The Voice of the Dispossessed

A detailed Summary of The Voice of the Dispossessed

The four main speeches seem to be the catalyst that propels Invisible Man from one situation to another. The speeches open up many opportunities for him and, at the same time force him to confront the world around him.

Words are how IM expresses himself and how he finds satisfaction in being. He loves nothing more than speaking to a crowd, to hold them with his every word and make them feel something through him that they hadn't felt before. Oration seems to be the only way IM can individualize himself. On the surface, it seems that he works very hard at blending in, fitting in, and getting lost in the world, but when he's delivering a speech IM takes on a new form and in that form finds that part of himself that defines him not only as an individual, but also as a part of society.

When we are first introduced to his talent for public speaking, IM is set to make a speech in front of the prominent white men of his town so he can accept his scholarship to the state college for Negroes. However, he first has to fight in a battle royal. This scene is shocking and nightmarish, but serves to set the tone for the surreal delivery of his speech. After the battle royal his mouth is bleeding and his ey

After he's through speaking, the Brotherhood is upset with him because they don't want race to be an issue in their movement. They feel that he has motivated the crowd in the wrong way. He has spoken too passionately and appealed to some primal instinct in the crowd. They want to take a more scientific and intellectual approach. He is still the idealist and very confused by his brother's response to his speech. However, he still has a sense of security and well-being in the Brotherhood. This speech propels him into an intense education of the tenets of the Brotherhood and all it stands for. They are grooming him for the important job of chief spokesman for the Harlem district. For the first time he feels a sense of belonging. Seduced by this, he believes these people are genuine and stand for something that will make history. In the previous speech, we saw that he found his medium. With this speech, he begins to shape and mould his legacy.

I compare the progression of speeches to a coming of age, a maturing of a soul. IM is young, sheltered, and very impressionable when we first hear him speak. Then he gets a taste of the world, which adds some character to his second speech. He then finds direction and hones his craft by the time we hear his first official speech to the Brotherhood. Finally, he finds his voice-that truth that lies in the heart of each person. It is raw and passionate and 100% authentic. In his last speech he is simply facing the world head on. Which is really all any of us can do. There is a quality of honesty and integrity in this last speech which signifies the maturity IM has achieved.

In the final analysis, although IM's speeches and experiences forced him underground into "hibernation," I believe that, like an ostrich with its head in a hole, IM, is merely taking temporary shelter. He will emerge with the value of the lessons learned, weighed, and I believe he will be better for the experience. In his own words, "...even an invisible man has a socially responsible role to play." But first he had to take the inward journey, driven by external forces, to find out what that role was to be.

The Brotherhood gives IM the opportunity to speak formally to a crowd for the first time. He is called to an arena to speak to the spectators about the Brotherhood. He speaks of their common image, their uncommon characteristics, and their "dispossession" by others, and the fact that some would try to take advantage of them. IM speaks of how the organization makes him feel "more human" than he has ever felt in his life. He is able to provide a sound

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Approximate Word count = 1755
Approximate Pages = 7 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: Miscellaneous