MY DEEPEST THANKS for your patience during my absence last week. We will finish reading Ellison's Invisible Man next week, and then turn to the iconic Great Gatsby. We will finish this year with some readings on American Transcendentalism.

Monday

Lecture on last week's readings, focusing upon the symbolic meaning of Primus Provo's eviction, IM's second speech in a boxing venue, and "the dispossesion of the dispossessed. We also watched the following clip from the Baltimore protests, looking for connections to the eviction scene in IM.
HW: Read chapter 17.

Just before he goes live on Fox News Geraldo is confronted by a man in West Baltimore. Follow Ben Hancock on Twitter at @benjarad To use this video in a commercial player or in broadcasts, please email licensing@storyful.com

Tuesday

Looking at a 10 minute clip from the PBS documentary, African Americans: Many Rivers to Cross, on the 1919-1921 American race riots and Marcus Garvey's black nationalist movement. We will then begin reading chapter 18, wherein we meet Brother Tarp in earnest, and learn about his link (versus Dr. Bledsoe's link).
HW: Finish reading chapter 18.

Wednesday

Watching selections from Many Rivers to Cross, specifically looking at racist memorabilia like the iron bank of Mary's that the IM breaks and cannot dispose of (a metaphor for black identity in America). We will also listen to most of chapter 19.
HW: Tonight is a catch-up night. Finish chapter 19

Thursday

Today we will focus on chapter twenty, the heart of the novel. In it, we will see the slaying of Tod Clifton, the youth leader of the Brotherhood.
HW: Read chapter 21, the funeral of Clifton. What does the IM's eulogy presage for American race relations in the second half of the 20th century (and the start of our 21st)?

Friday

Brother Tobitt and Brother Jack will meet with the IM in chapter 22. How do they intend to use Clifton's murder to political advantage?
HW: Read chapter 23 (is is about 30 pages in length).