Back to lesson plans archive
- The Invisible Man is available to rent digitally in the UK on Prime Video UK, iTunes, Sky Store and Google Play. Digital Spy now has a newsletter – sign up to get it sent straight to your inbox.
- The Invisible Man is a fairly merciless movie about intimate partner abuse that processes those traumas through popcorn thrills. Moss' distressing, very physical performance makes this more.
The narrator finally concludes that 'Even an invisible man has a socially responsible role to play.' 581 This is an important tenet of Ellison's philosophy, for he believed that art should serve democracy. The Invisible Man In Theaters February 28 What you can't see can hurt you. Emmy winner Elisabeth Moss (Us, Hulu's The Ha. (The Invisible Man: Play) Author: Ken Hill published on (March, 1996) Ken Hill on Amazon.com.FREE. shipping on qualifying offers.
February 20, 2013Ralph Ellison's 'Invisible Man' – Lesson Plan
Google Play Invisible Man
By American Masters
Subject(s)
Language Arts
Estimated Time
Two weeks to read the text and two 45-minute class periods.
Grade Level
11th-12th
Objective
Students will: Caesars online casino login.
- Read and discuss the novel 'Invisible Man'
- Write an essay on the theme of the personal experience of invisibility.
- Examine their own communities to bring to light groups that might be considered 'invisible'.
- Connect personal experience to an understanding of larger societal structures.
Introduction
In Invisible Man, Ralph Ellison wrote about the experience of being ignored, bringing to light a powerful meditation on race and social structure. This novel was included in the 100 Best Novels of the 20th Century, in the top 20. Being an outsider, being outcast, being ignored – all are feelings most people can relate to. Ellison related this personal experience to a greater societal structure, using characters and imagery to do so. In this lesson plan, students will use similar tools to explore the theme of invisibility in the book, in their own lives, and in their communities.
House of fun app legit. Note that the novel contains some challenging subject matter, as well as scenes that some may find offensive. Review the book yourself before embarking on the lesson plan so you can prepare appropriately.
Procedure
- Read & discuss
Provide students with a copy of Invisible Man, by Ralph Ellison. Have students read the book in several sections, and conduct classroom discussion after each section. Students could also be asked to keep a learning journal for the duration of the book & subsequent lesson.Start the first discussion with the following quote from the novel:'I am an invisible man. No, I am not a spook like those who haunted Edgar Allen Poe; nor am I one of your Hollywood-movie ectoplasms. I am a man of substance, flesh and bone, fiber and liquids — and I might even be said to possess a mind. I am invisible, understand, simply because people refuse to see me. Like the bodiless heads you see sometimes in circus sideshows, it is as though I have been surrounded by mirrors of hard, distorting glass. When they approach me they see only my surroundings, themselves, or figments of their imagination — indeed, everything and anything except me.' (Ralph Ellison)
As you go through the novel, discuss each major character and how he or she interacts with the protagonist. How does the character see or not see the protagonist? How does the protagonist see himself in these situations? How does his 'invisibility' affect this character? What are some of the strategies he uses to deal with it?
Upon completion of the novel, return to the quote about invisibility. Hold a discussion in which the students sum up the ways in which the main character is seen and not seen. They can refer to their learning journals to refresh their memories.
- Essay project
Assign students to write an essay on the following topic. When and how in your life have you felt invisible? Encourage them to explore why they felt that way, and what strategies they used to handle the situation. (See Student Organizer 1)This could be a homework assignment, but it would be a good in-class writing exercise as well. Writing in-class for 30-45 minutes may help students bring up fresh ideas on the subject. Essays should be evaluated by the teacher, and possibly sent back to the student for revision, but they should not be shared with the class. Make sure students know the essays will be private up front, so they feel comfortable working in autobiographical space. - Group project
The final component of this lesson is a group project where students identify a group of people in their own community that might be seen as 'invisible'. Start by leading a discussion on how, in Ralph Ellison's novel, the personal experiences of a fictional character ripple outward, describing greater social conditions in a very vivid way. The students can discuss their own essays, sharing examples of how a personal feeling of invisibility can be part of a larger social structure.Next, have them break up into groups of 3-4 students. Each group will select a group that they see as socially 'invisible'. Circulate among the groups to help them make an appropriate selection. Some examples might be: people who work at night, homeless people, stay-at-home mothers, children, the elderly, or a particular ethnic group that lives in the community.Once the topic is selected, the project group will create a multimedia essay 'revealing the invisible.' This might be done as a posterboard project, incorporating photos, magazine cut-outs, short essays, poetry, quotes, and drawings. If you have the facilities, this would be a great Web project, with each group creating their own 'Revealing the Invisible' Web page. See Student Organizer 2 for more information on the assignment.
