Allusions week 4- Tripp Hemker

     When the invisible man first moves to the New York area, he unknowingly encounters a man that goes by "Ras the Exhorter".  He sees this man speaking to a crowd and is very moved by his style of speech.  When attempting to copy Ras' style of speech, a fight breaks out between the brotherhood and the black nationalists.  Ras is their leader, and becomes a strong foil to the invisible man.  Ras the Exhorter is an allusion to Ras the Destroyer, Bigger Thomas, and Marcus Garvey.  He stands for black nationalism and separation of races, much like Marcus Garvey with his failed "Back-to-Africa" movement.  As a strong, rational man, he is propelled in his quest and his protest, much like Bigger Thomas.  He also represents a slight twist on Ras the Destroyer, by instead being the character that attempts to change views or "exhort" his views upon others.  All of these elements create a very complex and driven figure in Ras as he goes to fight against the Invisible Man's group and for Black nationalism.