Well, I haven't finished the book yet. I read another chapter today. Yet again I felt myself being drawn in by the main character's struggles. It made me wonder why it takes me so long after I put it down to pick it back up. I think perhaps the simplest explanation is that reading it makes me feel guilty for belonging to the race which was for so long oppressive to anyone whose skin was a different tone than ours. Perhaps also I feel guilty because I belong to a community which harbors racism and I hear things and I say nothing. I never speak up for the oppressed, as I should. I never fight to make a difference in the ways I could now. That makes me think that, if I lived back then, I would not speak up against the terrible injustices that happen to the characters in this book.
I decided that I will be finishing Invisible Man for my August bucket list item. Since it is a book, I will post after I read so much of it. In order to finish it before school starts I will have to read more than one chapter a day. I imagine some days I'll be reading a couple of chapters and some days I will not be reading it. When I read, I'll write a reaction to the chapter without spoiling the events for anyone who wants to read it for themselves. Throughout the following paragraph I will be referring to the protagonist as MC for (Main Character) because it is written in the first person and I am not sure it has given him a name yet.
This chapter was about the University's reaction to MC's mistake. I think their reaction was a bit harsh, considering the mistake was not purposeful. I do understand their reaction though. They've worked to get to a place where they have a mutual understanding that allows them to educate black youth in the same way their white counterparts are being educated, and if what MC did threatened that, then they must feel justified in punishing him. I felt immense sorrow and teared up when he left Dr. Bledsoe and only reached the outside of the building before doubling over. What was done was an injustice, whoever was ultimately to blame. I can't wait to read more. I hope that the book ends with MC triumphing despite all odds, but I have a feeling it is going to end badly.