Students will be assessed on the quality of their participation in class discussions and in the group activity, and as well as on the quality of the essay and the final group project. Students can also assess one another for the group activity. Points should be given for understanding of the more abstract aspects of this lesson, i.e. invisibility as an element of societal structure.
Extension Activities
- Connect this lesson plan to other American Masters lessons to develop the theme of 'what makes an American Master.'
- This could be part of a larger study of African-American literature.
- Students could write and perform a play on the subject of invisibility in their own community.
- This topic could be the foundation for a literary project, such as a themed collection of poetry and short fiction.
- This lesson could be extended to include taking action to address and assist one of the groups brought to light by the class. You could bring in community leaders to talk about the social actions being taken on behalf of that group, and to help students formulate an action plan of their own.
Play The Invisible Man 2020
Tags:
Invisible Man Playing Near Me
The Materials You Need
- A copy of ‘Invisible Man' by Ralph Ellison for each student to read
- Internet access in the classroom for student research. Alternatively, you can suggest these links to students for research at home or at a library.
- Ralph Ellison: Career Timeline
- Ralph Ellison Filmmater Interview: Avon Kirkland
- Ralph Ellison: An American Journey
Standards
Relevant National Standards:- McRel Education Standards Addressed
- United States History:
- Understands the struggle for racial and gender equality and the extension of civil liberties
- Understands individual and institutional influences on the Civil Rights Movement
- Language Arts:
- Gathers and uses information for research purposes
- Uses reading skills and strategies to understand and interpret a variety of literary texts
Related Stories
- Classroom Resource: Meet Fred Guttenberg, father of Jamie, gun safety advocate
In this NewsHour lesson, students will meet Fred Guttenberg, father of 14-year old Jamie Guttenberg, who was killed in the Parkland school shooting three years ago. Continue reading
#FindTheHelpers#MSDStrongactivismdemocracyEnglish & Language Artsfred guttenbergGovernment & Civicsgun controlgun policygun violencejamie guttenbergNews & Media Literacyparkland school shootingSari Beth Rosenbergschool shootingsSocial IssuesSocial StudiesSRLstudent reporting labsStudent Voicestudents - Classroom Resource: Share with your students what made Cicely Tyson a pioneering icon
DOWNLOAD VIDEO Directions: Read the summary, watch the video and answer the discussion questions. To…
actorArts & CultureCicely Tysoncivil rightsclassroom resourceELAEnglish & Language Artsfilmfilm actorfilm classNews & Media Literacyobituarypop cultureRootsSocial Studies - Classroom resource: Explore Amanda Gorman's Super Bowl poem
Explore Amanda Gorman's poem 'Three Captains' that she recited during the Super Bowl. Continue reading
amanda gormanArts & Cultureclassroom resourcecoronavirus pandemiccovid-19englishEnglish & Language Artslesson planspoetrysportssuper bowlUS history - Lesson Plan: Discuss 22-year-old Amanda Gorman's inaugural poem 'The Hill We Climb'
In this NewsHour lesson, students will examine the message and goals of poet Amanda Gorman as she prepares to speak at the presidential inauguration. Continue reading
amanda gormanelection 2020englishEnglish & Language ArtsGovernment & CivicsInauguration Dayinauguration poemjill bidenJoe BidenNews & Media Literacypoetryremote learningSocial Studiesthe miracle of morning - Lesson Plan: MLK Jr.'s 'Letter from a Birmingham Jail' and the Capitol Hill Riot
Use this lesson plan to discuss Martin Luther King Jr.'s 'Letter from a Birmingham Jail' following the attack on the U.S. Capitol. Online casino bonus uk. Continue reading
capitol riotEnglish & Language ArtsGovernment & Civicshumanitiesinsurrectionlesson planletter from a birmingham jailMartin Luther King Jr.MLKMLK Jr. DayracismSocial IssuesSocial Studieswhite supremacy
More Lesson Plans
- Lesson Plan: How community programs can help pave the road from prison
Discuss ways to make the path easier for returning citizens released from prisons. Continue reading
- Lesson Plan: Conspiracy theories, then and now
For a Google doc of this lesson, click here. (Note: You will need to…
- Lesson Plan: Media literacy — news that's nice to know, news you need to know
