Symbolism Week 4

Brother Tarp is in the Invisible man’s office discussing matters on the anonymous letter the narrator had received. They are having a deep conversation and the invisible man asks what the other men in the brotherhood think about him, when suddenly Brother Tarp starts talking about how he is from the south as well and talks about his limp he walks around on. He proclaims “what I mean is I got this limp from dragging a chain” (387). The invisible man goes into shock as he learns Brother Tarp was trapped for “nineteen years, six months, and two days” (387). Soon after discussing the trouble Brother Tarp had gone through, he decides to let the narrator keep the chain link. This chain link comes to symbolize many things in this situation. The chain shows the harsh battles Brother Tarp faced and ties to his limp that he has to have for the rest of his life. It goes to show the tough realities they lived with then and now due to the different racial equalities held throughout. Even though Brother Tarp is no longer enslaved, he walks as though if he is in “chains” demonstrating he actually has not escaped the trap in racism that still is held in their society. Not long after Brother Wrestrum is welcomed into the invisible man’s office and he asks about the chain link on the narrator’s desk.  The invisible man insists “it’s a good reminder of what our movement is fighting against” (392), showing how the racial differences are still present and making sure he is aware of what he has to do the help this problem in the Harlem community. Brother Tarp on the other hand does not want the shackle to show on his desk for he thinks it shows the differences within the brotherhood, stating “I don’t think we ought to dramatize our differences” (392), displaying how the brotherhood should have everything in common if they want to be strong, which doesn’t include slavery. This goes to show Wrestrum would rather ignore these racial differences rather than face them, showing how he holds a sense of blindness over the whole situation. The shackle in this scene also mirrors the shackle Dr. Bledsoe gave to the invisible man in the previous chapters. Bledsoe’s shackle was unbroken symbolizing that racism still exists in their time period while Brother Tarp’s broken shackle symbolizes the freedom he obtained and wants the invisible man to use this as a goal for the future.