Chapter 9 Quiz — Invisible Man

What is the narrator carrying when he sets out at the beginning of Chapter 9?

• A letter of resignation he plans to deliver to Dr. Bledsoe at the college
• His last sealed letter of introduction from Bledsoe, addressed to Mr. Emerson
• A personal journal documenting his experiences with the other trustees
• An application for admission to a graduate program in New York City

Why does the narrator refuse the pork chops, grits, and biscuits at the diner?

• He cannot afford the price of the full breakfast special that morning
• He has a medical condition that prevents him from eating heavy meals
• He takes offense at the assumption that he wants stereotypically Southern food
• He is too anxious about his upcoming meeting to have any appetite at all

Who does the narrator actually meet at Mr. Emerson's office?

• Mr. Emerson himself, who refuses to discuss the letter in any detail
• A secretary who tells the narrator that Mr. Emerson has left the country
• Emerson's son, a nervous young man who reads the sealed letter
• Another trustee who has been forwarded the narrator's case by Bledsoe

What do Bledsoe's letters actually instruct the trustees to do?

• Hire the narrator in a low-level position so he can earn money for tuition
• Keep the narrator running by giving false hope while ensuring he never returns to the college
• Report the narrator to the authorities for disciplinary violations at the college
• Offer the narrator financial aid on the condition that he transfers to another school

What decorative feature in Emerson's office serves as a metaphor for captivity?

• A collection of mounted animal heads displayed along the office walls
• An aviary filled with tropical birds kept in ornate cages
• A series of framed photographs showing the college's founding ceremony
• A glass display case containing rare artifacts from African expeditions

How does the revelation about Bledsoe's letter connect to Chapter 1?

• It fulfills the Battle Royal's promise that the strongest fighter wins the prize
• It echoes the superintendent's praise of the narrator's graduation speech
• It makes literal the dream inscription "Keep This Nigger-Boy Running"
• It confirms the white businessmen's advice that humility leads to success

What practical help does young Emerson offer the narrator after revealing the letter?

• A personal loan to cover the narrator's living expenses for three months
• An introduction to a civil rights attorney who can help him sue Bledsoe
• A job at Liberty Paints, where Emerson has a personal contact
• A letter of his own recommending the narrator to a different college

What image does the narrator use to describe how he feels after learning the truth about the letters?

• A boxer knocked to the canvas with no strength left to stand up again
• A swimmer caught in a current far beyond the reach of the shoreline
• A bird picked clean of its feathers, stripped bare and exposed
• A tree uprooted by a storm and left lying on its side in the dirt

Which of these events actually occur in Chapter 9 of Invisible Man?

Which of these details are true about Chapter 9?

What does "deference" mean as it relates to the narrator's behavior in Chapter 9?

• A strong desire to rebel against authority and challenge those in power
• Humble submission and respect toward the authority or judgment of another person
• A calculated strategy of pretending to agree while secretly working against someone
• An inability to make independent decisions due to fear of negative consequences

What does "provincial" mean in the context of the narrator's self-consciousness at the diner?

• Generous and welcoming in the manner of traditional Southern hospitality
• Sophisticated and worldly due to extensive travel and cultural education
• Unsophisticated or narrow in outlook, associated with rural or regional culture
• Proud and confident in displaying one's regional heritage and customs

What does "disillusionment" mean as the narrator experiences it in Chapter 9?

• A feeling of physical exhaustion caused by prolonged emotional stress and anxiety
• The disappointment that results from discovering something is not as good as one believed
• A deliberate choice to abandon previous goals and pursue entirely new ambitions
• A medical condition that causes confusion and an inability to distinguish reality