We find the narrator to loose consciousness with a doctor several times throughout Chapter 11, after he lost it in the previous chapter when he falls on top of machinery and stinking goo. He can't remember why he is the hospital and hears the cry of a woman in pain.
Afterwards they discuss about what they can do to him in regards to either continue to electrify him in a chair (ouch!) and others argue that they shouldn't be doing that to a university graduate. I'm not sure if the picture above has some relation to what was happening in the
Invisible Man at the time, but it's certainly an interesting connection. They then realize that the electric shock would have the effect of a lobotomy, and that it would be better for the narrator to go ahead and electrify him. Someone else suggest to castrate him (why?) and as he gets shocked, one doctor sees how he moves and notes that ''they really do have rhythm''. Apparently, R&B had African Americans stereotyped with the rhythm and dance idea.
The doctor asks a couple of question to the narrator, who has serious trouble in answering them, and well they go on to mention Brer Rabbit, character of a Walt Disney film,
Song of the South, which curiously hasn't been released in DVD or in television since the 80's, due to the fact that the movie took place at the time of Slavery in the south, and well you know some Disney executives consider the movie as ''politically incorect'' and ''racist''.
Is it me or does the book have to many references to African American social and historical issues?
Anyway if you want to see
Song of the South, the movie is in Youtube.
No comments:
Post a Comment