When the narrator tries to her information from Sybil, it shows how both of them are searching for individuality in society. The narrators commitment to the Brotherhood has caused him to fall into their plan to destroy him. Although he expects something is up, he remains loyal and even helps carry out some of the plans to destroy New York, making him a traitor that Ras correctly accused him of being. It is kind of ironic to think that the story begins and an ends in a similar setting of underground. Except now, the narrator is ready for a rebirth, stating that he is done with his hibernation.
Saturday, December 5, 2015
Blog Post 4
In chapter 24, the narrator is trying to get information in the Brotherhood and decides to use Sybil. While in the process of doing that, he gets a call from the Brotherhood in Harlem, asking him to come as quick as possible. When he gets there, he runs into a group of rioters and wonders what started the riot, all of them giving different stories. The narrator then learns that Ras was the one who started the initial riot. As he runs away from a burning building, he comes to a looted building where he sees mannequins hanging from the ceiling. He then sees Ras, who orders his followers to lynch the narrator, because he was a traitor to the black community. As he runs from that situation, he encounters two police officers which puts him on the run again. He falls through an open manhole into a coal caller, and the police trap him underground by putting the manhole cover back in place. The epilogue is where the narrator reflects on what all has happened, noting that he hates himself the most when he was trying to be honest, and had the most love when he tried to confirm the poor beliefs of others. He then thinks about his grandfather, social behaviors, and an incident on the subway with Mr. Norton. Then decides to come up for breath.
blog post 4
"Invisible Man" centers itself around a nameless protagonist who encounters many trials and tribulations throughout his own personal journey. He longs for a greater purpose in society, living in a racist society in which the white race is the deemed better than that of any other.
But what exactly makes him "invisible" you might ask. A since of being invisible is metaphorical to that fact that he was unknown. When you seen him walking down the street he was just anybody else, a somewhat unrecognized black man with no ulterior motives. The narrator wanted more for himself. This ultimately causes him to join the brotherhood, to make a difference and become somebody.
The main theme of "Invisible Man" is has nothing to do with anything science fiction, but rather standing up against racial prejudices during a time in which it was most prevalent. To society he is just a black man but he knows that he is more than that. But most importantly he wants to show his worth to white society. He's not just a simple stereotype, he's an educated black man that deserves to be noticed.
Kanye West's song Power linked here,https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L53gjP-TtGE , speaks on the topic of power. He tells of how no one man should have so much power to be in control of everyone and everything. This relates right back to the white society in this novel. In "Invisible Man" it is deemed that white society has the power over other races. Often of which causing stereotypes to be created and the overall looking down upon other races. For example with how white men allowed black men to fight in a ring like dogs as if they had no worth. The narrator stands against these kind of ideals and along the finds himself, so that he can no longer be invisible. But rather a figure in a society that is non race conflicted.
Friday, December 4, 2015
Blog Post 4
Mr. Bledsoe
is possibly one of the most respectfully spiteful people in that he sends the
narrator away with hope in his mind and failure in envelopes. By “[keeping the
narrator] running” (194), Bledsoe effectively removed him far from the college,
but did not destroy the narrator in such a way that it would be a truly
despicable deed. The reputation of Bledsoe would be untarnished on his campus,
and no one would be the wiser as to what happened. The narrator, however, hopes
to reveal the treachery, as “[he owes] it to the race and to [himself]” (194).
He plans to take one life in recompense for another’s potential life being
ripped from their hands.
However,
Bledsoe was clever enough that he knew the narrator’s life could not be
completely destroyed, as he would be in Harlem, the center of black culture.
The narrator could find a new job despite the letters that put him on a
blacklist to the white leaders of the city; and he did. The job at Liberty
Paints would free him from the anchor Bledsoe had tied to his feet. This was foreseen
by the president of the college, as he had told the narrator to “let the white
folk worry about pride and dignity” (145). If the narrator could release his
pride in being a college student with backing from people in high places, and
become a black man in a white man’s world, he would go places. Bledsoe
effectively killed off the life path that could put the narrator in racial
danger, and instead planted the seed for a “good, smart, disillusioned fighter”
(145), the type of man that does good in the world despite his circumstance.
