more development

The narrator has realized that who he is as a person, his identity and experiences, aren't recognized by the Brotherhood. "Here I had thought they accepted me because they felt that color made no difference, when in reality it made no difference because they didn't see either color or men" (508). Even the people he was trying to reach with the Brotherhood don't see him, as evidenced by his journey through the city while in disguise. Those scenes of him being mistaken for Rinehart are pivotal for his development because they solidify his invisibility but also lets him see the benefits of being unrecognized. He discovers that this Rinehart character lives through different identities that seem paradoxical to each other; he exists as a gambler to some and as a reverend to others.The narrator has this revelation about Rinehart after reading the line "Let there be light" in the church that Rinehart apparently works at, which ties into the enduring theme of light and dark but also potentially serves as a throwback to the yam scene (498). During that scene, the narrator had a revelation about his identity that was spurred by a reconnection with his past, declaring to himself "I am what I am" and affirming that he doesn't need to fake who he is and what he feels (265-266). Later on in the church, he hears a prayer that he says he hadn't heard since leaving campus, and is mistaken for Reverend Rinehart shortly after and his perception of identity changes yet again (496). When that previously occurred, the narrator afterwards got involved with the Brotherhood, which he eventually became disillusioned with. Since the events in his life are a "boomerang," this feeling of possibility he currently has could reverse and be shattered by another disillusioning experience.

The narrator experiments with "being Rinehart" by giving the Brotherhood what they want to see while following his own plans. He intends to subvert them but given the statement "I am what I am," is he really being any different than they are? He goes along with their ignorance in order to hurt them but he is doing this at the expense of "the people." Also, the narrator invites Sybil over because he wants her to act a certain way for him and that backfires. During that disturbing scene the narrator thinks to himself "Such games were for Rinehart, not me" (523).