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Brother Jack
Ras the Exhorter is a West Indian man whose background is never explained. A black nationalist, Ras believes that the black race should band together to form their own nation, separate from the interests of other races. He opposes cooperation between whites and blacks on principle, and opposes the Brotherhood due to its multiracial membership. As the novel progresses, Ras’ exhortations rise in pitch and intensity, and Ras eventually declares himself “Ras the Destroyer” by the time of the Harlem riots, donning African gear and jousting the police force.
Ras the Exhorter Quotes in Invisible Man
The Invisible Man quotes below are all either spoken by Ras the Exhorter or refer to Ras the Exhorter. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
).
Chapter 25
Quotes
I looked at Ras on his horse and at their handful of guns and recognized the absurdity of the whole night and of the simple yet confoundingly complex arrangement of hope and desire, fear and hate, that had brought me here still running, and knowing now who I was and where I was and knowing too that I had no longer to run for or from the Jacks and the Emersons and the Bledsoes and Nortons, but only from their confusion, impatience, and refusal to recognize the beautiful absurdity of their American identity and mine.
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Explanation and Analysis:
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Ras the Exhorter Quotes in Invisible Man
The Invisible Man quotes below are all either spoken by Ras the Exhorter or refer to Ras the Exhorter. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
).
Chapter 25
Quotes
I looked at Ras on his horse and at their handful of guns and recognized the absurdity of the whole night and of the simple yet confoundingly complex arrangement of hope and desire, fear and hate, that had brought me here still running, and knowing now who I was and where I was and knowing too that I had no longer to run for or from the Jacks and the Emersons and the Bledsoes and Nortons, but only from their confusion, impatience, and refusal to recognize the beautiful absurdity of their American identity and mine.
Related Characters:
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
