Summary and Analysis

Summary

The narrator returns to Harlem and encounters Russ addressing the crowd gathered there to hear him speak out against the Brotherhood. Ras looks at the narrator and the two briefly argue. As the narrator walks away, two of Russ' men chase and attack him, but cinema porters intervene for him.

As the narrator waits for a taxi, his three men in sunglasses are standing on the curb near him. Instead of running, the narrator buys sunglasses. Since then, especially when adding a wide-brimmed hat to his disguise, he's been mistaken for someone named Reinhardt. The narrator marvels at how he can hide out of sight with his hat and black glasses. He also decides to take advantage of his newfound invisibility.

Analysis

Reinhart, who the reader never actually encounters in the novel, is the ultimate trickster and master of disguise. He easily puts on and takes off the multiple identities of preacher, lover, number his runner and pimp simply by wearing sunglasses and a hat. In fact, he can disappear at will, interact with society, and do his job without explaining his actions to anyone. While all other characters in the novel have their perceptions of reality distorted through painful experiences, Reinhart appears virtually unharmed and unaffected by his surroundings. Because you define and create yourself rather than shape your reality with it. reality.

Themes

Race and Racism

Identity and Invisibility

Dreams and the Unconscious

Ambition and Disillusionment