Chapter 9

Dabanjan Bandyopadhyay

Chapter Summary

In Chapter 9, Invisible Man enters the city of Harlem. He has seen the subway and feels like he will be successful in the oncoming year. He meets a man by the name of Peter Wheatstraw who is in the process of removing certain blueprints for buildings that are not constructed. After his meeting with Peter, he goes into a drugstore. The bartender offers him "the special" which he declines. He gets mad at the idea of the bartender's offering him a southern meal, yet he is pleased with himself for declining it. Later he finds himself misconstrued as most of the customers had ordered the southern meal without any second thoughts.

Invisible Man finds himself in a sound state of mind during the majority of this chapter. He has the seven letters of recommendation and has noticed hospitable attitudes by the secretaries he has come across. Although his final letter has not been handed out, he starts to feel a little mystified and fearful of the outcome. He starts to worry about money and what he is to do if he cannot find a job, yet his prayers are answered as the final trustee has contacted him about an interview. He enters this interview not knowing the status of the white man's giving him the interview and is appalled by the resentment he has to face. However, this white man reveals himself to be the son of the trustee. He tries to get Invisible Man to change his mind about going back to the school to finish his senior year. He does this because Dr. Bledsoe had given him a bad recommendation. Mr. Emerson's son felt bad and offered him a job elsewhere, one which he takes at the end of the chapter.

Chapter Motifs

Invisible Man had seven letters, representing the seven deadly sins. He believes these letters will aid him in his quest to find a job and get him back into the college the following year. What he does not know is why he is not getting any responses from the trustees. Only after his interview with Emerson's son does he find out the letters are meant to brush him aside. This alters his outlook on life in the couple minutes he has to grasp the fact. This scene is the changing point from where he was a person to when he started metamorphosing into the Invisible Man.

He sees Peter, who is supposed to be responsible for knowing everything. Peter is, in essence, the holder of wisdom. He acts as the mentor in setting Invisible Man into Northern society. Peter knows how to act, where everything is located, the good and the bad. He tells Invisible Man he would later show him the "good bad things."

Another theme is played out through the use of caged birds in Emerson's office. The birds portray the general public and how it is caged as are the birds. The birds show the general containment and the lack of freedom at the time.

He also witnesses the portraits of three great African Americans. He has never come across this type of person before. These blacks seem to control themselves and not to have to worry about the racial rules of the land. They are the ultimate humans as they did not have fear in their eyes. Invisible Man is in awe when he sees the pictures. To him these Blacks are great leaders, and he tries to model himself after these guys.

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