Invisible Man

Lesson 6
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ELA

Unit 1

12th Grade

Lesson 6 of 36

Objective


Explain how the author uses the Trueblood family as a social critique.

Readings and Materials


  • Book: Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison  pp. 46 – 70

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Target Task


Writing Prompt

The story of Jim Trueblood and his family is both shocking and disturbing. The reactions of the white people in the novel as well as the black students at the college are meant as a social critique.

What is Ellison critiquing in these pages? Explain using evidence from the text.

Key Questions


  • p. 46: Where has the narrator taken Mr. Norton?
  • Who is Jim Trueblood?
  • pp. 48 and 49: The author is setting up the relationship between the school and the sharecroppers. What is it? How do you know?
  • How many times is the word "new" used in pp. 46-48? In reference to what? What does it imply?
  • What does the narrator reveal to Mr. Norton on p. 49? How does Mr. Norton react? How does the narrator feel? What diction proves this?
  • What is ironic about Mr. Norton's response and his actions?
  • How have the people at the school and the white people in town responded differently to this "monstrous" event? What is the significance of this difference?
  • How does Trueblood's wife react? How is her reaction different from any of the other reactions? Whose reaction is most appropriate/understandable? Least? Why? (These questions are essential to lead students to answer the Target Task questions.)
  • p. 69: What is the significance of Mr. Norton paying Trueblood? How does the narrator respond to this?
  • What is the author critiquing here? How does this critique help to develop the theme of racism? The motif of blindness/invisibility? (Hint: How does the narrator view Trueblood? Why? Does Norton see Trueblood, the narrator, and other black people as different from each other? Explain.)

Notes


  • Pp. 46-59 should be read for homework prior to this class with a quick review of these pages using the key questions. Pp. 59-70 should be read in class.
  • Assign pp. 71-85 for homework.

Next

Analyze how the author uses the incident at the Golden Day and the character of the veteran to develop the motifs of invisibility and blindness.

Lesson 7
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