Blog Post #4
|
Blindness is
mentioned throughout the book and represents how people deliberately ignore seeing
and facing the truth. It also shows vulnerability. Prejudice against others is
one kind of blindness in the book. Another kind of blindness in the book is the
characters’ refusal to recognize the realities about themselves and their
communities. Its starts at the “battle royal” when the men who fought were all
blindfolded. The lack of sight symbolizes the helplessness to realize that the
white men are exploiting them for their own entertainment. While reading the
battle royal scene the audience can realize this because the men are voicing
“encouraging” comments in the background during the fight. Comments such as
“Let me at those black sonsabithes!” (21) and “Slug him, black boy!” (23) indicate
that the white men are egging the fighters on and taking advantage of their
weak state. The blindfolded men would like to believe that they are in that
ring for a purpose and not for the white men’s pleasure, but sadly that is not
the case. Another instance is the Founder’s statue at the college. The narrator
talks about how the “bronze face” with “empty eyes look upon a world [he has]
never seen.” (36) This description of the statue being cold and having empty
eyes depicts how the real founder of the place is invisible to the world. The
fact that there is no name presented for the founder but all that is known is
the history behind the statue. The statue is symbolic to how the founder is
metaphorically invisible within the real world. Lastly, Reverend Homer A.
Barbee is troubled by blindness because he romanticizes the founder of the college
and also Brother Jack, who lacks two functional eyes and has one glass eye.
 |
| This symbolizes how people take advantage of blindness. The blindfolded men in the "battle royal", they were exposed and exploited by the rich men and the man in the picture is susceptible to be made a fool. For he thinks that he is getting many, yet his hat is full of leaves. |
The Parasitism of Whites in Invisible Man
Invisible Man is overflowing with white people who maintain parasitic relationships with black people. The whites pretend to truly care for black people, but only prove that their actions are not meant to be mutualistic.
The school board sends the narrator to a college where the "generosity" of whites is glorified to set the narrator's mind as one of an Uncle Tom, set on pleasing and following the word of the white man, allowing whites to stay on top and blacks to remain repressed. Norton believes that if he can transform the lives of a few blacks and prove to the nation that blacks succeed in civilization, then he will be recognized as a hero: "you are my fate" (42). However, does he truly care about the state of the black people?
Like Norton and the narrator's high school board, Sybil uses the narrator for her own benefit. "Beat me, daddy -- you -- you big black bruiser" (522). Her perversion is similar to the "jungle fever" that characterizes "Brown Sugar"**. Her fetish for black rapists dehumanizes black men and allows the narrator to question the meaning of the Brotherhood's white members' contributions. If they all care so much for blacks, then why do Sybil's desires oppose the entire Brotherhood's basis? Why is the narrator subject to racial profiling?
Whether done for pecuniary interests or sexual fantasies, the white people of Invisible Man only tolerate blacks if they are receiving something. The exception to this pattern is Brother Jack. He starts out as a concerned, relatable activist, but eventually reveals that he uses the narrator only to incite a spirit in the people of Harlem which can be applied to effective protests. However, what is the reasoning behind Jack's willful sacrifices and contributions to the advancement of black people?
The Rolling Stones seemed to attempt to put out a song that embraces black women. But, the song turned out to be a misogynist, racially insensitive, yet popular mockery of black women.
Blog Post #4
The narrator’s expulsion from
college and move to New York serves as more than just a physical move. This change of scenery signifies a change in
the narrator. In the beginning, we see
that he is exactly what the white race wants, compliant and yes-man. He does not stand up for himself even though
he did nothing wrong or if he questions the morality of the situation. When the narrator moves to New York we see
him finally standing up for himself. He
realizes Bledsoe’s true intensions of him not returning to school and is hurt
by the betrayal. At Liberty Paints, he
is faced once again with the fight or flight dilemma. Instead of agreeing, like he did with Bledsoe,
he decided to fight Brockway. The
narrator finally sees that he needs to stand up for himself what he believes in.
