Invisible Man - AP Literature

Ch. 11: The H ospital

Instructions:
Respond to the 3 essential questions in the boxes only. Use class discussion, the
readings and the guiding bullet points (in blue) to help you respond in pink. Each
box should be about a paragraph in length and reference specifics, such as the blue
numbered points or the article.

Explain how each detail contributes to the larger symbol of the

Hospital. What does his experience represent and why?
1.Sensory experiences:
a. Pain
b. Woman screaming
2. Problems with Memory & Identity
3. Inability to speak and process language
4. Cord attached to stomach removed (pg 243)
5. New white overalls

Type explanation here:

Invisible Man Allusions: Jack the Bear & Br’er Rabbit

As explained in Eric Sundquist's book, CULTURAL CONTEXTS FOR RALPH ELLISON'S
INVISIBLE MAN, Jack the Bear (Jack the Rabbit too) is a common figure of
African-American folklore. He survives by wit and trickery. He, together with other animals,
often enacts an allegory of the relationship between master and slave. In African-American
folklore a "jack" sometimes refers to a charm or conjure. Ellison's narrator recalls his earlier
identity as Jack the Bear when he speaks from his state of hibernation.

Apparently, Ellison removed more substantial Jack the Bear material when revising
INVISIBLE MAN, but many fragments remain. Also, "Jack the Bear" is the name of a Duke
Ellington composition and the stage name of a 1920s Harlem pianist. It is a folk epithet
evoking survival and wisdom in the modern world of urban black performance.

Br'er Rabbit is a central figure in the Uncle Remus stories of the Southern United
States. He is a trickster character who succeeds through his wits rather than through
strength, tweaking authority figures and bending social mores as he sees fit. Other
culturally relevant tricksters include Odysseus of Homeric legend, Coyotes in Native
American culture, Loki of Norse legend, Maui the Polynesian hero featured in Moana,
and Looney Toons Bugs Bunny.

Although Joel Chandler Harris collected materials for his famous series of books
featuring the character Br'er Rabbit in the 1870s, the Br'er Rabbit cycle had been
recorded earlier among the Cherokees. Rabbit/Hare myths abound among Algonkin
Indians in Eastern North America, particularly under the name Nanabozho, 'Great
Hare', who is generally regarded as supreme deity among tribes in eastern Canada. "It
appears that Joel Chandler Harris, when he wrote them, did not realize that his Br'er Rabbit and Br'er Fox were originally
Cherokee inventions." In the Cherokee tale of the Briar Patch, "the fox and the wolf throw the trickster rabbit into a
thicket from which the rabbit quickly escapes "There was a "melding of the Cherokee rabbit-trickster ... into the culture
of African slaves."

The stories can also be traced back to trickster figures in Africa, particularly the hare that
figures prominently in the storytelling traditions in Western, Central and Southern Africa.
Many have suggested that the American incarnation, Br'er Rabbit, represents the enslaved
African who uses his wits to overcome circumstances and to exact revenge on his
adversaries, representing the white slave-owners. Though not always successful, his efforts
made him a folk hero. However, the trickster is a multi-dimensional character. While he can
be a hero, his amoral nature and lack of any positive restraint can make him a villain as well.
For both Africans and African Americans, the animal trickster represents an extreme form
of behavior which people may be forced to emulate in extreme circumstances in order to
survive. The trickster is not to be admired in every situation; he is an example of what to do,
but also an example of what not to do. The trickster's behavior can be summed up in the
common African proverb: "It's trouble that makes the monkey chew on hot peppers." In
other words, sometimes people must use extreme measures in extreme circumstances.

The word "Br'er" in his name (and in those of other

characters in the stories) reflects the habit of addressing another man as "brother" in
many African cultures. While modern Americans generally pronounce the second 'r' in
Br'er,the original pronunciation was "Bruh" or "Buh." When Joel Chandler Harris spelled
"Br'er" with an 'er' at the end of the word, he was indicating the Southern
pronunciation of the final 'er' as in "brothuh" (brother), sistuh (sister), or faa'muh
(farmer).

The tar baby was a trap – a figure made of tar – used to capture Br'er Rabbit in a story
which is part of American plantation folklore. Br'er Fox played on Br'er Rabbit's vanity
and gullibility to goad him into attacking the fake baby and becoming stuck. A similar
tale from African folklore in Ghana has the trickster Anansi in the role of Br'er Rabbit. In
Southern black speech in the 19th century, the word "baby" referred to both a baby and a child's doll. Thus, the
expression "tar baby" meant a tar doll or tar mannequin. The story was originally published in Harper's Weekly by Robert
Roosevelt; years later Joel
Chandler Harris wrote of the tar baby in his Uncle Remus stories. The phrase is considered to be an ethnic slur.

Brer Rabbit is constantly at odds with the likes of Brer Bear, Brer Wolf, and Sly Brer Fox. This trio, singularly or collectively,
attempts to humiliate, outsmart, and sometimes even kill Brer Rabbit. In contrast, Brer Rabbit tries to nullify the plans of
his stronger archenemies by using his superior intelligence and his quick thinking. He usually
gets the better of the bigger and stronger animals.

Since the Brer Rabbit cycle of tales flourished during the time of slavery and almost always
involved the weak in a neverending contest with the strong, scholars view these tales as
slave expressions of subversive sentiments against the institution of slavery. It was much too
dangerous for slaves to reveal to slave owners the harsh realities and cruelties of slavery. But
slaves could vent some of their frustrations and hostilities against their masters by
participating in the performance of the Brer Rabbit tales.

As time progressed, criticism of slavery became less indirect in Brer Rabbit literature. African
American oral literature gave birth to the “John and Ole Boss Tales”. In this group of tales,
John (sometimes known as George, Sam, Jack, Efan, or Rastus) now becomes the human
analogue to Brer Rabbit. John is always in conflict with Ole Master (“Massa” or “Marse”)
and, like Brer Rabbit, attempts to outwit Ole Boss. Most stories show John winning over the
master, but there are a sizable number of tales where “Whitey” outsmarts John.

Disney's version of the character is drawn in a more humorous and cartoony style than the illustrations of Br'er Rabbit in
Harris's books. Since its original release, Song of the South has remained a subject of controversy. Some critics have
described the film's portrayal of African Americans as racist and offensive, maintaining that the black vernacular and
other qualities are stereotypes. In addition, the plantation setting is sometimes criticized as idyllic and glorified. Because
of this controversy, Disney has yet to release Song of the South on any home video format in the United States.

WHY DOES ELLISON INVOKE THESE ALLUSIONS SPECIFICALLY IN CHAPTER 11?

Type explanation here:

Ch. 12 Mary Rambo

Essential Question: WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF MARY IN THE
NARRATOR’S JOURNEY?
Explain how each point contributes to your larger understanding of her character.
1. Her behavior and how she interacts with TIM
2. Her placement right after the symbolic ch. 11
3. Her first name
4. How she compares/contrasts other characters in the text
Type explanation here: