Divides

Divides

Taking into account all of the atrocities happening at the gathering of the white leaders, the most sinful part was the blatant inhumane treatment of the black youth. Instead of being spoken to as fellow human beings, the kids were often referred to as the “big nigger”(1.21) or “that ginger-colored nigger” (1.21). The simple fact that these leaders of the community felt it acceptable to use this language that implies a sort of superiority over the black population as a whole displays the complete disregard for respect; all over the color of their skin. It is obvious that although slaves were freed, blacks were still under the harsh hand of the racist white man. The exercising of power persisted when the boys were then forced to gather money off of an electrified carpet. As if the task was not daunting enough, when the already worn out boys were not suffering enough, the white men began to push them face-first toward the electric current for their own amusement. As the men surrounded the carpet and egged on their entertainment, calling out commands like “Pick it up, goddamnit,”(1.27) and  “Get the money!”(1.28), the reader can clearly see that these community leaders were treating the boys like animals; like dogs. The closest thing to this ghastly event is something of that of a dog fight.* People who are in power stand around to watch the dogs viciously attack each other due to the instinct the dog-fighters forced out of them. In an article explaining the logistics of dogfighting, the organization Peta states,  “Dogs who are used for fighting are chained, taunted, and starved in order to trigger extreme survival instincts and encourage aggression,”(Peta).

By taunting these poor black boys by dangling change in front of them, they essentially are bringing out their survival instincts- again, for their own twisted amusement. Primarily, the first chapter is demonstrating the social divide between the races and the power the whites demand to make themselves feel greater than the black population.

*http://www.peta.org/issues/animals-in-entertainment/animals-used-entertainment-factsheets/dogfighting-dogs-tortured-illegal-blood-sport/

Blog Post 1

 Early on in the novel, the narrator describes how he feels in the society around him. He feels as if he is an “Invisible Man”. The narrator talks about his grandparents who were freed slaves after the Civil War.  The grandfather tells the narrator’s to keep two identities. The first being the over obedient side, and the second being, the resentment they have towards their master. The purpose of the two identities is to use the over obedient one to gain an advantage over the white people because it is a front, and not their true identity. The narrator believes that instead of faking obedience, he should have sincere obedience to gain more respect. To a certain extent it works, until they take advantage of this by making him participate in the fighting that degrades everyone involved. The boys being blindfolded and the use of masks seem to add to the motif of blindness and not being able to see something, almost like it is invisible.

Ellison uses the narrator’s speech to debunk some of Booker T. Washington’s ideas, in which where quoted in the narrator’s speech. He shows that the successful black business man, is just as vulnerable to the degrading racist remarks and actions taken against them, as the poor, black sharecroppers. This is shown through the narrator and his speech, and the narrator’s grandfather. Washington’s rather optimistic view of white society is shown to be false by these two situations early in the novel. 

A Cry to be Noticed

Self-perception is one of the most influential forms that lead to outward actions. Cultural factors are similarly susceptible in shaping personal image because of the ideal figure one is set on trying to become. The most common form of harmful self-perception is the through racial prejudice and pressure on having specific physical/mental features that society deems ‘invalid’ or lesser than others. Following the theme of this text, it’s almost as if the voices and faces of those who do not bow down to the white man are unheard and unseen, or invisible.

When the narrator attacks the blonde man walking past him whom he bumps and in return the man calls him a derogatory name, the lashing out seems to be more of a call to be heard and not a true act of violence. Similarly, today the same issue is paralleled in the black community. Prejudice and unlawful acts of violence towards black people go wholly unnoticed and unwarranted because they are viewed with lesser importance. “...I thought with sincere compassion, mugged by an invisible man!” (pg. 4) it's almost upsetting that he views himself with such absence.

Real world connections through this piece of literature are most evident and relevant because of their applicability to today. There are still the evident “...ache...to convince yourself that you do exist in the real world…” (pg. 4) feelings of discomfort and hate that black people and other people of color are faced with every single day and are condemned for bringing awareness to. Gratification from attention is always pleasing and accepting but self-perception needs to be influenced by people of support and not those of assimilation.

