Attending chapel, the narrator hears Rev. Homer A. Barbee, a blind preacher from Chicago, deliver a powerful sermon about the Founder and his vision for the college. Overcome with emotion, the narrator leaves early to prepare for his meeting with Dr. Bledsoe. During the meeting, he is shocked to discover that Bledsoe, entrusted with carrying on the Founder's legacy, is nothing like the man Rev. Barbee built him up to be. That evening, after Bledsoe reveals his greedy, self-serving, and opportunistic character to the narrator, lecturing him on the politics of race and power, Bledsoe expels the narrator. Devastated, the narrator decides to leave immediately, returning to Bledsoe's office only to pick up seven letters that, Bledsoe assures, will help him get a job in New York where he can earn enough money to return to school in the fall. Grateful for his assistance, the narrator accepts the letters and places them in his briefcase along with his high school diploma.
Connect with CliffsNotes
