Invisible Man Chapter 4 Discussion Questions

Chapter 4

1. TIM asks “And why would the vets act that way with a white man in the house?” (98), what does this mean? Why is he asking this? How does this connect to what his grandfather said? How does this connect to Malcolm X’s speech?
2. Quote: “Here within this quiet greenness I possessed the only identity I had ever known, and I was losing it. In this brief moment of passage I became aware of the connection between these lawns and buildings and my hopes and dreams” (99).
   1. How does this quote connect to invisibility? To the prologue?
3. Dr. Bledsoe tells TIM, “Haven’t you the sense God gave a dog? We takes these white folks where we want them to go, we show them what we want them to see. Don’t you know that? I thought you had some sense” (102)
   1. What does this quote show about Dr. Bledsoe?
   2. Does this perspective help or hinder the fight against racism?
4. Was the incident with Mr. Norton and Golden Day TIM’s fault? Was it bad for Mr. Norton to see/hear and experience what he saw?