Chapter Summary
Invisble Man (TIM) has arrived in New York bearing with him seven letters written by Dr. Bledsoe in search of a job in hopes of earning enough money to be able to return to his college in the south. TIM meets a man by the name of Peter Wheatstraw who owned a cart of blueprints. Peter is singing the blues which reminds TIM of his home, the college in the south. He brings comfort to Invisble Man in terms of his lyrics and tone. They talk about the blueprints and how everyone makes plans but always keeps on changing them. TIM believes that one should always stick to the plan. After this meeting, TIM goes to a drugstore where the counterman offers him the special of the day (pork chops, grits, one egg, hot biscuits and coffee). He refuses the offer and orders orange juice, toast and coffee instead. The counterman's offer makes him question whether or not everyone can see if he is from the south. His refusal of the offer iss the beginning of his change, much like a snake sheds its old skin. He slaps a dime for the food and heads down to Mr. Emerson's office, his last chance at going back to the south. There he meets Mr. Emerson's son who reveals to him Dr. Bledsoe's true face by letting him read the letter which promised to bring him home. He is confused and angered by this. Mr. Emerson's son tries to help by inviting him to a party that he was having at the Club Calamus. He also informs him of a job at Liberty Paints. TIM rushes out the door and goes straight to the Men's House where he had been staying. There, TIM thinks of revenge. He contacts Liberty Paints for a job and is asked to come by the following morning. This incident gives him more of a motivation to strive for success.

Character Analysis
The Invisible Man (TIM) - a man struggling to define himself in the eyes of society.
Peter Wheatstraw - the man with the cart full of blueprints singing the blues.
the counterman at the drugstore- the man who offers TIM the special of the day.
Mr. Emerson - one of Dr. Bledsoe's friends whom TIM is sent to for a job.
Mr. Emerson's son - he tries to persuade TIM to go on with his life and not to return to his college. He opens Invisible Man's eyes by letting him read Dr. Bledsoe's letter.

Symbols

blueprints
The blueprints symbolize the many plans that are made and discarded before the final product is ever produced. They help illustrate Invisible Man's ever-changing mind.

seven letters
The seven letters symbolize the sacred number seven, much like the seven deadly sins and the seven days of creation referred to in the Bible wherein on the last day, God rested.
* robin - The robin symbolizes TIM's fate. The robin in the children's song that he recalls had all of its feathers plucked, leaving it picked clean, much like how TIM feels at this point and time.

Motifs/Themes
The most relevant motif/theme in this chapter is rejection. The blueprints being thrown away, his refusal of the special at the drugstore, and his reading of Dr. Bledsoe's letter are all forms of rejection. The blueprints are rejected because the people who made them wanted to make changes and did not need their old plans. TIM rejects his home by refusing the special at the drugstore. Lastly, Dr. Bledsoe rejects him by issuing him seven letters of false hope.

Setting
This chapter, as most of the book, is set in New York. It opens with TIM's walking the streets of Harlem. He then goes to a drugstore to have some breakfast and then heads off to Mr. Emerson's office. The chapter closes with his lying down on his bed in the Men's House where he currently resides.

Significant Quotations

"I hurried along, encouraged by the memories, and suddenly I was seized with a certainty that today was the day. Something would happen. I patted my brief case, thinking of the letter inside. The last had been first--a good sign." (172)
This quotation is significant because it shows how much hope TIM has in finding a job and earning enough money to go back to college. This serves as sort of a foreshadowing of what is going to happen in the chapter. Something does happen but it os not what he hopes it will be.

"'Man, this Harlem ain't nothing but a bear's den. But I tell you one thing,...it's the best place in the world for you and me, and if times don't get better soon I'm going to grab that bear and turn him every way except loose!'" (174) - Peter Wheatstraw
This quotation is significant because it gives the reader a mental picture of the setting and of the types of things that people in Harlem experience.

"Identity! My God! Who has any identity anymore anyway?" (187) - Mr. Emerson's son
This quotation is significant because it refers to the theme of invisibility.

"I laughed and felt numb and weak, knowing that soon the pain would come and that no matter what happened to me I'd never be the same." (194)
This quotation is significant because it tells the reader that Invisible Man is slowly shedding his old skin and showing his new one.