Invisible Man: Chapter 8 Summary & Analysis

The narrator’s room at Men’s House is small and clean. One of the room’s only furnishings is a Gideon Bible. The Bible reminds the narrator of the home, and he thinks both of Dr. Bledsoe and his father’s attempt to establish family prayer.

The narrator is proud of the letters from Dr. Bledsoe, and wishes he could show them to someone. He plans to look for a job the next day, settling into a routine and attempting to make the most of his time. At the same time, he remembers Dr. Bledsoe, a remembrance that causes him resentment.

The next day, the narrator takes the subway to Wall Street and marvels at the tall buildings. He watches the black messengers taking money across town, and wonders if everything that goes on is being watched. Eventually, the narrator finds the office of the trustee where he intends to deliver his first letter. Nervous and unsure of protocol, the narrator waits outside the office for a while.

The narrator enters the office and meets a young secretary. He gives the secretary his letter of introduction, and she takes the letter to another room. Some time later, she reappears and looks at the narrator “oddly.” She informs him that Mr. Bates, the first trustee, is simply too busy to meet him today, and that he will hear from Mr. Bates by mail. Disappointed, the narrator leaves his address, but is unworried by the incident.

Over the next few days, the narrator delivers letters to several secretaries of the trustees he is supposed to meet. He is not successful in reaching the trustees, but makes little of it. In the afternoons, he explores the city. Mixing for the first time with whites that are uninterested in him, the narrator thinks about the way he conducts himself. He is unsure how to act in his new environment.

After a few days, the narrator becomes impatient with his letters. He has only one more letter to distribute, addressed to a Mr. Emerson. Time is beginning to run short: the narrator knows he needs to a get a job soon to earn enough money for school. Instead of giving the letter to a secretary, the narrator writes a letter to Mr. Emerson, requesting an appointment.

The narrator thinks of Mr. Norton, wishing he could see him again. To the narrator it seems like a great deal of time has passed, though it has been less than a month. He writes Mr. Norton a letter that he drafts over and over again, asking to work for him. However, his letter receives no reply.

The narrator begins to doubt his plan to get work, despite the encouragement of the secretaries. He distracts himself at the movies, but dreams of his grandfather and grows depressed.

The narrator senses that he is part of a plan that he doesn’t understand. He imagines that Dr. Bledsoe and Mr. Norton are somehow behind his lack of success in finding a job. The narrator is beginning to grow desperate, as his money is running low. He doesn’t even have the money for the train fare home. He tells himself to have faith, and that something good will happen the next day. On cue, he receives a letter from Mr. Emerson.