Visibility
Although the narrator craves to be seen, we see how he reacts to a taste of visibility in Chapter 19. "...I realized she was only a nose-tip away, her eyes upon my face." (414) Immediately after he discovers the white woman's true methods of seduction, the narrator tries multiple times to flee the scene and his shock. He starts to question the woman about her "old man" (415). On page 416 he expresses that he is very close to giving into temptation: "...for if I touched her-". After minutes of internal struggle, he gives in to the woman who seductively lures him into falling to his 'death'. This scene reminds me of the Sirens in Greek Mythology. The Sirens would sing and play music to enchant their sailors to shipwreck on the coasts of their islands. Siren songs can be described as appealing and hard to resist and if heeded, will lead to a fatal outcome.
In respects to the Odyssey, Odysseus was curious to hear the sweet melodies so he had his crew pack their ears and tie him to the mast. Any other sailor with their ears exposed would not have the strength to resists the songs and would have jumped overboard. According to the Christian definition of Sirens, they were prostitutes who led travelers down to poverty and were said to impose 'shipwreck' on them. In this case, the narrator is one of the unfortunate sailors. The songs he hears come in the form of appraisal of his contributions to the movement and to Brotherhood. His embarrassment and shame turn to paranoia when he believes "some important member of the brotherhood" (418) would expose him. This is his fate.
Rebirth
After the factory explosion, the narrator awakens in a hospital with no recollection of his own name, or why he is there. The narrator is unable to communicate with the doctors whoa re using a type of shock therapy on him. In doing so they mention his "rhythm" as a black man, which is clearly a stereotype. With the narrator unable to communicate in the moment, this is truly the beginning of a new life for him. A life with a new identity; an invisible identity. It's ironic that in this moment the narrator can not speak because he's actually been experiencing this all his life. The constant abuse put on him by racial stereotypes, and the constant lack of being able to be heard despite what he feels inside. At least the veteran from the college was vocal about how he felt, now the narrator is physical incapable of it.
The opening to the Maze Runner has a quite similar vibe to this chapter being one of rebirth and a new identity. Thomas comes up through an elevator into the Maze with no recollection of his name, or identity. Over time, he discovers what his passion is based on what he feels. He has a good feeling about running, and pleas to become a Maze Runner. He creates his own identity almost like the narrator in Invisible Man Unfortunately, the narrator of Invisible Man is living in the real world where even if he is vocal, it still does not make him heard.
Blog Post 4
The Invisible Man contains many instances where the narrator experiences heavy abuse those around him. Even members of the Brotherhood he is a part of treats him like a sacrificial lamb at many points. He feels as though he is both the "sacrificer and victim" of the Brotherhood. The narrator gives up so much for the sake of his Brotherhood just so he can wear their hat. Unfortunately for the narrator, he always seems to wind up on the short end of the stick when it comes to the sacrifices that have to be made. The narrator also finds out the Brotherhood also intends on sacrificing the Negroes which builds up even more anger within the narrator.
The Brotherhood in the end only proves to be yet another dark spot in society. The narrator prefers to belong in the places with more light so that being "invisible" isn't such a bad thing. Within an area with light, the narrator gains a sense of belonging by being with others that feel the same way as him. The Brotherhood's lights have now burned out now that the narrator realizes that the Brotherhood is preaching "cynicism" like a group of "charlatans" that just want to watch the whole world burn with the flames of corruption. The narrator also brings back his rebellious behavior against the Brotherhood by stating the Brotherhood is the only group benefiting from "the old sacrificial merry-go-round" that revolves around the idea of "sacrificing the weak". Their way of thinking appears to be an early form of thinking that the KKK around the Civil Rights era does. The narrator greatly feels the true evil in society which now creates a major realization for the narrator that Negroes must begin to band together as one for the sake of their own individuality.
http://www.history.com/topics/ku-klux-klan# -- the Brotherhood appears to be an early form of the KKK
http://www.history.com/topics/ku-klux-klan# -- the Brotherhood appears to be an early form of the KKK
Bledsoe
Bledsoe
is a man whose only real concerns involve himself, and the authority
of his power. This is why he is so threatened, when he hears the
narrator took Norton to the cabin that occupied Jim Trueblood. Even
though it was Norton who requested to be taken there, the narrator is
still taking the blame. Bledsoe says he should've known better
growing up in the South. Bledsoe sends the narrator to New York for
the summer to pay off a year's tuition. The whole situation was
almost very similar to the story of Joseph in the bible. Joseph was
nothing, but a kind hearted young man who had dreams, but his
brothers felt threatened by him. So they strip Joseph of his robe,
and sell him into slavery. The narrator is just doing what he is
told, and taking orders yet he is still punished for his actions.
