Epilogue

Pages 572-581
Compiled by Heidi Holz

Summary and Themes

In the epilogue, Invisible Man realizes the significance of his tale and explains them to the reader. Only one true event takes place at the subway station. An older man needs directions, and Invisible Man recognizes the old man as Mr. Norton. Norton, however, does not recognize Invisible Man and believes the man to be crazy. Invisible Man attempts to explain to Norton that he is Norton's destiny, but his attempt fails. The old man gets on an express train and leaves.

Invisible Man eventually understands why Bledsoe, Emerson, Jack, and Ras had failed to reach their goals. As Invisible Man states, "America is woven of many strands" and "our fate is to become one, yet many" (577). During this time, Invisible Man discovers that the world needs both unity and diversity and determines that the world needs to be individualistic yet still one society at the same time. Bledsoe, Emerson, Jack, and Ras, however, denied the individual that possible dualism.

The rest of the chapter discusses Invisible Man's questions and theories about his grandfather and his grandfather's humanity. During his times underground, he analyzes his grandfather's life and also his own life. Invisible Man eventually decides that he must shed all his old identities and return to the real word; he compares this shedding with that of an animal or snake molting its older skin, saying, "I must shake off the old skin and come up for breath" (580). After losing all of his former characters, it is time for Invisible Man to give up his invisibility and join the real world again; after, all "even an invisible man has a socially responsible role to play" (581).

Motifs

- Hibernation underground (572-581)
- Boomerang (573)
- Grandfather (580)
- Louis Armstrong (581)
- Skin color/Whiteness (575)

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