Chapter 2

Eunsei Kim

Chapter Summary

Chapter Two, pp. 34-70

The chapter begins with a description of Invisible Man's college. He describes more about nature than the structure of the college itself; it is the college seen through his eyes and only his eyes.

He then meets Mr. Norton, one of the founders of the college, and under the direction of Dr. Bledsoe, the president of the college, becomes Mr. Norton's driver for the week of his college visit. On one particular day, one particular drive, he and Mr. Norton go for a drive off the college campus. During this time, Mr. Norton puzzles him by presenting the fact that he and the other black students of the college are Mr. Norton's, a white man, fate. While the conversation continues, the car enters the part of town where the houses became shacks and crumbling log cabins. It was the black-belt. There they meet Trueblood who by fathering his own daughter's child has brought disgrace to the whole community.

Intrigued by this fact, Mr. Norton asks him to stop the car. Then begins Trueblood's tale and Invisible Man's anger, embarrassment, and amazement as Trueblood honestly and even almost comfortably explains how such a crime came to be. At the end of his tale, Mr. Norton hands Trueblood an one hundred dollar bill to further Invisible Man's amazement and confusion. In the car, Mr. Norton feels faint and asks for some whiskey. They drive off in search of whiskey.

Symbols

Multimillionaires
Invisible Man is describing nature.

The bird-soiled statue versus the clean statue
What is the basis of power and respect?

The Veil
Who has the right to remove it?
Who has placed it?

The apple, serpent, Eden and Trueblood
Is Trueblood the symbol for Adam?

Motifs

- Show how blacks were thought of as only products of whites' deeds: Invisible Man is to be Mr. Norton's fate, yet Mr. Norton does not even feel the need to know his name.

- Present the reality of how blacks are seen as one and not as individuals: one disgrace to the community brings the whole community down.

- Show the difference in man's thinking: Trueblood's disgrace to his black community brings him luck.

Quotations

"...I am standing puzzled, unable to decide whether the veil is really being lifted, or lowered more firmly in place; whether I am witnessing a revelation or a more efficient blinding" (36).

The statue of the founder is lifting the veil of a kneeling slave, but Invisible Man is not convinced.

"I didn't understand in those pre-invisible days that their hate, and mine too, was charged with fear....We were trying to lift them up and they, like Trueblood, did everything it seemed to pull us down" (47).

Because blacks were judged as a whole group and not as individuals, hatred grew between those closer to the image of the white man and those farther away.

"Why couldn't he leave them alone?" (50)

Invisible Man responds with this question when Mr. Norton asks to speak with Trueblood. It presents the idea of the "white man's burden" and its unwelcome reaction.

"But what I don't understand is how I done the worse thing a man can do in his own family and 'stead of things gittin' bad, they got better. The nigguhs up at the school don't like me, but the white folks treats me fine" (68).

Trueblood ends his tale with this final statement which displays an interesting question. What was truly wrong and what was truly right?

Setting

College Campus - Car - Trueblood's House - Golden Day

Characters

Invisible Man - He is in college (junior year) and is chosen to drive Mr. Norton around the school campus.

Mr. Norton - He is a rich white man and an important trustee of the college. He claims that I.M. is his fate, meets Trueblood, feels faint, and wants whiskey. It is implied that he and his daughter were lovers.

Trueblood - He is a shameful man in the black community because he fathered his daughter's child.

Kate - Mrs. Trueblood. She cut Trueblood with a ten-pound sledge. Matty Lou - She was raped by her semi-unconscious father, and she bore his child.

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