Even
after the decision has been set, the narrator does not show
resentment towards Bledsoe for sending him off to New York. This is a
prime example of how power can corrupt the minds of people. English
historian Lord Acton wrote "All power tends to corrupt and
absolute power corrupts absolutely."The narrator however feels
the complete opposite. Everytime he trys to grasp for some sort of
control in this world, it slips through his fingers like sand. The
narrator feels as if he's an "invisible man" because of is
lack of any real control of his surroundings. He is just a minion
forced to take orders, deprived of freewill, and punished for doing
what he is told.
Blog Post #4 Chains
The themes of invisibility and succumbing to a higher power are
a big part of this novel. The narrator wants to make a good impression on Mr.
Norton. He drives him wherever he wants to go and gets him whiskey. He is even
impressing Mr. Bledsoe. Although he is also black he is of power. Mr. Bledsoe normally
is disgusted or avoiding white people. When Mr. Norton is hurt and maybe
angered by the events, Mr. Bledsoe is doing whatever he can to be on his good
side.
This
brings up an interesting idea of a chain of desires to impress. In The Kite Runner, Hassan always wants to
do well in Amir’s eyes. He is constantly trying to satisfy Amir. Hassan does
anything for Amir because he is the servant and he feels like he must impress him.
When Amir grows up, he goes back to Afghanistan. He is not necessarily
succumbing to the Taliban when he goes back, but there’s a certain element of
fear. Amir must be careful as Afghanistan is dangerous. In order to get Sohrab
he must surrender to an extent.
There
always seems to be a chain. There’s always somebody to give in to. Whether it
be an actual higher power or just a higher social class, someone is taking
advantage of someone else. Someone takes advantage of another and that person
is below someone else. It’s inevitable and will always occur in life. This
brings in an element of invisibility. If a person is always taking advantage of
someone else, the higher power may not really see the lower person, but instead
just see them as a person who will do anything for them—a shadow passing
through. In some cases though the lower person may mean a lot to the higher
power. Amir did not know this until it was too late.
Torn
Throughout life, there's time that arise where one may have conflicting feelings or emotions and don't know which way to turn. During this particular story, the narrator face several self-conflicting situations which all come down to either benefiting himself as a black man as well as building an image that he is not susceptible to only what he is told to do by the white man or having a heightened respect for the whites and treating them as a higher form, putting himself in a secondary position. When the novel starts and his grandfather's words to "Live with your head in the lion's mouth." (16) and later Dr. Bledsoe's words to not obey every wish of the white man, and "...show them what we want them to see." (102) the narrator almost had that conscious debating whether he should follow his grandfather's wish or continue standing at the foot of each white man to gain a somewhat reciprocated form of respect. It's not just the narrator, however, his grandfather and Dr. Bledsoe both display the same display of catering to the white man. His grandfather admits "[He has] been a traitor [his] whole life..." (16) and the narrator questions Dr. Bledsoe's ideologies when he goes frantic over Mr. Norton continually apologizing and which the narrator deemed "...most confusing of all." (105) he wonders why he should stop putting himself at the "invisible" standard society views him and stop catering to the white man if that's the way he's moving around and getting somewhere. The college wants its students to move forward and be successful, but what if the only way is to get a good foot on the white side first?
