Invisible Man

9 Pages 2367 Words

case and read what is in the envelope. He finds that it says "To Whom It May Concern, Keep This Nigger-Boy Running." Unfortunately, he is still too disillusioned to grasp the meaning of his grandfather's warnings. During his Junior year at college, the narrator drives for Mr. Norton, one of the college founders that is visiting the campus. During the drive, Mr. Norton tells the narrator that he is his destiny. The narrator, however, fails to understand this statement until several years later, when he finally understands the real nature of his own exploitation. While driving, the narrator and Mr. Norton pass by an old log cabin. Mr. Norton becomes curious about the two pregnant women washing clothes in the yard. The narrator explains that one is the wife of Jim Trueblood and the other is his daughter and that he impregnated them both. Mr. Norton is astonished by this and decides to go talk with Trueblood. Trueblood explains how it happened, and Mr. Norton is so disturbed that when he gets!
back into the car, he becomes sick and instructs the narrator to get him a drink. The narrator drives to a local bar and tries to buy a drink to take outside to Mr. Norton, but the bartender won't let him. The narrator is forced to carry the now unconscious Mr. Norton into the bar. When Mr. Norton awakes, he is harassed by several mental health patients, and leaves in utter disgust. When Dr. Bledsoe, the head of the narrator's college finds out what happened, he expels the narrator. When the narrator threatens to fight him, Dr. Bledsoe explains to the the narrator the true nature of his power. He tells the narrator that he doesn't care if he tries to fight, because behind his power is an entire hierarchy of power that cannot be displaced by anything, no matter how true or righteous: "This is a power set-up, son, and I'm at the controls. You think about that. When you buck against me, you're bucking against power, rich white folk's power, the nation'...