Invisible Man: Chapters 6-9

Lesson Plan - Get It!

Audio:

The above picture was taken at the Cotton Club, one of the most famous nightclubs in Harlem during the 1920s.

This was a period when Harlem was experiencing a renaissance in art, music, and literature and was changing social conventions. The Cotton Club was where White and Black patrons were welcome, which was not the case in traditional White clubs throughout New York City in the 1920s.

Read The Harlem Renaissance to learn more about Harlem and its renaissance.

After reading, answer these questions in the notebook or journal you keep for this series.

• When did the great migration to northern states begin?
• For what two reasons did the great migration occur?
• How did Northerners often treat the influx of Black migrants from the South?
• Who was the most prolific writer of the Harlem Renaissance?
• What genre of music developed during the Harlem Renaissance?

After recording your answers, check them against the ones below.

• Do you think you would have wanted to visit Harlem during its renaissance?
• What do you think it would have been like to live there if you were a recent Black migrant from the South?

This is the question Ellison addresses in the next chapters of his novel, Invisible Man, as the narrator travels to Harlem. Read Chapters 6-9.

Continue using the copy of the novel in the format you chose to complete this series of Related Lessons (right-hand sidebar). If you do not have access to the novel, you may download Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison from the Internet Archive.

As you read, note what life is like in Harlem for a new arrival.

• What surprises does the narrator encounter?
• What familiar things does he discover in Harlem?

When you have finished reading and taking notes, move to the Got It? section to explore the details of these chapters more closely.