Mr. Bledsoe The Vampire
Mr. Bledsoe once again is presented to the reader through his own internalized racism against black people. Once the narrator discovers his letters of recommendation are damnation rather than praise, an existential crisis occurs. “Twenty-five years seems to have lapsed between his handing me the letter and my grasping its message” (191). Ellison uses the letters of recommendation to put the nail in the narrator’s emotional coffin. The last shred of hope he has at being readmitted into college (and society as he knows it currently) dissolves. Ellison, through a system of hope and despair, has broken the narrator’s youthful innocence. Like in How to Read Literature like a Professor, Bledsoe acts as a vampire upon the narrator. He is a mysterious and lofty acquaintance. He takes great interest in the narrator’s youthful spirit. Spirit that Bledsoe drains, feeds on, and leaves to wither in the streets of Harlem. Bledsoe metaphorically feeds on the innocence of a young naïve man to gain power for himself. He is a vampire.
Ellison employs the young Mr. Emerson as an alternate avenue for life as a young black man. In the rehabilitation vantage point of this climax: Emerson is the sponsor, and the narrator is in need of a 12 step program on how to navigate life. “There is so much more you could do here…I do know the world you’re trying to contact” (188). Ellison uses the son of Mr. Emerson as the conduit messenger to the narrator to introduce a new generation. From this point on in the novel Ellison has introduced main characters who were much older. By adding a youthful white man into the menagerie, Ellison allows for more change to occur. In one small section, the narrator finds hope, loses it, and gains a new opportunity to turn his back on normal life (college) all together.
Underlying Motives
When the narrator arrives in Harlem, he encounters
brutal reality. Prior to leaving, Bledsoe tells him “instead of uplifting the
race, [he has] torn it down” (140). The narrator enters Harlem with the hope
that he will attain a job with his “hand of high trump cards” (163) provided generously
by Bledsoe. He does not.
Instead, the letters contain
directions to make the narrator’s leave from the college “as [painless] as
possible” (191). Bledsoe also tells the narrator before he leaves: “after you
win the game, you take the prize and you keep it, protect it; there is nothing
else you can do” (143). This philosophy ends up being the very thing that triggers
a downward spiral in the narrator’s hopes. Bledsoe’s position is his prize and he
protects it, sending the narrator away with the hope that returning to the school
is possible. He has no intention of providing the narrator with further
education.
Bledsoe’s attitude
toward the narrator shows a similarity to Iago’s treatment of Roderigo in Othello. Through his sealed letters,
Bledsoe gives the narrator a false sense of hope, feigning concern for his
success. Iago proves to be a maniacal character and feeds false hopes to
Roderigo, like a possible future with Desdemona. Though Iago lies to nearly the
entire cast of characters in Othello,
he uses Roderigo as a means to an end, feigning concern for Roderigo’s desires.
The narrator says everyone “seemed to have some plan for [him], and beneath
that some more secret plan” (194). The same can be said for Iago and Roderigo. Unaware
of deception and the falsity of their hope, both Roderigo and the narrator are manipulated by men who crave power. |
| Just like Iago telling Roderigo to "put money in thy purse" has underlying meanings and motives in Othello, the letters Bledsoe gives to the narrator in Invisible Man are also not what they seem to be. |
Full Circle
In the epilogue, our narrator takes the time to reflect on his life that he began in the Prologue- coming full circle. He begins in the hole and ends in the hole. He considers coming out of his hibernation. By being so secluded from the real world, he is able to find his true identity and purpose in life. He says, “Even an invisible man has a socially responsible role to play”. He has gone through many life changing experiences that have given him a new perspective on reality and himself. He decides that living in the world where people refuse to see you as a human being is worse than death itself. No matter what you do in the world, racism will always overpower. Our narrator decides that writing down his story has allowed him to fight hatred and find it in himself to love again. He speaks for all of us because he understands his own experiences can be applied to all people. All humans go through some type of struggle. By coming full circle, it makes the narrator a dynamic character.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GibiNy4d4gc
Blog Post #4
From the beginning, it is clear that the Brotherhood cares about its appearance. The Chthonian hotel, where the Brotherhood meets, is an opulent building that has rooms “lined with books and decorated with old musical instruments” (300). Even the people dress nicely; Emma wore a dress smothered with “blazing diamonds” (300). This makes it seem as though the people in the Brotherhood are nothing but pretentious rich citizens. The money they spend on the hotel, fancy clothes, and drinks can go to more beneficial things like awareness for black equality or to help blacks get a higher education. Instead, they selfishly spend money for themselves. The hotel, the Chthonian, is named after the Greek Gods of the underworld. This allusion indicates that the Brotherhood may have a darker, more sinister side.