The Light of the Fight

The narrator of the story is a man of intelligence, who could be much greater than what society allows him to be. He speaks in his own paradoxes that represent the duplicity of the world. He sees his hole as the “[brightest] spot in all New York” (6), simply because it removes him from the presence of racial inequality. No fights, no confrontations, no slurs need occur, so long as he can drown himself in the serenity of solitude and Louis Armstrong. This brightness is well represented as being in the basement of a building “rented strictly to whites” (6). He lives below the whites, in constant racism and oppression, but plans to strike back. His leeching of electricity is only one “covert preparation for a more overt action” (13). These preparations and actions of his had been going on continuously for years, through his physical fighting as a youth. He fought physically in the ring, but only driven the need to fight his oppressors with words. Subconsciously, through the laughter and degradation present during his speech, he tickled the beast by changing ‘social responsibility’ into ‘social equality.’

However, fighting with flare did not always suit his purposes. He knows it is “advantageous to flatter rich white folks” (38) partly because his grandfather wanted to keep the fight going in such ways as [undermining] ‘em with grins” (16). The narrator is a fighter by all means, which coupled with his intellect, makes for a saucy challenger in the social struggles. He realizes his bright potential reflected in his basement, and will fight by all means necessary for him and for race up to the penthouse suite.

The End

"The end is in the beginning and lies far ahead." (6) Why does Ellison decide to include a piece from the end of the book right in the prologue? This is a common strategy used in many books and director Christopher Nolan is also notoriously known to start at the end then go back to the beginning, and see how the story got there. Ellison is using this strategy as a representative of change over time, or rather the lack of it. The nameless narrator changes over time going from being a part of society paying outrageous rates in Harlem; to the invisible man he now is residing in a shut off basement. Society, however, does not change.
This narrator is viewed by the white society as a phantom. After bumping into a man one night, he is called an insulting name causing him to pull a knife out on the man. The failure to put an end to racial prejudice against blacks caused the narrator to act out in a violent way, and ultimately become invisible. The narrator tells us "the end is in the beginning" because society fails to change. History just keeps repeating itself on an infinite loop. White society will always have the power, while the narrator is just a faceless menace. The narrator mentions the "inner eyes" (1) of these people to give the reader incite on how they look at him with the hate that has been developed in their minds since birth. Ellison is trying to connect with people that this is a never ending issue that won't go away unless change is made.

Poetic Invisibility

       The Invisible Man states, “Perhaps I like Louis Armstrong because he’s made poetry out of being invisible. I think it must be because he’s unaware that he is invisible. And my own grasp of invisibility aids me to understand his music”(8).

       Contrary to the Invisible Man’s beliefs, perhaps Louis Armstrong’s music is poetic and raw because he is aware that he is invisible. Prior to the success of his music career, Armstrong was once an invisible man similar to the narrator. Louis Armstrong's poetic lyrics of his hit song “Black and Blue” perfectly depicts the feeling of being invisible- “my only sin is on my skin. What did I do to be so black and blue?” Since Armstrong was a black man, he faced a plethora of hardships, such as not being seen as an equal- especially within his music career.

       Throughout the novel, the narrator emphasizes that he is invisible to society and often refers to himself as an invisible man.The narrator is constantly being overlooked because of the color of his skin and as a result he struggles with self-identification and his life purpose. Being that the narrator accepts the persona of an invisible man, he is putting himself down based on society's perception. Rather than dwell on his invisibility, the narrator should  look at Louis Armstrong as a precedent to break away from society's narrow-minded views.

       During the time “The Invisible Man” takes place, life was an unremitting struggle for black people. Although the color of one’s skin is inevitable, were constantly harassed and abused as the result of prejudices. Louis Armstrong's music, however, instilled a sense of hope through his relatable lyrics within the black community- especially the narrator.

Louis Armstrong did not sulk about being invisible, however, he used his invisibility as the basis for his          poetic lyrics

Changing Mindset

            The prologue depicts a narrator irritated by his metaphorical invisibility; he longs to be noticed and treated with the respect he deserves as a human being. After his violent encounter with a white man on the street, he says "the man had not seen me" (4). He discusses the extirpation of his old life, which was rooted in the "fallacious assumption" (5) of his visibility. It is apparent that Invisible Man has been deeply affected by societal prejudices against him.

