Literature Analysis #2

Invisible Man

Part 1:

In Ralph Ellison's novel, Invisible Man, the main character starts by talking about his life as an 'invisible man.' Then he goes on talking about his past. He starts out as a trustee's driver. He drives him outside of the college campus, where he gets sick by sitting outside in the sun for too long. He takes the trustee to the Golden Day, a bar, and there he becomes unconscious and even sicker. Because of his irresponsibilities, he is kicked out of the college and has to go move to New York. There he doesn't know what to do or where to go. He meets a lot of new people and gets caught up in a riot in Harlem. Slowly, though, he realizes and learns how to live a good life invisibly. Without many people noticing him, living quietly and to him it was an awsome life. In fact, he said it was even better to live like this than to live where evryone notices you all the time.

 

Part 2:

The main theme of this book is gow to be responsible and take consequences when you deserve them. I think Ellison wanted to write about this character, 'the invisible,' becaise his story and way of living invisibly is vey interesting and different.

Part 3:

The protagonist is dynamic because he starts out living life and feeling it as one way, like putting yourself out there, standing out, and let your voice be heard. By the end, he thinks of life differently, like keeping it simple and living silently and still be having a good life.

Part 4: 

A symbol in this book is the locket with the trustee's daughter's picture. It changed the main character's point of view of the trustee and white people in general. He used to think that they were just selfish people who only thought about themselves and ignored what others felt. He realized that the trustee cares about everybody since he said that everyone's life was his destiny. It all depended on them. 

Part 5:

I chose this book because the title and the preview if the book were interesting. The title Invisible Man left me thinking about who he was, what did he do, how did he live. I read how he was invisible beacuse people refused to see him and it caught my attention.
 

Part 6:

One part of the book that I can relate to is the part of the bar and the fight inside.This made he think of a party my family had about 5 years ago. Towards the end of the party at night, there were drunken men who got into a big fight. In the book, they all jumped on the biggest man who was the one who kept everything in order. Hey didn't want him to boss them around and take away their privilege of drinking and being loud. In the party, my dad was the one that was sort of being the 'boss' and took thier beer away because they were too drunk. They all attacked him to try to get their beer back.Also, I can realate to the main character. Sometimes I feel that I am invisible among everyone else. I feel ignored at times like I'm there, yet they don't see me.

 

Part 7:

One idea from this book that I'll remember for a long time is that you are invisible because others refuse to see you. I will remember this when I'm taking any kind of risk. If I take a risk, I'll stand out and people will see me. If I don't and just live life safely, then I will also be invisble. People only see what they want to see and what they want to see is daring, excitement, and things that stand out. Only then will I be visible. The main character lives invisibly where no one notices him. He lives invisibly so that's how others see him.

Vocabulary #6

1. corp(or): body
2. cred: to believe, to trust
3.cur(r), curs, course: to run, to flow
4.dic(t): to speak, to speak

1. Benediction: a blessing or state of blessedness 
2. Concourse: flowing together
3. Concurrent: ocurring at the same time
4. Corporal: related to the physical body
5. Corpulent: fat, obese, stout
6. Credibility: quality of being believable 
7. Credulity: believing in people easily
8. Cursory: done in a superficial or hasty manner
9. Dictum: authortative sating
10. Incorporate: to form into one
11. Incredulous: not believing, doubting
12. Indicative: suggestive

Greek Drama Handout Questions

1. Q: What kind of prize is given for dancing choruses of worshippers?
     A: Dancing choruses of worshippers would compete for prizes like a bull or a goat.
2. Q: How many spectators would gather in the open-air theatre of Dionysus?
     A: Fourteen thousand spectators would gather in the open-air theatre of Dionysus. 
3. Q: How does the mask affect the voices of the actors?
     A: The masks had exaggerated mouth pieces that amplified the actors' voices.
4. Q: Why was Antigone suspenseful to viewing audiences?
     A: Antigone was suspenseful to viewing audiences because they already knew things that the characters on stage didn't.
5. Q: How is the shepherd to leave the infant on the mountainside?
     A: The shepherd was to leave the infant with his ankles pinned together to die on the mountainside.
6. Q: What is the riddle the Sphinx gave to Oedipus?
     A: The riddle The Sphinx gave Oedipus was " What creature goes on four legs in the morning, two legs in the afternoon, and three legs in the evening?"
7. Q: Who are Oedipus' kids?
     A: Oedipus' kids are Polyneices, Eteocles, Antigone, and Ismene.
8. Q: After Oedipus is exiled, who takes over Thebes?
     A: After Oedipus was exiled, Creon took over Thebes.
9. Q: What did the family do to the dead body? 
    A: The family put the dead body on a portable framework with the feet pointed towards the door and sprinkled it with herbs to keep the evil spirits away.

Antigone Quickwrite

If I were the person in the story and I had to take action, then I would act right away. Since my favorite brother is not to be buried with honor like my jerk-ish brother, which I hate, then I would take it upon myself to give my brother a proper burial. My sister would be to afraid of the consequences that there is if someone is to try to bury my brother, which is that whoever tries to bury him will be executed. Even though I would be angry at my sister for being too scared to help me because she is afraid at the law my uncle has put if anyone is to disobey his orders,  would still go on to device a plan to give my brother a proper burial no matter what the consequences will be.