The Brotherhood makes the narrator erase his identity; the members give him another name, a relocated home, and some money to buy new clothes. The Brotherhood tries to rob the narrator of his individuality, and the narrator even says, “I [am] becoming someone else” (335). When the narrator makes a speech, it is a huge success because it motivates the audience. The Brotherhood committee, however, is enraged by the speech, claiming it was “wild, hysterical, politically irresponsible, and dangerous” (349). Now, the narrator must be “trained” (351) by Brother Hambro. The narrator can not comprehend what went wrong; his speech represents his true beliefs.Why would an organization that works to make “a better world for all people” (304) hinder the narrator from actually making a change? Clearly, the Brotherhood is corrupted.
Willingness to overcome struggle
The “Invisible Man” is structured around the recurring themes of overcoming stereotypes, prejudice, and self-identification. Whether it be fighting in the battle royal, the sambo doll, the coin bank, or living in a judgmental society, there is always an unremitting struggle to be noticed as a person rather than a thing for African Americans in the novel- especially the narrator.
Throughout the novel the narrator constantly jumps through hoops in order to fulfill the role of a ‘black man’ as described by important people such as his grandfather, Mr. Norton, and Mr. Bledsoe. In the beginning of the novel, the narrator states that his grandfather's dying words “became a constant puzzle which lay unanswered in the back of [his] mind.”(16) As the narrator attempts to complete the tasks assigned to him, however, he loses himself in the process. Perhaps the reason the narrator refers to himself as the ‘invisible man’ is because he is too busy trying to please others and be noticed by society that he does not truly know he is. How can one expect to know who they are if they never have the opportunity to think for themself? The coin bank that the narrator received emphasized how he is perceived in society, as a “slave” to white people. Moreover, the fact that the narrator smashed the coin bank did not diminish society's prejudice views.
The themes that Ellison relies on in the “Invisible Man” perfectly depicts the life of an African American linking in a prejudiced society. It is evident throughout the novel that trying to overcome prejudice, stereotypes, and self-identification has led the narrator to become an invisible man. Once the narrator feels comfortable in his environment and accepted by others, he will become an invisible man; the narrator might even refer to himself by his real name.
In Roots, Kunta gets beat until he accepts the name the slave owners gave him,Toby. Similar to the narrator, “Toby” unwillingly surrendered and did what the slave owners said; he also lost realization of himself in the process.
Thursday, December 3, 2015
A New Man Living in Harlem
While walking on the street, the narrator witnesses a commotion; a black couple is being evicted from their apartment. The narrator feels terrible at the sight of the old woman hysterical over her Bible. From the time the narrator is fighting the battle royal scene to the riot, the narrator begins to transition into a new man who takes pride in his heritage.
The narrator’s determination of embracing his heritage rather than rejecting his black culture is shown when he is eating yams along the street. The narrator is ashamed when the waiter asks him if he wants to order the “special” (178). He questions himself, “Could everyone see that I was southern?” (178) and rejects the dish. While eating yams, “[he] walked along, munching the yam, just as suddenly overcome by an intense feeling of freedom” (264). Eating yams in public indicates he has overcome his shame as being identified as a southern black, which marks an important turning point in his quest for identity.
 |
| Harlem in the 1920's with a peaceful protest. |
Experiencing the eviction of the black couple alters the narrator’s perception of Harlem and raises his awareness of his social responsibility to the black community. No longer containing his frustration, the narrator speaks, “Black men! Brothers! Black Brothers! That’s not the way. We’re law-abiding” (275) when a white threatened to shoot. The narrator then becomes an activist dealing with equality within the black community. He prevents a violent riot from occurring by encouraging the blacks to “follow a leader and organize” (276).
