Brother, Where Art Thou?

The word "brotherhood" causes one to envision a close knit collection of old friends, an organization with an alliance, a fraternity, and all around togetherness. In this case, one would expect a "brother" to be one who is to be trusted, one who is to be revered with the respect of others. In Ralph Ellison's Invisible Man, one's mind is opened to a dysfunctional, disorderly, and poorly directed Brotherhood. It is a group that is headed in the wrong direction with faulty ambitions. The traditional togetherness and trust existing in such groups is not present. When one looks at the roots of the Brotherhood, at what makes this group of people come together, it is clear to see that it's foundation is dangerously close to collapsing. Brother Jack, the confident leader, does not have ambitions that support the quest for African American acceptance. The interactions of the narrator and Brother Jack display his wrongful intentions and reveal his true prejudice.

Leading up to their introduction, Brother Jack chases the narrator over rooftops and down the street. It is quite ironic that their first encounter is a chase because it supports the prejudicial idea of keeping "this nigger boy running" (33). While Jack is meant to be supportive of the African American movement, he is no different from the racist white society.

When BJ finally catches up with the narrator, he compliments him by saying, "That was a masterful bit of persuasion, brother." It is important to take note that Brother Jack immediately commends the narrator, in hope of luring him closer. He also addresses the narrator as "brother" which is to suggest that he is friendly and on his side. He then persists to tell the narrator that he is a friend, and then an admirer when the narrator does not accept that. Brother Jack invites the invisible man to get a cup of coffee and offers him cheesecake. It is with this stimulant and rich dessert that he attempts to make the narrator more comfortable. He continues to press the narrator about his speech, saying that he "sees through" him and knows he was "enormously moved" (290). It is ironic that BJ claims to see through the narrator when, in fact, he has a glass eye. This eye is symbolic of his blind ambitions and motives. It is clear that Brother Jack lives with the prejudices that he valiantly pretends to fight when he tells the narrator that his "old agrarian self" is dead. He is stereotyping the narrator because he is from the south, and failing to identify him as an individual.

Although the narrator is not interested in Brother Jack's "mysterious and smug" way, "as though he had everything figured out," he decides that he will call him about the job prospective (292). At the Chthonian, the narrator overhears a woman asks Brother Jack, "But don't you think he should be a little blacker" (303)? This question makes Brother Jack's intentions very suspicious. It also makes a point of expressing that the narrator is not an important person, rather, he is an important tool for the Brotherhood to use. As the narrator becomes more involved with the Brotherhood, he gets more malleable and is used for the services of the organization. His individual thoughts are not valued, neither is his identity-- which is why the Brotherhood issues him a new name. It is because of the narrator's inability to think for himself and make decisions that the Brotherhood is able to take advantage of him.