Practice media discernment by identifying need-to-know stories vs. want-to-know stories Continue reading
- Lesson Plan: Invent ways to help get your own community vaccinated
Learn about the COVID-19 vaccines, then use that knowledge to invent ways to improve vaccine distribution in your own community. Continue reading
- Lesson Plan: Connecting Post-Civil War mob violence and the Capitol Hill Riot
Explore historical parallels between the aftermath of the Capitol Hill Riot and the Reconstruction period following the Civil War. Continue reading
RSS Content
- Daily News Lesson: Recovery may take months even as more help reaches storm-hit Texas
What do you think federal and local authorities should do in response to an emergency like the storms in Texas? Continue reading
classroom resourceclimate changedisaster reliefenergyextreme weatherfederal reliefFEMAinvention educationinvention processJoe BidenLemelson-MITpower gridScienceSTEMTexastexas storms - Lesson Plan: How community programs can help pave the road from prison
Discuss ways to make the path easier for returning citizens released from prisons. Continue reading
#InventEdcriminal justicecriminal justice reformcriminal justice systemEqual Justice InitiativeGovernment & Civicsinventioninvention educationjuvenile justicelesson planreturning citizensSearching for JusticeSocial StudiesSupreme Courtyouth incarceration - Classroom Resource: NASA rover lands on Mars, resuming search for remnants of life
Discuss the significance of NASA's latest mission to Mars. Continue reading
aerospaceclassroom resourceengineeringexplainericivicslesson planMarsmars roverMiles O'BrienNASANews & Media LiteracyperseveranceroboticsSciencespace explorationspace flightSTEM - Classroom Resource: Is the recent wave of severe weather across the U.S. a harbinger for climate change?
Discuss the extreme winter weather this week and how it might be linked to climate change Continue reading
advisoryAmna NawazblackoutsCalifornia wildfiresclassroom resourceclimate changeextreme weatherfossil fuelGovernment & CivicsHoustonrenewable energySTEMstormsTexaswildfireswinter - Educator Voice: Dr. Eric Feigl-Ding on what it takes to keep classrooms safe
Dr. Eric Feigl-Ding, epidemiologist, fellow at Federation of American Scientists and father to a 7-year…
classroom resourcecoronavirus pandemiccovid-19dr. gary rosenbergEducator VoiceEric Feigl Dingmental healthpandemicpublic healthSari Beth Rosenbergschool reopeningsschoolsstudent healthteachersZoom series
The narrator begins tellinghis story with the claim that he is an 'invisible man.' His invisibility,he says, is not a physical condition—he is not literally invisible—butis rather the result of the refusal of others to see him. He saysthat because of his invisibility, he has been hiding from the world,living underground and stealing electricity from the MonopolatedLight & Power Company. He burns 1,369 light bulbssimultaneously and listens to Louis Armstrong's '(What Did I Doto Be So) Black and Blue' on a phonograph. He says that he has goneunderground in order to write the story of his life and invisibility.
As a young man, in the late 1920sor early 1930s, the narrator livedin the South. Because he is a gifted public speaker, he is invitedto give a speech to a group of important white men in his town.The men reward him with a briefcase containing a scholarship toa prestigious black college, but only after humiliating him by forcinghim to fight in a 'battle royal' in which he is pitted against otheryoung black men, all blindfolded, in a boxing ring. After the battleroyal, the white men force the youths to scramble over an electrifiedrug in order to snatch at fake gold coins. The narrator has a dreamthat night in which he imagines that his scholarship is actuallya piece of paper reading 'To Whom It May Concern . . . Keep ThisNigger-Boy Running.'
Three years later, the narrator is a student at the college.He is asked to drive a wealthy white trustee of the college, Mr.Norton, around the campus. Norton talks incessantly about his daughter, thenshows an undue interest in the narrative of Jim Trueblood, a poor,uneducated black man who impregnated his own daughter. Craps winning stories. After hearingthis story, Norton needs a drink, and the narrator takes him tothe Golden Day, a saloon and brothel that normally serves blackmen. A fight breaks out among a group of mentally imbalanced blackveterans at the bar, and Norton passes out during the chaos. Heis tended by one of the veterans, who claims to be a doctor andwho taunts both Norton and the narrator for their blindness regardingrace relations.
