After graduation from high school Invisible Man gives a speech to powerful men

He is awarded a scholarship based on his talent

“I wanted to leave but I wanted also to speak and I was afraid they’d snatch me down” (31).

This is the first speech IM gives in front of powerful and intimidating men.

IM draws from this experience later when he delivers a speech to a mob.

While IM was driving Mr. Norton, Mr. Norton asked him to stop at Trueblood’s cabin. Trueblood tells of the incestuous relationship he had with his daughter.

“Trueblood’s mouth fell agape, his eyes widened and filled with moisture as he took the bill between trembling fingers. It was a hundred-dollar bill” (69).

IM learns the advantages of good oratory as Norton hands Trueblood money. He learns how to appeal to emotions instead of intellect.

At IM’s last chapel, Barbee shares stories of the founder. After the speech, IM discovers that Barbee is blind.

“between the gesture and the opaque glitter of his glasses, I saw the blinking of sightless eyes. Homer A. Barbee was blind” (133).

The IM learns that you can overcome any obstacles to influence your audience in oratory.

After IM comes back with Norton the disgruntled Bledsoe lectures him.

“Why, the dumbest black bastard in the cotton patch knows that the only way to please a white man is to tell him a lie” (139).

This shows IM characteristics of being overtly honest and lack of fear for powerful people.

The IM sees the possessions of a poor family in Harlem strewn all over the street. He’s moved to speak about the injustices of poverty.

“Something had been working fiercely inside me, and for a moment I had forgotten the rest of the crowd” (270).

This is significant because it gets him the job with the Brotherhood and incites the the crowd to act within a few words.

This is a speech about dispossession given to a crowd at the rally by IM. IM discusses how he has evolved as a person.

“My true people! My true country! I am a new citizen of the country of your vision, a native of your fraternal land” (346).

IM gains more confidence and learns that he needs to be less emotional when he speaks.

When IM is walking the streets, he discovers Clifton persuading a crowd to buy Sambo dolls.

“Sambo-Woogie, you don’t have to feed him, he sleeps collapsed, he’ll kill your depression and your dispossession, he lives upon the sunshine of your lordly smile” (432).

This speech shows the betrayal of Clifton because he is selling the ethnically demeaning dolls.

At Clifton’s funeral, IM speaks bluntly to the crowd. He cannot bring himself to speak on the issues of the brotherhood. It is a parody of Brutus’ eulogy.

“ ‘All right,’ I called out, feeling desperate. It wasn’t the way I wanted it to go, it wasn’t political” (457).

This speech shows the IM taking his own initiative instead of listening to the specific orders of the Brotherhood’s committee.