            The first chapter delineates a man who longed to attain recognition—a man who did not yet deem himself invisible. He says he "was naïve" (15) to ask others to define his identity. When he fought in the "battle royal" (17), the protagonist constantly thought about how much he wanted to deliver his speech to the group because "[he] felt that only [those] white men could judge [his] true ability" (25). He was too blinded by his scholarship and recognition to be aware of the terror the men had caused with the fighting and electrocution. He proves his naivety because he was blind to the evil the whites exuded.

            Invisible Man seeks to gain insight from others as to what his identity should be in the beginning, valuing the white men's opinions. In the prologue, the protagonist has been battered by society and is ashamed of his previous valuing of white men's opinions. He shows a change in mindset between the two sections, demonstrating the severity of discrimination, which alters the narrator's perception of his own identity.

Blog Post #1

Ralph Ellison implements the battle royal scene to show the narrator used to be naïve; he desperately wants to please the “bankers, lawyers, judges, doctors, fire chiefs, teachers, [and] merchants” (18) who are at the town meeting. During this occasion, the first real glimpse of the white men’s cruelty is evident. The wealthy white citizens humiliate and torment the boys by making them brutally fight against each other while blindfolded. The blindfold represents the obliviousness of the narrator and the other boys because they do not yet realize the white men are just degrading them and forcing them to conform to the stereotype that blacks are violent. The narrator ignores the fact that the white men are abusing him like he is an animal.

While in the boxing ring, the narrator accusingly asks Tatlock if he is fighting “for them” (24).  Even though Tatlock denies he is fighting for white people, the narrator ironically continues to try to win for “them.” He tells Tatlock,“Fake like I knocked you out, you can have the prize” (24). But why can’t the narrator end the battle royal by pretending to be knocked out and allowing Tatlock to win? The invisible man does not care about the money; he only cares about how the whites perceive him. If he wins the battle, the whites will like him better.

The battle royal reveals that the narrator used to be optimistic and believed he could be “a potential Booker T. Washington” (18). However, this is only the beginning of the mistreatment he would receive by the whites.

Faceless

    The invisible man: a man with no memorable face, qualities, or purpose. A man who is damned to covertness of a white society. A man who is clearly not invisible, not some freak of nature, but simply ignored for the dark pigment of his skin. Blaming himself over something he cannot control. “What did I do to become so black and blue?”(pg 11).  An invisible man served as a metaphor of society portraying the misconception of "separate but equal", equaling no equality at all. 

    Despite his grandfather's warnings and advice, to “agree ‘em to death and destruction”(pg 13), the narrator believes that genuine obedience to the white man will earn him the respect and praise he thinks he deserves. In retrospect, he is correct in some way. By being obedient, the white man awards him with a scholarship. But, along with the scholarship, is forced to participate in the degrading battle royal.

    This is all a portrayed example of the humility of being black in this time. How the dark skinned were viewed as games. This protagonist, the invisible man, was forced to fight in a barbaric sense of entertainment for the whites. While blindfolding the boys, leaving them to beat one another, relates back to the theme or literal invisibility. They cannot see who they are hurting, but it is known to the white man. The blacks are blindfolded to the humility of seeing the excited, white skinned faces, while they are forced to fight people of their own descent. 

    The Invisible man realizes that no one will see him as he wants to be seen, he is defined by his skin he is born into. They will only see him as they want to be seen, because it will always be a White Man’s rule.

"The racism/incident at Little Rock" Ulloa, 1957

Enlughtenment through Invisibility

As the prologue of "Invisible Man" continues, the main character gives us a true sense of his own little world he has created. By being "invisible" he sees society from a new perspective and gives us his own analysis of the normal way of life. From living in a hole in the ground, to putting up 1,369 lights in said hole, he truly believes living irresponsibly is the one way to feel alive. While giving his own insight, he not only questions everybody's sense of self importance, but even goes so far as to blame his assault victim for his injuries because of this social selfishness. In my opinion, his mindset is one that can relate to a modern day Buddhism. Now before I continue let me clear up that beating up people for being selfish and stealing from big business was and never will be a form of actual Buddhism. Buddhism is truly about self awakening or enlightenment. He describes his days of sitting in his highly lit room (possible pun for enLIGHTenment?) as a tranquil experience, filled with sounds and vibrations that he has learned to fully understand. This description is very synonymous with meditation and with a clear understanding of new ideas afterwords, can also describe enlightenment. Whatever his real intentions are with his practices, to find happiness or just his own therapy, is unknown, but I feel as though his questionable acts and skewed thought process can be described as a new age, chaotic neutral type of Buddhism.    