Back at the college, the narrator listens to a long, impassioned sermonby the Reverend Homer A. Barbee on the subject of the college'sFounder, whom the blind Barbee glorifies with poetic language. Afterthe sermon, the narrator is chastised by the college president, Dr.Bledsoe, who has learned of the narrator's misadventures with Nortonat the old slave quarters and the Golden Day. Bledsoe rebukes thenarrator, saying that he should have shown the white man an idealizedversion of black life. He expels the narrator, giving him sevenletters of recommendation addressed to the college's white trusteesin New York City, and sends him there in search of a job.
The narrator travels to the bright lights and bustle of 1930sHarlem, where he looks unsuccessfully for work. The letters of recommendationare of no help. At last, the narrator goes to the office of oneof his letters' addressees, a trustee named Mr. Emerson. There hemeets Emerson's son, who opens the letter and tells the narrator thathe has been betrayed: the letters from Bledsoe actually portray thenarrator as dishonorable and unreliable. The young Emerson helpsthe narrator to get a low-paying job at the Liberty Paints plant, whosetrademark color is 'Optic White.' The narrator briefly serves asan assistant to Lucius Brockway, the black man who makes this whitepaint, but Brockway suspects him of joining in union activitiesand turns on him. The two men fight, neglecting the paint-making;consequently, one of the unattended tanks explodes, and the narratoris knocked unconscious.
The narrator wakes in the paint factory's hospital, havingtemporarily lost his memory and ability to speak. The white doctorsseize the arrival of their unidentified black patient as anopportunity to conduct electric shock experiments. After the narratorrecovers his memory and leaves the hospital, he collapses on thestreet. Some black community members take him to the home of Mary,a kind woman who lets him live with her for free in Harlem and nurtureshis sense of black heritage. One day, the narrator witnesses the evictionof an elderly black couple from their Harlem apartment. Buy slot machine for home. Standingbefore the crowd of people gathered before the apartment, he givesan impassioned speech against the eviction. Brother Jack overhearshis speech and offers him a position as a spokesman for the Brotherhood,a political organization that allegedly works to help the sociallyoppressed. After initially rejecting the offer, the narrator takesthe job in order to pay Mary back for her hospitality. But the Brotherhooddemands that the narrator take a new name, break with his past,and move to a new apartment. The narrator is inducted into the Brotherhoodat a party at the Chthonian Hotel and is placed in charge of advancingthe group's goals in Harlem.
After being trained in rhetoric by a white member of thegroup named Brother Hambro, the narrator goes to his assigned branchin Harlem, where he meets the handsome, intelligent black youth leaderTod Clifton. Coolcat casino instant play. He also becomes familiar with the black nationalistleader Ras the Exhorter, who opposes the interracial Brotherhoodand believes that black Americans should fight for their rights overand against all whites. The narrator delivers speeches and becomesa high-profile figure in the Brotherhood, and he enjoys his work.One day, however, he receives an anonymous note warning him to rememberhis place as a black man in the Brotherhood. Not long after, theblack Brotherhood member Brother Wrestrum accuses the narrator oftrying to use the Brotherhood to advance a selfish desire for personaldistinction. While a committee of the Brotherhood investigates thecharges, the organization moves the narrator to another post, asan advocate of women's rights. After giving a speech one evening,he is seduced by one of the white women at the gathering, who attemptsto use him to play out her sexual fantasies about black men.
Language Arts
Estimated Time
Two weeks to read the text and two 45-minute class periods.
Grade Level
11th-12th
Objective
Students will: Caesars online casino login.
- Read and discuss the novel 'Invisible Man'
- Write an essay on the theme of the personal experience of invisibility.
- Examine their own communities to bring to light groups that might be considered 'invisible'.
- Connect personal experience to an understanding of larger societal structures.
Introduction
In Invisible Man, Ralph Ellison wrote about the experience of being ignored, bringing to light a powerful meditation on race and social structure. This novel was included in the 100 Best Novels of the 20th Century, in the top 20. Being an outsider, being outcast, being ignored – all are feelings most people can relate to. Ellison related this personal experience to a greater societal structure, using characters and imagery to do so. In this lesson plan, students will use similar tools to explore the theme of invisibility in the book, in their own lives, and in their communities.
House of fun app legit. Note that the novel contains some challenging subject matter, as well as scenes that some may find offensive. Review the book yourself before embarking on the lesson plan so you can prepare appropriately.
