After his expulsion from school, the Invisible Man boards a bus headed for New York. On the bus, he is surprised to find the veteran from the Golden Day and his attendant, Mr. Crenshaw. The vet has been transferred to Washington D.C., and Mr. Crenshaw is escorting him. When the vet hears that the Invisible Man is traveling to New York, he is excited for him. He says,
" 'I can see you after you've lived in Harlem for three months. Your speech will change, you'll talk a lot about "college," you'll attend lectures at the Men's House...you might even dance with a white girl!' " (152).

Here, the motifs of white women and whiteness appear. The vet's description of Harlem seems to be a place where black men transform into white men.

After the vet and Mr. Crenshaw get off the bus, the Invisible Man is very lonely and he imagines himself returning to school in the fall "full of New York culture" (157). However, the bus driver disrupts his daydream upon their arrival in New York, and the Invisible Man is directed to the subway.

On the crowded subway, the Invisible Man is crushed against a white woman, and he fears that at any moment she will scream. However, the woman does not seem to notice or care about the Invisible Man's being so close to her. Again, the white woman motif appears. In the South during this time period, black men hardly ever came near a white woman, no less touch her, for fear that she might accuse him of violating her. Therefore, for the Invisible Man, contact with the white woman is a new and frightening experience.

When the Invisible Man leaves the train and walks through the New York streets, the number of black people amazes him, and he is especially impressed at the sight of a black policeman directing traffic. He is shocked that the white drivers obey the black man's signals. This theme of equality appears elsewhere in the novel as well.

As he continues on his way to the Men's House, he passes a group of shouting people. A man, apparently by the name of Ras, stands on a ladder and bellows to the crowd. The Invisible Man is bewildered by this display, especially since two nearby policemen do not seem to be bothered by the scene. Finally, the Invisible Man reaches the Men's House and enters his room.

By Kari Jenkins