Invisible Man Post #1

                Race relations play a major role in the first chapter.  The grandfather’s statement about how the younger generations should “overcome ‘em with yeses, undermine ‘em with grins, agree ‘em to death and destruction, let ‘em swoller you till they vomit or bust wide open” and how he is a traitor for doing so. (p. 16) He also speaks about “his meekness as a dangerous activity.” (p. 16) The grandfather tells the narrator to stand up for the rights of the race because of his experience and he knows submitting to whites will not progress their cause.  The narrator does not understand his grandfather’s statements and does exactly what he warns against.

                The narrator’s speech consists mainly of statements that contradicted his grandfather’s implicit ideas.  This is evident particularly when it comes to the battle royal.  The narrator does not speak up even though he disagrees with what these people are doing.  This scene especially shows the unfair treatment of blacks and the terrible race relations.  The black men are treated as inferior, tricked, and abused during the battle royal.  The narrator went along with this horrible treatment.  During his speech, he accidentally says social equality but does not defend his words when the men want to make sure he “[knows his] place at all times.” (p. 31)  The narrator is given a scholarship for a Negro college because they want him to continue to share his ideas about being compliant to the white race.  This first chapter sets up the book to show the race relations and show the views of the main character.  It also paints a picture of how unfair it is and how some people are unwilling to fight because of fear.

Invisible Man blog #1                                                                                                                             

     In the novel, Invisible Man, the narrator makes several references about light in New York. His referencing even turns paradoxical in meaning. He claims doubt exist about how there "is a brighter spot in all New York than [his] hole" (pg. 6) of a home. The fact that it is physically impossible for a hole to be brighter than "Broadway, or the Empire State Building" (pg. 6) now presents itself. In fact, he even states such places "are among the darkest of our whole civilization, [even] our whole culture." (pg. 6). To say this is similar to saying there exist no place flatter than Earth. The fact about the narrator being so paradoxical means he isn't talking about physical light. He treats light as a symbol containing a plethora of meanings. The meanings are full of lessons the narrator wishes to share to the reader.
     The light the narrator talks about so fondly of is of vital importance to him. The meaning of the light the narrator expresses the most emphasis on is the light as a symbol of purity. In biblical texts, light expresses a person in the light as an embodiment of purity of heart. Within his hole, there exist no one to discriminate the narrator nor treat him as he like to now call himself, "an invisible man." (pg. 1). The environment in his hole opposes  what happens in the corrupt areas of New York, such as Broadway or the Empire State Building. If the narrator enters such areas of New York, the people around the narrator treat him as invisible or in one case in which he kicks a man "in a frenzy because he [utters] insults through his lips," (pg. 4) a disgrace to society. He also assumes the reason he craves light arises "exactly because [he is] invisible." (pg. 6).

There Is Never A Wrong Time To Be Kind

When the invisible man and Mr.Norton stumble upon the house of Jim Trueblood and notice the two pregnant women in the front, Mr. Norton blurts out questions about the family such as “You say he; aren’t both the women married?"(48). Ellison characterizes Mr. Norton as a man fill with curiosity. Mr. Norton simply does not leave the topic of the two pregnant women alone until he finds out the truth: both were pregnant by the same man. Normally, a white person like Mr. Norton does not care for situations regarding African Americans. If anything, whites would be violent with them and pick on an ugly argument. As Mr. Norton finds out the truth, he is appalled and demands to speak to Jim. “He sounded as though he were in great pain. (50)” Why is it a man like Mr. Norton cares deeply about something unimportant in society? The situation is significant to Mr. Norton he dedicates himself to listen to the whole story of how Jim impregnates his daughter. Mr. Norton has an uncommon interest in Jim. Ellison incorporates him to exemplify race equality and kindness towards African-Americans. Mr. Norton’s donation of money to Jim and his children shows the type of man he is -- paternalistic, kind, and respectful.

Mr. Norton represents the enlightened white Northern liberal who considers it his duty to civilize the blacks. He feels it is his responsibility to believe in each of the African-American students. “You are bound to a great dream and to a beautiful monument” (44). He functions as a guide and a reminder blacks can find a way out of their dark and primitive world. Mr. Norton thinks without his founding of the college, African-American students would not have the education they would need to provide their future families.

