As the chapter begins, we are introduced to Iman, short for invisible man, and his room located at the Men's House in New York. As he enters the room he drops his bags and examines the place giving a brief description of the room. Filled with nostalgia as he sees a bible upon a night table, he decides to pick it up and tries to read it. As he tries to concentrate and start reading it, he puts it down. The bible brings him too many harmful memories. He was not even able to read the book of Genesis, the very beginning of the Bible.

When he is done thinking and feeling lonely, he takes out his seven important letters directed to seven of the important men in New York. A feeling of importance overcomes him and by the next day he starts the distribution of his letters.

Although his expulsion had been the biggest mistake in his life, in this chapter he begins to see it in a very positive way. As he states, "Maybe if it hadn't happened I would never have received an opportunity to meet such important men face to face" (163). Obviously, this contradiction shows the mixture of Iman's feelings.

Having himself think in a very optimistic way, he starts imagining himself as a rich boy, someone with extraordinary qualities, almost like Mr. Bledsoe's. He will not only have one way of speaking but two, a Southern one, and a Northern one. He will dressed fashionably and talk in a whisper. He will be just "charming" as mentioned in the book.

But his dreams become disillusionments rapidly as he starts distributing the letters but gets no answers. Iman becomes very impatient because he has neither money nor a job. He has distributed all of them but one that is directed to Mr. Emerson. He is so desperate that he even writes a very respectful letter to Mr. Norton mentioning his need of a job and money. He wishes he has a job with Mr. Norton, and he says, "I became energetic and wrote him a letter, expressing my belief that my future would be immeasurably different if only I could work for him" (169). His hopes emerge once again.

The conclusion of the chapter ends with the response of Mr. Emerson to Iman's letter. This is his last hope for a brighter future and his ticket back to college.

Iman arrives in the Men's House and distributes most of his letters in order to get the job but later realizes that no one answers him. In this chapter he changes his way of thinking about his expulsion and feels very insecure and is afraid that he will run out of money. In the middle of the chapter, he starts in a very positive mood since he changes his point of view about his expulsion but after receiving no answer from the letters mailed he begins to think in a pessimist way. At the end of the chapter, he once again begins feeling confident when he receives Mr. Emerson's letter and a drop of faith brings him up.

In this chapter, there are three obvious symbols that include the bible, the seven letters, and his grandfather's dream. The bible represents people and events including Mr. Bledsoe, his father, and Mr. Norton. The seven letters represent his seven opportunities, his last cards to be played, his seven chances to go back to college. His grandfather's dream represents and foreshadows that something terrible is about to take place in the next chapter. Obviously this dream is very bad luck for Iman.

The motifs in this chapter have to do with hopes and dreams. Iman dreams of being rich and succeeding and almost becoming like Mr. Bledsoe. Another motif is faith, the faith that he has in his letters and of getting a job.

During this chapter, Iman spends most of the time in the city of New York and in his room in the Men's House.

Many quotations represent Iman's feelings and emotions during this chapter. For example when he says, "I took off my coat and hat and took my packet of letters and lay back upon the bed, drawing a feeling of importance from reading the important names" (163). This quotation signifies how confident Iman feels when he first arrives at the Men's House. He feels very optimistic and important. He thinks everything is going to go well and show his innocence towards everything that has occurred and is about to occur.

In the second quotation where he states, "I became energetic and wrote him a letter, expressing my belief that my future would be immeasurably different if only I could work for him; that he would be benefit as well as I" (169). Iman starts feeling very impatient. This signifies that he starts to realize that there might be some kind of game played on his life. The fact that Mr. Norton never answers his letter shows him a very negative side of the events that he thought were so positively inclined.

In the third quotation where he says, "Something was certain to happen tomorrow. And it did. I received a letter form Mr. Emerson" (171). Iman has a feeling that this is his last opportunity, his last chance to be able to fulfill his dreams. Here his faith that was almost gone appears again, and he is delighted with his new opportunity.

The theme of this chapter is based on Iman's faith and dreams. He dreams of being rich and charming but suddenly he sees all this crash when he starts getting no answer. He regains his faith at the end when he receives the letter from Mr. Emerson. He also changes his moods, starting in the chapter with a confident mood, in the middle by being afraid and fearful of living in a city with no money and no job, and at the end by regaining his confidence with only Mr. Emerson's letter.

by Lorena Guevara