Sex and Power in Invisible Man

Chapter 7:

The motif of Sex appears when the Invisible Man boards an incredibly crowded subway, and is forced to press himself very close to a white woman. He is terrified that he will be accused of rape, as the two of them are so close "that simply by nodding my head, I might have brushed her lips with mine".

The motif of Power is most clearly exemplified by the letters the Invisible Man received from Dr. Bledsoe. Even when he is completely miserable, he still finds solace in his future as a servant for the White Man, and his means of achieving that goal are the letters. This gives Dr. Bledsoe power over him even from halfway across the country. This is best shown in the quote "I would work hard and serve my employer so well that he would shower Dr. Bledsoe with favorable reports".


Chapter 9:

The motif of power, once again, takes the form of Dr. Bledsoe. Even now that the Invisible Man is so far away from him, Bledsoe still exerts considerable influence over his life. The Invisible Man wonders about Bledsoe as he travels through New York, "Did Dr. Bledsoe stop at an expensive white hotel when he visited New York? Did he go on parties with the trustees? And how did he act?" The Invisible Man knows Bledsoe's influence far too well, and so knows that even here, Bledsoe would exert considerable power.

Sex does not appear in chapter nine.