Living in Harlem is nothing like the narrator imagines. He first views Harlem as a city of dreams, where black policemen can direct traffic and black girls can work at a store. Now, he just sees Harlem as another dismal, impoverished black neighborhood with differences within the communities.
 |
| Harlem today with many legendary locales attracting tourists such as the Apollo Theater, |
The End
“The end was in the beginning.” These words prove true as the roller-coaster-ride of a novel wraps up in its last chapters. From the very start, the narrator yearning for the white man's’ attention and approval was essentially what lead to his demise. His younger and naive self wanted so badly to be a part of the white world. He was stuck always looking in but never being a part of it. He was the top of his class but not good enough to have his speech listened to. He was a committed student, but not valuable enough to keep after just one “mistake”. He moved to the North to be equal, but still found himself lacking in every sense of the word equality. Although for the black society’s standards at the time, the narrator was very successful and doing well for himself. However, that wasn’t enough for him. He wasn’t content in his world. In his younger years, all he wanted was to be part of the white world. Part of their world. Always so close, but not quite there.
As odd as it may sound, he’s stuck on the outside a lot like the Disney princess, Ariel in The Little Mermaid. In her famous song Part of Your World she sings, “I want to be where the people are,” and “Wish I could be, part of that world,”. She sings about the fact that she should be happy yet she still wants to be on land so desperately, much like the adolescent narrator. His wanting to be more ends up leaving him exactly where he started- no High School diploma and going no where. The end was in the beginning.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Keal_UfT6o
The Sambo Doll
In Invisible Man, Clifton is selling a Sambo doll to a crowd in Harlem after he disappears from the Brotherhood. The small doll is a racist representation of African-Americans, complete with big lips and dark skin. It is described as moving “up and down in an...infuriatingly sensuous motion” (431). As funny and harmless the doll may seem, this doll is one example of the oversexualiatization of black bodies, blindness to racism in popular culture, and societal indifference to commercial racism. Sambo is not just a doll. His “boneless bouncing” is not amusing (432). Sambo represents the oversexualization of black bodies because of his suggestive, revolting movements. The doll is gyrating its body, moving in an overly sexual way, representing how society perceives black people: as sexual creatures.
It is unsurprising to see what the narrator thinks after he sees the doll. His initial reaction is not to be angry with the racist doll, but to laugh. He says he “struggled between the desire to join in the laughter and to leap upon it with both feet” (432). It truly is difficult to be frustrated by something society wants all citizens, including blacks, to think of as funny.
The Sambo doll is a slightly less revolting version of the life of Saartjie Baartman. Also known as Sarah, she was sold into the circus during the 19th century because of her medical condition called steatopygia. Her large buttocks, breasts, and genitalia were put on display for Europeans to gawk at. Sarah was forced to fall to prostitution to support herself after she escaped. Although Sambo is not a living man, he still represents the scrutiny and ridicule many blacks receive because society looks at them as sexual beings, not as humans.
Blog 4
The narrator attends a meeting with the members of the
Brotherhood. The narrator thinks the Brotherhood cares about his actions. The
only actions that concern the Brotherhood are those that pertain to benefiting
and serving the group. The narrator mentions “my personal responsibility” (463)
and Brother Jack questions what he just heard, “Did I hear him correctly?”
(463). It upsets The Brotherhood when they realize the narrator’s interest is himself.
Fearful of the narrator’s power, Brother Jack reminds the narrator, “you were
not hired to think” (469) and to “let us
handle the theory and the business of strategy” (470). The narrator deals with
a repeated conflict of serving other people. He allows the other people to
control him. He often fails to realize the true intentions organizations and
people have. The narrator worked for the Brotherhood only to discover it is
just another organization that will manipulate him into doing what they want.
Throughout the novel, Ellison uses symbolism that focuses on
blindness. The narrator fails to notice Brother Jack has a glass eye until “something
seemed to erupt out of his face” (474). All the other people “aren’t even
surprised” (474), but the narrator is. Brother Jack has vision in only one eye
because of his sacrifice for the Brotherhood (something he takes pride in). All
Brother Jack can see is what the Brotherhood wants him to see. His glass eye symbolizes the blindness the
Brotherhood requires of its members. Now, the narrator understands that being
in the Brotherhood equates with blindly following white men. The Brotherhood
will not allow society to see or hear the narrator’s ideas.
