Summary
This chapter begins with the protagonist on his way to vespers at the chapel. He is filled with fear as to what Dr. Bledsoe will do about his adventures earlier in the day. When he arrives he sits in his assigned seat in the hard-backed pews After an organ solo and an a capella solo by one of the female choir members, there is a presentation by one of the honored guests. The speaker, Reverend Homer A. Barbee, is blind. He speaks for a relatively long time about the glorious achievements of the Founder. Additionally, he praises Dr. Bledsoe for his smooth transition to the presidency following the Founder’s death. His speech is filled with emotion, causing most of the audience to shed tears. At the end of his speech, Barbee trips over Dr. Bledsoe. Following some more music and another speaker, the protagonist leaves the chapel, lost in his thoughts.
Characters
Protagonist - Invisible Man spends this chapter listening to the speech of the Reverend. However, he cannot concentrate fully on the speaker’s words; he is mainly thinking about facing the wrath of Dr. Bledsoe.
Dr. Bledsoe - The University President's main purpose in this chapter is being the object of the protagonist’s fear. He is basically the emcee for the evenings events, but for the protagonist he is more than that The protagonist "seemed to feel his eyes resting upon my face as he swept the section in which I sat" (115).
Reverend Homer A. Barbee - The Reverend exhorts the students to strive for the level on which the Founder and Dr. Bledsoe reside His deeply emotional speech focuses on the challenges Dr. Bledsoe overcame on his rise to the presidency. The man is black and also blind. His physical blindness symbolizes an innate blindness.
Symbols
Blood - in this chapter, blood is used only metaphorically and as a descriptive adjective. However, it does have a specific meaning. It is used to symbolize turmoil and struggle; it is a symbol of life and death.
Mockingbird - the mockingbird that perches on the statue of the Founder at the end of the chapter symbolizes his innocent death (as in To Kill a Mockingbird).
Cage - the Reverend "made a cage of his hands by touching his fingertips" (118). This symbolizes the way in which the protagonist feels trapped by his situation and by Dr. Bledsoe.
Motifs
Music - The sounds of bells, voice, and organ are heard throughout this chapter.
Biblical References - Several times, references to the Bible are made. Most prominently is Barbee’s comparison of Dr. Bledsoe to Moses as he talks about "letting my people go."
Setting
Church - The author tells us that inside the church are "puritanical benches straight and torturous," (110) as well as a huge pipe organ and gilded gothic arches.
Significant Quotations
1) As the protagonist walks towards the chapel, along with all the other students, he relates that "we are moving not in the mood of worship but of judgment" (109). Here the author stresses the grave manner in which the protagonist and his comrades approach these meetings. For the protagonist, the meaning is deeper; he knows that he will be facing the judgment of Dr. Bledsoe in the near future.
2) The protagonist notes that the wealthy, white guests of honor "their voices different, unweighted with recognizable danger and their delight in our songs more sincere seeming, their regard for our welfare marked by an almost benign and impersonal indifference" (112). This quotation reveals that the protagonist feels somewhat bitter and cynical about these philanthropists. He does not completely trust them, nor does he believe that they truly care about the students at the college whom the are "helping."
3) The protagonist recalls his own experiences as he watches Dr. Bledsoe with the white guests. He remembers that "I too had touched a white man today and I felt that it had been disastrous, and I realized then that he [Dr. Bledsoe] was the only one of us whom I knew--except perhaps a barber or a nursemaid--who could touch a white man with impunity" (114). This observation tells of the deep-rooted deference to whites that the protagonist has always lived with.
Themes
Death - The story of the Founder’s death is of great significance. He died innocently, almost as a martyr, says Reverend Barbee. Death, in turn, leads to a second theme, rebirth.
Rebirth - Following the Founder’s tragic death, Dr. Bledsoe must begin where the Founder left off. It is a new era for the college as Dr. Bledsoe quickly revitalizes it after the widespread mourning for the Founder.
Racial/Social Hierarchy - In a moment of revelation, the protagonist realizes that Dr. Bledsoe communicates with white people with incredible ease. He even touches them. He still believes that he is far below whites in the social hierarchy and cannot believe that Dr. Bledsoe would attempt to raise his level on the social ladder.