Blog Post #1 Grandfather

Invisible Man’s grandfather was a slave and struggled after the Civil War. Their family worked hard and the protagonist, invisible man, was brought up this way too. The protagonist explains that his grandfather said “…I want you to keep up the good fight” on his deathbed. He goes on to say “Live with your head in the lion’s mouth. I want you to overcome ‘em with yeses, undermine ‘em with grins, agree ‘em to death and destruction, let ‘em swoller you till you vomit or bust wide open (Ellison 16).” Grandfather is saying to play the system and take advantage of the whites. Invisible man keeps going on with this quote throughout the first chapter. He takes this quote with him and it almost takes him over. The protagonist also explains how he uses this advice as he talks about his great speech that he delivers at graduation. Invisible man discusses “humility” and everybody loves the speech. He is invited to deliver the speech at a dinner which ends up being “battle royal.” Invisible man is implicitly humiliated at this fight, but at the very end of the chapter he delivers his speech. Nobody listens, but he finishes and everyone claps.   He later said “The old man’s words were like a curse (Ellison 17).” The end of the chapter, he has a dream of his grandfather giving him a briefcase and enclosed is a letter that says “Keep this Nigger-Boy Running. (Ellison 33)” It’s obvious that grandfather’s quote will stay with him for a while. Maybe the protagonist is invisible because he tries to take advantage of the whites. He uses the electricity company to brighten his room in the Prologue. He still revels in what his grandfather said almost and uses it and in that becomes invisible.

Where Dreams Come True

Disney World is a magical place where young children can feel otherworldly, and where all of their dreams can come true. Just like Disney World, the narrator’s college campus in Invisible Man is a fascinating, rose-colored haven whose presence blinds its residents from the abominations of life. The black-only state college functions as a symbol of false hope for young black people and takes advantage of their naiveté, causing them to be molded into obedient secondary citizens.

The imagery used to describe the college is a strong clue. The roads are described as “gracefully winding”, while “the moon shone down on the building” (34). The “wild roses dazzled the eyes in the summer sun” (34). These visuals of the college entice the students to become open and pursue their goals, just like Disney World does for young children. But, unlike Disney World, the college is reserved for adults. Adults who are unaware of how the college is manipulating them into becoming “zombies” and “mechanical” (94).

The college is a symbol of false hope because it manages to convince young black students they can follow their dreams, even though society will never allow African-American success to become mainstream. In its glittering magnificence, distant from horrors such as Jim Trueblood, the college creates dreamers out of once pragmatic individuals. As the millionaires “descended from the North” like “St. Nicholas”, they, the white men such as Mr. Norton who perpetuate the falsehood of plausible black success in such a society, preserve the invalid beliefs through their whimsical descriptions of the future (37). Together, the college and its entourage of Santa Clauses create a synergistic body claiming the black students can become anything they want. Supposedly, with hard work and a little fairy dust, anything can happen; this, of course, is not true.

Komani Turner Blog Post #1

         A conflict found in Invisible Man is the narrator’s sense of trying to find a place in society. The narrator questions his own existence in civilization. He states that “You wonder whether you aren't simply a phantom in other people’s minds……You ache with the need to convince yourself that you do exist in the real world, that you're a part of all the sound and anguish, and you strike out with your fists, you curse and you swear to make them recognize you”(page 4).      

         From this excerpt, you can clearly conclude that the narrator is far from an invisible figure. But rather invisible to society. During the time of which this story pertains America, is currently racially divided. Our narrator feels as though he is invisible because he is not acknowledged by those outside of his own race. Due to the color of his skin, white people do not accept him as a fellow member of society. And thus condemn him as a “phantom”(page 4). 

         The racially prejudice between the blacks and whites greatly angers the narrator. For example he tells how he “bumped into a man, and perhaps because of the near darkness he saw me and called me an insulting name. I sprang at him, seized his coat lapels and demanded that he apologize.”(page 4.). The insult being a racial slur coming from a “tall blond man”(page 4.) with “blue eyes” (page.4). Referring to a white man. Racial segregation is obviously going to be a large topic within the novel. This scene being only one of many representations of the prejudice behaviors constantly occurring.

