the commentary that explains how the examples
support the central argument? 5) What could the
author do to make transitions and the
organization clearer and more supportive of the
central argument?