In chapter 14 of Invisible Man, the narrator is introduced to the Brotherhood at a hotel called the Chthonian. According to Webster's Dictionary, Chthonian is defined as-
"Designating, or pertaining to, gods or spirits of the underworld; esp., relating to the underworld gods of the Greeks, whose worship is widely considered as more primitive in form than that of the Olympian gods. The characteristics of chthonian worship are propitiatory and magical rites and generalized or euphemistic names of the deities, which are supposed to have been primarily ghosts."
Ellison is not an author who would just give a name to a location without it having special significance, he keeps the name of college out of the story to make it ambiguous, but made sure to name the paint factory to make that setting a metaphor for the visibility of blacks in America.
The fact that the group is at that moment striving for anonymity (as seen when they discuss Bigger being more useful with the police not knowing his true identity), and the fact that their meeting place is so closely related to the underworld is no coincidence. The Brotherhood is attempting to form an underground organization, and by installing the Narrator and other people in the Brotherhood as representatives and leaders of their community, they are effectively establishing a world just below the visible one, much like the underworld.
Of course, the underworld has natural negative connotations, possibly indicating that the Brotherhood may not be as virtuous as the Narrator takes them to be.
Like we discussed in class, there's no way Ellison just decided to name the hotel at random. I agree that the meaning behind the name of the hotel makes the entire scene extremely ominous. My guess is that the Brotherhood will be what ultimately leads to the narrator's undoing into full-on prologue invisibility. We'll see.
ReplyDeleteI just made a comment on Mikhail's blog, and your idea's really corroborate my predictions. I said that Ellison seems to be setting up the Narrator for some sort of success/freedom, but he is going to take away that success by giving him a new identity and force him to fit a specific role. This ominous name of the hotel really backs up this idea that the Narrator may be in for a surprise.
ReplyDeleteEllison's naming of the hotel was definitely interesting. The underworld is also where death is so although this might be a little too much, I think it would be interesting to also think about how joining this organization could be the end to many of the Narrators dreams. His identity has already been stripped from him so I think it will be interesting to see what else gets taken away from him.
ReplyDeleteI like how Ellison doesn't give away the meaning of the hotel, because Ellison is usually open about symbolism. I'm sure a lot of people read the name and thought nothing of it. It's only when the reader actively researches the name, is the meaning behind it revealed.
ReplyDeleteYES! I too looked this word up and was intrigued by its definition. This hint that Ellison gives is just another example of all the symbolism throughout the book. There are various other clues the narrator picks up on that may lead him to be suspicious of the "brotherhood" but this is the most hidden.
ReplyDeleteSo is there some irony in the fact that the narrator, in entering this "underworld," in fact must take an elevator *up* to this penthouse apartment? He might appear to be "moving up" in the world, attending this fancy party in a wealthy, high-rise apartment--but then the fact that what is basically a *communist* gathering is taking place in a swank, elite apartment might also undermine the group's political credibility a little.
ReplyDeleteThis detail is really interesting, and is definitely hinting that the brotherhood will not be a good experience for the author. I think that this will probably be a big part in what makes the narrator into the narrator that we see in the prologue.
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