Chapter 2-3

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In this section the narrator drives Mr. Nelson through the black quarter. They stop at two different locations where Mr. Nelson gets a close up view of what the poor live like. Reading the SparkNotes analysis on these chapters I thought that there were many good points about the symbolism of the founder and the roles that each man plays. I felt that the most obvious to me is the veteran in the brothel, who hits the nail on the head.

SparkNotes-- When the doctor-veteran at the Golden Day tavern calls the narrator an “automaton,” the comment revives the problematic relationship between white benefactor and black beneficiary. The veteran explicitly identifies Norton’s narcissism by stating that Norton sees the narrator as a mark on the scorecard of his achievement. “Poor stumblers,” he says, “neither of you can see the other. . . .” But neither Norton nor the narrator takes kindly to having his figurative blindfold removed: just as Norton wishes to believe himself an influential humanitarian, so does the narrator wish to continue under the illusion that the college offers him the freedom to determine his own fate and identity. Ellison imbues this scene with an extremely ironic social critique: though the veteran emerges as the only character to recognize and speak the truth, society labels him insane for daring to see beneath the surface and for telling the tale of what he has seen.--

I was disgusted by the sharecroppers dream and excuses for having had sex with his daughter. I didn't understand why Mr. Norton would give hime a hundred dollars or why others would 'reward' him either. I felt the embarrassment for the young driver having to listen to the tale but then again I wondered at his choice for taking Mr. Norton that direction in the first place. I wondered too about Mr. Nortons true reason for being a benefactor, not just that his idyllic daughter had died. Why hitch hi wagon to a black college? Surely there were other ways to honor his daughter.

It was pretty awful, and graphic as well. I was surprised at the money, but think that the white powerful men tend to just throw money at any problem, their way of sweeping it under the rug.

I would have expected the moral right to make an example of the sharecropper by lynching him or jailing him. maybe they didn't care becasue it was his own daughter but you wouldn't think they would give him money for it.

I enjoyed reading both of your comments on these chapters.

I think that this book and 1984 are the darkened literature of the classic sections.