Chapter 19

Alexis Brown

Invisible Man gives a speech on the Woman Question and, after the speech, meets a white woman who is interested by his speech and then goes back to her apartment. The two discuss the Woman Question and the Brotherhood. They end up sleeping together and her husband walks in on them but is not bothered by the sight of his wife in bed with a black man. Invisible Man goes home with a feeling of paranoia. Then he is called in by Brother Jack, who reassigns him to work in Harlem. Brother Jack tells Invisible Man that Brother Clifton has disappeared and that Ras the Exhorter is growing more powerful so Invisible Man must replace Clifton in Harlem.

The characters in the chapter are the white woman, whom Invisible Man discusses the Brotherhood and then later sleeps with; Hubert, the woman's husband who does not seem bothered when he sees Invisible Man and his wife in bed; and Brother Jack, who reassigns Invisible Man to Harlem.

Most of the action takes place in the white woman's apartment. The apartment is large and expensive-looking, portraying the wealth of the woman. There are paintings on the wall, like a nude Renoir and some abstract art, and the apartment is full of warm colors.

The chapter contains many motifs. Whiteness, skin color, and the issue of white women are all represented in the white woman whom Invisible Man sleeps with. Dreams are portrayed when Hubert walks in and Invisible Man thinks he is dreaming. The Brotherhood is discussed by the white woman and Invisible Man. Lights are important when Invisible Man is lying in bed with the white woman and sees the light around the door frame when Hubert appears.

"I wanted both to smash her and to stay with her and I knew I should do neither" (415). Here, Invisible Man feels trapped between desire and his rationale. He feels tempted by the white woman but angry for having thoughts and feelings that he knows he should not have.

In the quotation "I went to her, thinking, Let them break down the door, whosoever will, let them come" (416), Invisible Man succumbs to his desire for the white woman and is ready to face the consequences.

Invisible Man says "Now it was as though I had suddenly awakened from a deep sleep" (422). Here, he predicts that the Harlem assignment will be much harder than the Woman Question.

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