        The link provided here:http://wallpaper222.com/explore/civil-rights-movement-violence/, is a photographic representation of what is going on within Invisible Man. The picture is showing the racial clashing between blacks and whites during the Civil Rights Movement. During this time many African Americans are protesting to be recognized as citizens, equal to that of white Americans. This often resulted in physical violence between the two races. The correlation between the photo and Invisible Man is the prejudice shown towards black people. The narrator only wants to be acknowledged within society as typical human being rather than what stereotypes portray him to be, much like those shown within the pictures.

Identity Crisis

    Ellison tests Narrator’s overall fortitude of character during the scene with Trueblood. The Invisible Man’s identity first conflicts with his grandfather’s deathbed outburst. “Our life is a war and I have been a traitor all my born days…”(16). Narrator’s mentality is scrambled due to this confession. He recounts, “When I was praised for my conduct I felt a guilt…”(17). Is he dishonoring his grandfather by being himself? Is acting polite and scholarly disgraceful to his ancestors? 

    Outward appearances are tested once more during the chauffeuring of a rich white benefactor. Narrator’s demeanor is quite subservient and respectful. Ellison places the grandfather and the benefactor in front of Narrator to cause emotional disarray. The question of identity in the Invisible Man is complex and wrought with history. History that is not only his, but his lineage. A lineage that the Invisible Man is unsure of that he belongs to. The drive offers as a symbol of Narrator’s character thus far in the novel. He is separate. He is involved. He is a servant. Narrator is bursting with inner turmoil. Conversely, his character is weak when the benefactor gives a hundred dollar note to Trueblood. The money characterizes everything Narrator aims to gain from the benefactor. Thus, when it thrown away (in the eyes of Narrator) on some pedophile sinner, the Invisible Man’s memory of his grandfather disintegrates. “You no-good bastard! You get a hundred-dollar bill!” (69). At this moment, Narrator sees Trueblood as a stereotypical black man leeching off of white society’s sympathy. Narrator chooses to condemn Trueblood, whine about his misfortune, and tarnish his grandfather’s deathbed speech. Ellison assembles this array of static characters around the Invisible Man to exemplify his vacillating character.

Cartoon depicting the pressure to conform from family/society

The Immortality of White Power

During the time period Invisible Man occurs, there was a general lack of concern for how black people functioned in American society, due to the Darwinist notion of racial inequality, set by whites. Since blacks were unable to change their societal states, they became a faceless, neglected facet of society like the conventionality of electricity or sewage, things used without regard. 

This is quite comparable to today's society where the cries of black people are neglected, as privileged people, intolerable of voiceful people of color, push to live in an utopian world, bereft of diversity. 

Ellison closely examines this trend in the mandingo "battle royal" (18). The black boys are stripped of their dignity to humor the white men. The most horrifying scene occurs when the boys are subjected to electrocution. Their trepidant laughs of "fear and embarrassment" contrast starkly to the cruel cackles of the white men, their "red faces swollen as though from apoplexy" (27). They view the black boys as little children, toys, their personal playthings. They put the narrator up on display as the perfect obedient Uncle Tom, giving him "a thunderous applause" in exchange for humiliation and mutilation (31). 

Today, people are especially hypersensitive to the presence of blacks. There is an increased amount of rumination on the actions of blacks, inequitable to the nonchalant demeanor specialized for whites. The black power movement is causing major upset to those who choose not to be "woke." This connects to an ancient, yet evergreen value included in Invisible Man "that white is right" (95). The colored Uncle Toms and the whites of prideful privilege, like Mr. Norton, strive to eradicate those who oppose this prehistoric institution. It is interesting to analyze the strength and prevalence of this nationwide disease over the years of "change" and integration. 

Bailey Allmond Post #1

"I am an invisible man. No, I am not a spook like those who haunted Edgar Allan Poe; nor am I one of your Hollywood-movie ectoplasms. I am a man of substance, of flesh and bone, fiber and liquid- and I might even be said to possess a mind."

The narrator clearly is not really invisible: this is not a sci-fi novel, and he does not possess any magical powers. His references to invisibility serve to a metaphor for racism. By invisibility, he is referring to the "peculiar disposition of the eyes of those with whom [he] comes in contact". In other words: whites refuse to acknowledge his presence due to the prejudices that come along with being colored. 

