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. 

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.  

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.

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? 

** http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=oOBP7QMuHHs

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. 

In Chapter 10, our Narrator is subject to his first real job in the real world as a normal civilian and not a student. After finding out that he was discreetly expelled from school, his only option is to work in a factory. This leads to problems, one person gets mad, boom a boiler explodes and the real reason we call him the narrator is revealed. He loses his memory, thinks only of his mother when comparing her to the machines of the hospital, and realizing that his fear of powerful white men like Mr. Bledsoe, is gone. This is where the prologue starts to make more sense, as his invisibility truly starts here. He is hinted at becoming invisible as the veteran was telling him on the trip to New York, but now he finally is as his identity is striped from him. This is the Archetype known as a rebirth, a complete change in a characters personality that will usually happen at the climax of a story. I compare this archetype to the one found in "Its a Wonderful Life". George Bailey was a stressed man, putting the weight of the world on his shoulders. At times he could carry it easily, knowing he was meant for this life, but as things go downhill it all comes crashing down. In the beginning we know George is going through tough times, so much so that he has to pray, which he never did before. Guardian angel shows up, shows him life if he was never born, he realizes his impact, and knows that he already makes a difference, no matter what drags him down. He goes through a rebirth, almost the opposite of our narrator. As George goes from wishing he was never born to realizing his importance, our narrator goes from feeling as important as a white person, to knowing that he might as well be invisible, because he makes no difference at all.

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.

            In chapter 10, Brockway makes an observation about the factory when he says, “we are the machines inside the machine.” (217)  This is an important observation in the novel and expands past the factory.  This statement can also be applied to the world.  It could be argued that Brockway is implying that the black race is the machine inside society.  The race is looked at as a minor part of society but helps keep the world running.