The Narrator recalls the procession of students walking towards the chapel at dusk. The scene is charged with an unusual energy—a dense blend of sounds and movement that feels less like a gathering for worship and more like a march to judgment. Entering the chapel, his mind races. He observes the rows of silent attendees and reflects on past evenings when he listened to sermons with enjoyment. Now, however, he perceives the audience as veiled and the donors as performers in their own spectacle of charity. To the Narrator, these chapel services are more than ceremonies; they are instruments shaping a worldview with the college at the centre.
On stage, Dr. Bledsoe mingles with white millionaire benefactors with an air of mastery and control that seems almost magical. The Narrator compares Bledsoe’s effortless interaction with white men to his own earlier encounter with Mr. Norton and marvelled at the president’s command of respect and authority. Among the dignitaries, another man of note emerges: Reverend Homer A. Barbee, a fat and ugly preacher with dark-tinted glasses, who begins to address the assembly.
Barbee launches into an elaborate recounting of the college’s early history, portraying its Founder as a heroic figure. He speaks of the challenging days after the Emancipation—a time rife with tension and mistrust between black and white communities. The Founder, he says, served as a beacon of hope ans showed the black community a path to dignity and progress. Barbee likens the Founder to Moses, leading his people out of bondage.
Barbee’s narrative grows dramatic as he recounts an attempt on the Founder’s life. According to the tale, the Founder, while traveling through a hostile area, encountered a mysterious man who warned him to hide in a cabin. Ignoring the warning, the Founder was later ambushed and shot, though the bullet only grazed him. He sought refuge in the same cabin that the mysterious man had mentioned and was nursed back to health by an elderly former slave. The founder later escaped in a wagon of cotton. Barbee portrays this near-death experience as symbolic of the black community’s journey from oppression to survival.
Barbee then turns to the Founder’s death, detailing his final days with reverence. He describes a fateful speaking tour where the founder was spreading his message of freedom and cooperation during which the Founder collapsed after being asked a profound question: “What is to be done?” Though the Founder initially dismissed his illness as exhaustion, he later died in his train car. Barbee vividly recounts visiting the Founder on his deathbed, where his final words entrusted Dr. Bledsoe with the responsibility to lead the college forward.
Barbee’s speech draws to a close with an account of the Founder’s funeral. He describes the sorrowful train journey that carried the Founder’s body through several states, met with widespread mourning. Even white men, he notes, paid their respects. Barbee frames the Founder’s death as a moment of rebirth for the college and urges the audience to continue the Founder’s mission and perform great deeds.
The Narrator is overwhelmed with emotion by Barbee’s speech. As he wipes his tears, he hears a commotion. Barbee had stumbles over Dr. Bledsoe’s legs. Two white trustees help Barbee retrieve his cane, and the Narrator suddenly realises that the preacher is blind. As the service continues, the preoccupied with thoughts of guilt and dread. When a familiar hymn begins—a favourite of his mother’s—he is overcome with grief and rushes out of the chapel. Soon after, he composes himself, knowing it is time to face Dr. Bledsoe. He is certain that Barbee’s stirring sermon has only solidified the Dr Bledsoe’s resolve to punish him.
Barbee Elevates the Founder to a Nearly Religious Figure: Barbee’s speech elevates the Founder to an almost divine status as he portrays him as a saviour of the black community. Through religious imagery, Barbee likens the Founder’s life to a spiritual journey, complete with suffering, resurrection and a mandate to lead others to freedom. This romanticised narrative serves to validate the college’s mission while masking the harsh realities of systemic oppression. By framing the Founder’s legacy as a continuation through Dr. Bledsoe, Barbee reinforces the idea of singular, centralised authority at the college.
The Symbolism of Barbee’s Blindness: Barbee’s blindness carries layered symbolism. On one level, it signifies an inability—or unwillingness—to perceive the truths obscured by the myths he perpetuates. On another, his eloquence and storytelling liken him to the ancient Greek poet Homer, suggesting a profound yet limited insight into human struggles. He elevates the Founder’s mission to a nearly divine one while refusing to see or acknowledge the harsh realities that the black community face outside of the college. We are once again reminded of the real challenges that the like of Trublood and the ex-doctor face. His blindness may also reflect the college’s broader philosophy of selective vision, where inconvenient truths are ignored for the sake of preserving its image.
The Founder’s Collapse and Legacy: The Founder’s physical decline after the question “What is to be done?” portrays the limitations of his vision. Barbee’s narrative paints the Founder as a figure who, despite his immense contributions, could not single-handedly overcome systemic racism. His impotence, both literal and figurative, calls into question the viability of his ideals. His legacy, manipulated by figures like Bledsoe, becomes a hollow symbol used to maintain control rather than inspire true liberation.
Themes of Guilt and Nihilism: For the Narrator, Barbee’s speech amplifies his sense of guilt and unworthiness. It reinforces his fear of failure and separation from the college. The theme of nihilism is also evident. Nihilism is the belief or idea that nothing matters no matters; no matter how much effort one puts into making things better. The Founder’s efforts, though monumental, seem futile in the face of entrenched systemic oppression. The Narrator, still clinging to the belief in the college as his path to success, is unable to reconcile these contradictions and this leaves him in a state of turmoil.
How does Reverend Barbee describe the Founder in his speech?
A) A symbol of oppression
B) A heroic and almost divine figure
C) A figure of failure
D) A pragmatic leader
What does the Founder’s death signify in Barbee’s speech?
A) The end of the college’s mission
B) The beginning of the college’s rebirth
C) The failure of the college’s ideals
D) A shift in leadership at the college
How does the Narrator react to Barbee’s speech?
A) He feels inspired and hopeful
B) He is filled with guilt and dread
C) He becomes excited to meet Dr. Bledsoe
D) He questions the validity of Barbee’s words
What symbolic meaning is attached to Barbee’s blindness?
A) His incapacity to understand the truths of the college’s system
B) A symbol of wisdom and insight
C) His disconnection from the black community’s struggles
D) Both A and C
What question leads to the Founder’s physical collapse, according to Barbee’s narrative?
A) “What is to be done?”
B) “How will we survive?”
C) “What is the meaning of life?”
D) “How can we achieve freedom?”
ANSWERS: 1. A 2. B 3. B 4. D 5. A
Explain how Barbee’s speech contributes to the portrayal of the Founder as a near-mythical figure. What are the implications of this representation for the college and its students?
Discuss the symbolism of Barbee’s blindness in the context of his speech. How does this blindness relate to the larger themes of the story?