Joseph Ucci: 12/4
Joseph Ucci
Blog Post 12/4/15
Once the narrator returns back to the bar in Harlem where he thought he
would be welcomed greatly, his thoughts are soon reversed. The brotherhood
wasn't so brotherly anymore. The brothers that once listened to the narrator’s speeches
there no longer wanted to be associated with him. They attacked the narrator
with harsh words like, "I hear he got the white fever and left..." (pg
425) Realizing something had been altered, the narrator wonders what possibly
could have pushed these men out of such a bonding brotherhood. Barrelhouse
begins to explain how the organization diverged away from local problems in
Harlem to bigger problems nationwide. The men didn't feel like the brotherhood
was returning effort back into the Harlem community. "But the minute y'all
stopped, they started throwing folks on the street."(pg 426) Once the
narrator visits his old office, the place that offered many with new jobs, he
reached a vacant building. The brothers that once inhabited the building fled
and it showed the narrator that the brotherhood truly did crash and burn.
The narrator becomes offended when he arrives at the brotherhood
headquarters and sees that there was a strategy meeting occurring. Brother Jack
told him that he would give him a call when one was to take place, but the
narrator was never contacted. He realized that the men didn’t want him there. He wondered why the men would purposely
exclude him. Did they not care for his opinion anymore? Did they not look at
the narrator as one of themselves anymore? His new life under the “white
fever” (pg 425) labeled the narrator as a man to avoid—a traitor in their eyes.
Wednesday, December 2, 2015
Blog Post #3
The narrator is taking Norton to see the countryside around the campus. As he is doing that, they see the old slave quarters, and the narrator begins to regret driving him out that way. He regrets it because Jim Trueblood lives out there, and Trueblood is looked at in hatred and disgust throughout the campus for impregnating his own daughter. After they talk with Trueblood and he explains what happened that he ended up impregnating his daughter, the narrator takes Norton to a near by tavern that also serves black people, because he fears that Norton will die of shock. At the tavern, a couple black war veterans carry Norton inside since he has fallen unconscious. As Norton regains consciousness, a brawl breaks out and Norton becomes unconscious again. A veteran takes Norton upstairs to where the prostitutes stay. This veteran claims to be a doctor and a graduate of the college. The veteran says that Norton only sees the narrator as a mark on his scorecard of achievement instead of a man, and the narrator sees Norton as a god.
This veteran's analysis of Norton and the narrator, seems true in my opinion. Norton doesn't respect the narrator as a man, but instead respects the deeds and favors he does for him. The relationship between the two could be compared to Amir and Hassan's relationship in the beginning of "The Kite Runner". Although Hassan sees them as friends, Amir only used Hassan whenever he wasn't busy doing something else. In other words, only respecting Hassan for the stiff he did for him. The narrator seeing Norton as a god, is also like how Hassan saw Amir. Hassan was ready to do anything for Amir in the blink of an eye. Although the narrator might not know it, he would probably do the same for Norton, because he wants to get to the same social status as him.
Monday, November 30, 2015
Dr. Bledsoe had a meeting with the narrator, where he was informed that
he must act a certain way with powerful white leaders. He must put aside
his culture and his own personality to be the well mannered suck up
that he is taught to be. It seems that this era is the transition period
between segregation and full natural rights for black people. A point
where the law forces these schools and businesses to accept them, but
the people there won't. Therefore these big leaders and high up white
men want the black people to conform to the most respectful and inhumane
personalities. Making them almost like servants, and labeling it as the
only way to be respectful, meanwhile the white men are doing awful
things and facing no consequence for them. The double standards of this
time period once again represents the racism present amongst even the
higher up of white men. The "separate but equal" laws seem to still be
In action all those years later due to the white men's inability to
change. I'm sure this theme will continue to be displayed up until the
point where our narrator realizes that it's either conform or live on
his own, invisible
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