Procedure
- Read & discuss
Provide students with a copy of Invisible Man, by Ralph Ellison. Have students read the book in several sections, and conduct classroom discussion after each section. Students could also be asked to keep a learning journal for the duration of the book & subsequent lesson.Start the first discussion with the following quote from the novel:'I am an invisible man. No, I am not a spook like those who haunted Edgar Allen Poe; nor am I one of your Hollywood-movie ectoplasms. I am a man of substance, flesh and bone, fiber and liquids — and I might even be said to possess a mind. I am invisible, understand, simply because people refuse to see me. Like the bodiless heads you see sometimes in circus sideshows, it is as though I have been surrounded by mirrors of hard, distorting glass. When they approach me they see only my surroundings, themselves, or figments of their imagination — indeed, everything and anything except me.' (Ralph Ellison)
As you go through the novel, discuss each major character and how he or she interacts with the protagonist. How does the character see or not see the protagonist? How does the protagonist see himself in these situations? How does his 'invisibility' affect this character? What are some of the strategies he uses to deal with it?
Upon completion of the novel, return to the quote about invisibility. Hold a discussion in which the students sum up the ways in which the main character is seen and not seen. They can refer to their learning journals to refresh their memories.
- Essay project
Assign students to write an essay on the following topic. When and how in your life have you felt invisible? Encourage them to explore why they felt that way, and what strategies they used to handle the situation. (See Student Organizer 1)This could be a homework assignment, but it would be a good in-class writing exercise as well. Writing in-class for 30-45 minutes may help students bring up fresh ideas on the subject. Essays should be evaluated by the teacher, and possibly sent back to the student for revision, but they should not be shared with the class. Make sure students know the essays will be private up front, so they feel comfortable working in autobiographical space. - Group project
The final component of this lesson is a group project where students identify a group of people in their own community that might be seen as 'invisible'. Start by leading a discussion on how, in Ralph Ellison's novel, the personal experiences of a fictional character ripple outward, describing greater social conditions in a very vivid way. The students can discuss their own essays, sharing examples of how a personal feeling of invisibility can be part of a larger social structure.Next, have them break up into groups of 3-4 students. Each group will select a group that they see as socially 'invisible'. Circulate among the groups to help them make an appropriate selection. Some examples might be: people who work at night, homeless people, stay-at-home mothers, children, the elderly, or a particular ethnic group that lives in the community.Once the topic is selected, the project group will create a multimedia essay 'revealing the invisible.' This might be done as a posterboard project, incorporating photos, magazine cut-outs, short essays, poetry, quotes, and drawings. If you have the facilities, this would be a great Web project, with each group creating their own 'Revealing the Invisible' Web page. See Student Organizer 2 for more information on the assignment.
Students will be assessed on the quality of their participation in class discussions and in the group activity, and as well as on the quality of the essay and the final group project. Students can also assess one another for the group activity. Points should be given for understanding of the more abstract aspects of this lesson, i.e. invisibility as an element of societal structure.
Extension Activities
- Connect this lesson plan to other American Masters lessons to develop the theme of 'what makes an American Master.'
- This could be part of a larger study of African-American literature.
- Students could write and perform a play on the subject of invisibility in their own community.
- This topic could be the foundation for a literary project, such as a themed collection of poetry and short fiction.
- This lesson could be extended to include taking action to address and assist one of the groups brought to light by the class. You could bring in community leaders to talk about the social actions being taken on behalf of that group, and to help students formulate an action plan of their own.
Play The Invisible Man 2020
Tags:
Invisible Man Playing Near Me
The Materials You Need
- A copy of ‘Invisible Man' by Ralph Ellison for each student to read
- Internet access in the classroom for student research. Alternatively, you can suggest these links to students for research at home or at a library.
