Sex and Power in Chapter 9
Power shows itself several times throughout chapter 9, but one point of interest is on page 191, in Dr. Bledsoe's letter to the elder Emerson, "The bearer of this letter is a former student of ours (I say former because he shall never, under any circumstances, be enrolled as a student here again) who has been expelled for a most serious defection from our strictest rules of deportment." The Invisible Man is now hundreds of miles away from Bledsoe, and Bledsoe still exerts considerable power over his life.
Sex in this chapter is easy to find, but only if one thinks to read between the lines. The character of the younger Emerson is gay, and is flirting with the Invisible Man throughout the chapter, "Oh, damn! What I mean is, do you believe it possible for us, the two of us, to throw off the mask of custom and manners that insulate man from man, and converse in naked honesty and frankness?" This is clearly an attempt by Emerson to make a pass at the Invisible Man, but the narrator remains oblivious, saying, "I don't know what you mean exactly, sir."
No comments:
Post a Comment