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The Funeral of Tod Clifton

     Chapter 21 of Invisible Man follows the narrator organizing and then speaking at the funeral of Tod Clifton, who was killed by a police officer in chapter 20. The killing and funeral mark (what I think will be) the last straw for the narrator and his departure from the Brotherhood.  This also foretells a big change in the novel, and probably one of the last steps toward the narrator becoming "invisible." 

    Tod Clifton represents so much for the narrator within the Brotherhood. For the readers, Clifton is one of the first real organizers that we see, who has a stronger and more tangible connection to social change. He also acts as a role model for the narrator when he first starts out. For me personally reading Invisible Man, the introduction of Tod Clifton made me question if the Brotherhood was really so useless, or if maybe the narrator had only met the wrong people (or it made me realize something more insidious: there are people working within the Brotherhood who actually mean to get things done, but those at the top don't want them to or are just using them for appearances). Either way, Clifton was an inspiring character for so many in the book, so it is no surprise that his violent death caused the narrator to react in such a strong way. 

    It is this strong reaction that signals a big change for the narrator. He is certainly going against the Brotherhood in the organization of the funeral. This event also mirrors the events of chapter 13, when the narrator speaks out during the eviction of an elderly couple. This speech is also what first brings him into the sights of the Brotherhood. Although his speech is a bit jumbled, the narrator later insists when talking to Brother Jack that it was meant to be personal, and that it was born out of the personal connection the narrator felt with the couple, and to an extent to people on the street. The narrator's organization of the funeral for Tod Clifton is even more personal. By forming a meaningful connection with a fellow organizer and then losing that person, the narrator has much of his already shaky faith in the Brotherhood.  







Comments

  1. Rithika PatnamOctober 10, 2021 at 8:40 PM

    Really well-thought out post! I definitely do think that the death of Tod Clifton is the beginning of a new chapter for the narrator in the same way the eviction was, as you said. The book has a really confusing but interesting structure in the way it feels like it's just stringing us along these life-changing events, but they feel very disconnected to each other. It's hard to track the narrator's progress, but I really did appreciate how he stood up for himself.

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  2. EllaOctober 14, 2021 at 1:01 PM

    I also see a lot of connections between the Narrator's speeches for Tod Clifton and at the eviction. These are the only times that we see the Narrator truly speak using his own words. All his other speeches (with the Brotherhood and for the superintendent) are meant to please a group or designed by someone else. We see that the Narrator isn't as self-assured as we see him. He falters during both of these speeches and finds himself unsure of what to say and where to go in his speeches. It shows a new side of the narrator that I don't often see in the book.

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    Replies
    1. RowanOctober 14, 2021 at 1:04 PM

      I really agree with this. I think that this is very similar to the speech at the eviction because it is so driven by the narrator's emotions and his passion rather than the rehearsed points the Brotherhood wants him to present. This seems to make a big difference in the way that it motivates the crowd as well.

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  3. Florence LinOctober 20, 2021 at 1:47 PM

    I think there is a lot to unpack with Tod Clifton's funeral, and I really liked the things you pointed out. Another aspect of his funeral that I find interesting is his name. His name is chanted after his death, and the narrator talks about the importance of remembering him: Tod Clifton. This is a powerful message and remembrance is important after death, but the fact that the Brotherhood may have stripped him of his true identity bothers me. Tod Clifton may not be his real name, adding a whole other issue to this funeral.

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