- Ralph Ellison: Career Timeline
- Ralph Ellison Filmmater Interview: Avon Kirkland
- Ralph Ellison: An American Journey
Standards
Relevant National Standards:- McRel Education Standards Addressed
- United States History:
- Understands the struggle for racial and gender equality and the extension of civil liberties
- Understands individual and institutional influences on the Civil Rights Movement
- Language Arts:
- Gathers and uses information for research purposes
- Uses reading skills and strategies to understand and interpret a variety of literary texts
Related Stories
- Classroom Resource: Meet Fred Guttenberg, father of Jamie, gun safety advocate
In this NewsHour lesson, students will meet Fred Guttenberg, father of 14-year old Jamie Guttenberg, who was killed in the Parkland school shooting three years ago. Continue reading
#FindTheHelpers#MSDStrongactivismdemocracyEnglish & Language Artsfred guttenbergGovernment & Civicsgun controlgun policygun violencejamie guttenbergNews & Media Literacyparkland school shootingSari Beth Rosenbergschool shootingsSocial IssuesSocial StudiesSRLstudent reporting labsStudent Voicestudents - Classroom Resource: Share with your students what made Cicely Tyson a pioneering icon
DOWNLOAD VIDEO Directions: Read the summary, watch the video and answer the discussion questions. To…
actorArts & CultureCicely Tysoncivil rightsclassroom resourceELAEnglish & Language Artsfilmfilm actorfilm classNews & Media Literacyobituarypop cultureRootsSocial Studies - Classroom resource: Explore Amanda Gorman's Super Bowl poem
Explore Amanda Gorman's poem 'Three Captains' that she recited during the Super Bowl. Continue reading
amanda gormanArts & Cultureclassroom resourcecoronavirus pandemiccovid-19englishEnglish & Language Artslesson planspoetrysportssuper bowlUS history - Lesson Plan: Discuss 22-year-old Amanda Gorman's inaugural poem 'The Hill We Climb'
In this NewsHour lesson, students will examine the message and goals of poet Amanda Gorman as she prepares to speak at the presidential inauguration. Continue reading
amanda gormanelection 2020englishEnglish & Language ArtsGovernment & CivicsInauguration Dayinauguration poemjill bidenJoe BidenNews & Media Literacypoetryremote learningSocial Studiesthe miracle of morning - Lesson Plan: MLK Jr.'s 'Letter from a Birmingham Jail' and the Capitol Hill Riot
Use this lesson plan to discuss Martin Luther King Jr.'s 'Letter from a Birmingham Jail' following the attack on the U.S. Capitol. Online casino bonus uk. Continue reading
capitol riotEnglish & Language ArtsGovernment & Civicshumanitiesinsurrectionlesson planletter from a birmingham jailMartin Luther King Jr.MLKMLK Jr. DayracismSocial IssuesSocial Studieswhite supremacy
More Lesson Plans
- Lesson Plan: How community programs can help pave the road from prison
Discuss ways to make the path easier for returning citizens released from prisons. Continue reading
- Lesson Plan: Conspiracy theories, then and now
For a Google doc of this lesson, click here. (Note: You will need to…
- Lesson Plan: Media literacy — news that's nice to know, news you need to know
Practice media discernment by identifying need-to-know stories vs. want-to-know stories Continue reading
- Lesson Plan: Invent ways to help get your own community vaccinated
Learn about the COVID-19 vaccines, then use that knowledge to invent ways to improve vaccine distribution in your own community. Continue reading
- Lesson Plan: Connecting Post-Civil War mob violence and the Capitol Hill Riot
Explore historical parallels between the aftermath of the Capitol Hill Riot and the Reconstruction period following the Civil War. Continue reading
RSS Content
- Daily News Lesson: Recovery may take months even as more help reaches storm-hit Texas
What do you think federal and local authorities should do in response to an emergency like the storms in Texas? Continue reading
classroom resourceclimate changedisaster reliefenergyextreme weatherfederal reliefFEMAinvention educationinvention processJoe BidenLemelson-MITpower gridScienceSTEMTexastexas storms - Lesson Plan: How community programs can help pave the road from prison
Discuss ways to make the path easier for returning citizens released from prisons. Continue reading
#InventEdcriminal justicecriminal justice reformcriminal justice systemEqual Justice InitiativeGovernment & Civicsinventioninvention educationjuvenile justicelesson planreturning citizensSearching for JusticeSocial StudiesSupreme Courtyouth incarceration - Classroom Resource: NASA rover lands on Mars, resuming search for remnants of life
Discuss the significance of NASA's latest mission to Mars. Continue reading
aerospaceclassroom resourceengineeringexplainericivicslesson planMarsmars roverMiles O'BrienNASANews & Media LiteracyperseveranceroboticsSciencespace explorationspace flightSTEM - Classroom Resource: Is the recent wave of severe weather across the U.S. a harbinger for climate change?
