Synthesis Chapters 10-23

        Sex as a motif in Invisible Man is most often used as a symbol of power, and linked to both women(white women especially) and social taboos. However, in Chapters 10 through 23, as the Invisible Man increases in influence in the North, the forbiddenness of sex falls away and the Invisible Man begins to explore his own power through sex.

        One of the earlier experiences of positivity associated with sex comes in Chapter 16, after the Invisible Man's speech, when he could not see, but "felt [himself] pressed against warm feminine softness" (p. 347). In contrast to the past experiences where the Invisible Man is repulsed by sex, this is one of the first times where he portrays it in a positive light. Consequently, this comes with one of the first times the Invisible Man experiences power in the North; he gives his first speech with the Brotherhood, and it is an instant hit with the audience. Because of this power, he feels less negative towards sex with a white women and sex in general because he feels he is entitled to it.

       This is further seen in Chapter 19, where the Invisible Man's new ideals about sex truly manifest and he sleeps with a white women. Although the Invisible Man resists at first, torn "between the ideological and the biological, duty and desire" (p. 416), he quickly gives in. The taboo of sex, while fading, is not completely gone: part of the attraction the white women feels to him is because it is socially "wrong" for her to have sex with a black man. This is again tied to power; the white women first becomes attracted to him because of the speech he gives on the Woman Question. She further seduces him by inviting him back to her apartment and asking him to explain the ideology to her while she gets closer and closer to him. The power the Invisible Man feels wipes away his previous ideals of sex, as he says "let them break down the door, whosoever will, let them come" (p. 416).

        The Invisible Man's new associations with sex influence him further in Chapter 23, where the tables turn and he plans to use sex to gain even more power to destroy the Brotherhood. The Invisible Man realizes that he needs someone on the inside to gather information from and that this "called for a woman" (p. 512). He then remembers of Emma, a white woman he danced with at a party with the Brotherhood and thinks that "she was fair game" and that "perhaps she'd find [him] black enough, after all" (p. 512). This implies that the Invisible Man intends to seduce her to gain power over the Brotherhood with stolen information. His reference to his race again connects to the fading taboo of sex; still present, it causes white women to desire to sleep with black men because it is socially "wrong." Here, the audience sees the Invisible Man has come full circle from being terrified to touch a white women and now schemes to sleep with one to gain more power and take down the Brotherhood.

           While sex was previously viewed as repulsive and wrong by the Invisible Man, in Chapters 10 through 23, he progresses and the taboo of sex fades. He experiments with his influence through sex, even using sex to gain more power.