Discuss the extreme winter weather this week and how it might be linked to climate change Continue reading
advisoryAmna NawazblackoutsCalifornia wildfiresclassroom resourceclimate changeextreme weatherfossil fuelGovernment & CivicsHoustonrenewable energySTEMstormsTexaswildfireswinter - Educator Voice: Dr. Eric Feigl-Ding on what it takes to keep classrooms safe
Dr. Eric Feigl-Ding, epidemiologist, fellow at Federation of American Scientists and father to a 7-year…
classroom resourcecoronavirus pandemiccovid-19dr. gary rosenbergEducator VoiceEric Feigl Dingmental healthpandemicpublic healthSari Beth Rosenbergschool reopeningsschoolsstudent healthteachersZoom series
The narrator begins tellinghis story with the claim that he is an 'invisible man.' His invisibility,he says, is not a physical condition—he is not literally invisible—butis rather the result of the refusal of others to see him. He saysthat because of his invisibility, he has been hiding from the world,living underground and stealing electricity from the MonopolatedLight & Power Company. He burns 1,369 light bulbssimultaneously and listens to Louis Armstrong's '(What Did I Doto Be So) Black and Blue' on a phonograph. He says that he has goneunderground in order to write the story of his life and invisibility.
As a young man, in the late 1920sor early 1930s, the narrator livedin the South. Because he is a gifted public speaker, he is invitedto give a speech to a group of important white men in his town.The men reward him with a briefcase containing a scholarship toa prestigious black college, but only after humiliating him by forcinghim to fight in a 'battle royal' in which he is pitted against otheryoung black men, all blindfolded, in a boxing ring. After the battleroyal, the white men force the youths to scramble over an electrifiedrug in order to snatch at fake gold coins. The narrator has a dreamthat night in which he imagines that his scholarship is actuallya piece of paper reading 'To Whom It May Concern . . . Keep ThisNigger-Boy Running.'
Three years later, the narrator is a student at the college.He is asked to drive a wealthy white trustee of the college, Mr.Norton, around the campus. Norton talks incessantly about his daughter, thenshows an undue interest in the narrative of Jim Trueblood, a poor,uneducated black man who impregnated his own daughter. Craps winning stories. After hearingthis story, Norton needs a drink, and the narrator takes him tothe Golden Day, a saloon and brothel that normally serves blackmen. A fight breaks out among a group of mentally imbalanced blackveterans at the bar, and Norton passes out during the chaos. Heis tended by one of the veterans, who claims to be a doctor andwho taunts both Norton and the narrator for their blindness regardingrace relations.
Back at the college, the narrator listens to a long, impassioned sermonby the Reverend Homer A. Barbee on the subject of the college'sFounder, whom the blind Barbee glorifies with poetic language. Afterthe sermon, the narrator is chastised by the college president, Dr.Bledsoe, who has learned of the narrator's misadventures with Nortonat the old slave quarters and the Golden Day. Bledsoe rebukes thenarrator, saying that he should have shown the white man an idealizedversion of black life. He expels the narrator, giving him sevenletters of recommendation addressed to the college's white trusteesin New York City, and sends him there in search of a job.
The narrator travels to the bright lights and bustle of 1930sHarlem, where he looks unsuccessfully for work. The letters of recommendationare of no help. At last, the narrator goes to the office of oneof his letters' addressees, a trustee named Mr. Emerson. There hemeets Emerson's son, who opens the letter and tells the narrator thathe has been betrayed: the letters from Bledsoe actually portray thenarrator as dishonorable and unreliable. The young Emerson helpsthe narrator to get a low-paying job at the Liberty Paints plant, whosetrademark color is 'Optic White.' The narrator briefly serves asan assistant to Lucius Brockway, the black man who makes this whitepaint, but Brockway suspects him of joining in union activitiesand turns on him. The two men fight, neglecting the paint-making;consequently, one of the unattended tanks explodes, and the narratoris knocked unconscious.
The narrator wakes in the paint factory's hospital, havingtemporarily lost his memory and ability to speak. The white doctorsseize the arrival of their unidentified black patient as anopportunity to conduct electric shock experiments. After the narratorrecovers his memory and leaves the hospital, he collapses on thestreet. Some black community members take him to the home of Mary,a kind woman who lets him live with her for free in Harlem and nurtureshis sense of black heritage. One day, the narrator witnesses the evictionof an elderly black couple from their Harlem apartment. Buy slot machine for home. Standingbefore the crowd of people gathered before the apartment, he givesan impassioned speech against the eviction. Brother Jack overhearshis speech and offers him a position as a spokesman for the Brotherhood,a political organization that allegedly works to help the sociallyoppressed. After initially rejecting the offer, the narrator takesthe job in order to pay Mary back for her hospitality. But the Brotherhooddemands that the narrator take a new name, break with his past,and move to a new apartment. The narrator is inducted into the Brotherhoodat a party at the Chthonian Hotel and is placed in charge of advancingthe group's goals in Harlem.
After being trained in rhetoric by a white member of thegroup named Brother Hambro, the narrator goes to his assigned branchin Harlem, where he meets the handsome, intelligent black youth leaderTod Clifton. Coolcat casino instant play. He also becomes familiar with the black nationalistleader Ras the Exhorter, who opposes the interracial Brotherhoodand believes that black Americans should fight for their rights overand against all whites. The narrator delivers speeches and becomesa high-profile figure in the Brotherhood, and he enjoys his work.One day, however, he receives an anonymous note warning him to rememberhis place as a black man in the Brotherhood. Not long after, theblack Brotherhood member Brother Wrestrum accuses the narrator oftrying to use the Brotherhood to advance a selfish desire for personaldistinction. While a committee of the Brotherhood investigates thecharges, the organization moves the narrator to another post, asan advocate of women's rights. After giving a speech one evening,he is seduced by one of the white women at the gathering, who attemptsto use him to play out her sexual fantasies about black men.
After a short time, the Brotherhood sends the narratorback to Harlem, where he discovers that Clifton has disappeared.Many other black members have left the group, as much of the Harlem communityfeels that the Brotherhood has betrayed their interests. The narratorfinds Clifton on the street selling dancing 'Sambo' dolls—dollsthat invoke the stereotype of the lazy and obsequious slave. Cliftonapparently does not have a permit to sell his wares on the street.White policemen accost him and, after a scuffle, shoot him deadas the narrator and others look on. On his own initiative, the narratorholds a funeral for Clifton and gives a speech in which he portrayshis dead friend as a hero, galvanizing public sentiment in Clifton'sfavor. The Brotherhood is furious with him for staging the funeralwithout permission, and Jack harshly castigates him. As Jack rantsabout the Brotherhood's ideological stance, a glass eye falls fromone of his eye sockets. The Brotherhood sends the narrator backto Brother Hambro to learn about the organization's new strategiesin Harlem.
The narrator leaves feeling furious and anxious to gainrevenge on Jack and the Brotherhood. He arrives in Harlem to findthe neighborhood in ever-increased agitation over race relations.Ras confronts him, deploring the Brotherhood's failure to draw onthe momentum generated by Clifton's funeral. Ras sends his men to beatup the narrator, and the narrator is forced to disguise himselfin dark glasses and a hat. In his dark glasses, many people on the streetsmistake him for someone named Rinehart, who seems to be a pimp,bookie, lover, and reverend all at once. At last, the narrator goesto Brother Hambro's apartment, where Hambro tells him that the Brotherhoodhas chosen not to emphasize Harlem and the black movement. He cynicallydeclares that people are merely tools and that the larger interestsof the Brotherhood are more important than any individual. Recallingadvice given to him by his grandfather, the narrator determinesto undermine the Brotherhood by seeming to go along with them completely.He decides to flatter and seduce a woman close to one of the partyleaders in order to obtain secret information about the group.
But the woman he chooses, Sybil, knows nothing about the Brotherhoodand attempts to use the narrator to fulfill her fantasy of beingraped by a black man. While still with Sybil in his apartment, thenarrator receives a call asking him to come to Harlem quickly. Thenarrator hears the sound of breaking glass, and the line goes dead.He arrives in Harlem to find the neighborhood in the midst of afull-fledged riot, which he learns was incited by Ras. The narrator becomesinvolved in setting fire to a tenement building. Running from thescene of the crime, he encounters Ras, dressed as an African chieftain.Ras calls for the narrator to be lynched. The narrator flees, onlyto encounter two policemen, who suspect that his briefcase containsloot from the riots. In his attempt to evade them, the narratorfalls down a manhole. The police mock him and draw the cover overthe manhole.
The narrator says that he has stayed undergroundever since; the end of his story is also the beginning. He statesthat he finally has realized that he must honor his individual complexityand remain true to his own identity without sacrificing his responsibilityto the community. He says that he finally feels ready to emergefrom underground.