The protagonist bumps into a white man on the street, who reacted by throwing a racial slur at his face. Due to the color of his skin, the man believed he was both socially and intellectually inferior, despite the protagonist’s physical superiority. The narrator then attacks the man- only to demand to be seen.

In some ways, it is settling- being masked by their blindness enables him to escape the crude insults and attacks that most blacks encounter. However he is still human and humans yearn for the consideration and affection of others. The narrator has lost a part of his character through the inattention of society around him.  He desires to be recognized by his individuality rather than these racial stereotypes. Despite his own views he knows that just by hearing a racial slur, he may be forced to confront the situation- like the encounter with the white man on the street. To avoid this, the narrator decides to create this sense of "blindness" and "invisibility"- ultimately hiding from the real world. 

The Speech Blog Post #1

When the narrator delivers his speech, he must repeat any word over three syllables. When he uses the phrase social responsibility, they yell “What’s that word you say, boy?”(30) He is addressing the speech to educated white men, “They were all there – bankers, lawyers, judges, doctors, fire chiefs, teachers, merchants.” (18) Although the men are drunk, they should be able to understand the context of his speech. They ask questions to mock him. They ask questions to remind the narrator of the racial divide that exists. The battle royal is a humiliating fight which has no purpose but to entertain the white men in the room. The narrator slips up and says social equality when asked to repeat himself. This comment leaves the white men feeling appalled. They confirm it is just a mistake. This shows white supremacy exists and the white men have control over the narrator. Does the narrator actually win? The narrator’s rewards are an applause, briefcase, and scholarship. These items are all controlled by the white men. The white men limit the amount of “social equality” the narrator can achieve. Despite abolition of slavery, the white men still control the black men. It is ironic how the narrator is content with this reward. He states, “I was overjoyed…”(32) and “When I reached home everyone was excited.” (32) He fails to realize the subtle harmful effects associated with the reward and the limits white men place on his life. He is rather naïve to the cruelness of the white men shown by the fake coins and painful electric carpet. The purpose of his speech is to explain how the races can unite and work together. The rewards show the opposite. The ironies of these events explain racism exists and is a conflict the narrator faces. 

Blog Post #1 Light

The philosophical aspects of the prologue take twists and turns through the invisible man's thought process. At first glance, this was very confusing. However, when read more in depth we see that he's clearly been dealing with his invisibility for quite sometime, considering he speaks for 12 pages on this conflict. Among his thoughts, he focuses a great deal on light (1,369 to be exact), "And I love light...need light, desire light..." (6). Light used in literature is usually referred to as truth or- in the invisible man's case- life, "It allows me to feel my vital aliveness," (7). The Bible employs light to describe Christians as the light or true life of the earth.
He says being unseen is "rather wearing on the nerves" (3). He may use his lights as a way of prolonging the battle with Monopolated Light & Power because he's getting a reaction from someone. He wants to feel like he has some purpose to others. In the long run, although the electrical company doesn't know its him, he is not invisible to them. He is causing their agitation therefore they are forced to pay attention to him.
The speaker follows by describing himself as a problem solver. He will become a "thinker-tinker" (7)- an invisible inventor. His allusion to Ford, Edison, and Franklin enhances his desire to be noticed. As these men have left an impact and have been recognized, he also wants society to remember his name and face to confirm his aliveness.

Invisible Man Blog Post 1

Grace Mullee

Blog Post 11/13/15

Ralph Ellison chooses to mention the story of Jim Trueblood to show how misconstrued society can be. It begins with the narrator driving around one of the founders of the school, Mr. Norton. The narrator takes him on a drive around the college to buy some time and on the little trip, the two men pass by the cabin of Jim Trueblood, an uneducated black male that lives on the outskirts of the college the narrator goes to. He was a sharecropper that was known for being a “disgrace upon the black community”. (46) The narrator tries not the disclose much information about Jim Trueblood because I think the narrator doesn’t want to give any other excuse for the whites to oppress the blacks. Unfortunately, the narrator ends of spilling the beans about how Trueblood impregnated his own daughter and instead of Mr. Norton being angry, he demands to stop at the cabin. Mr. Norton seems to be curious about what happened and he even asks Jim how he is and if he could be of any help. This scene in the story portrays the irony of how a black who committed a sin gets awarded with money and help, but a black who is obedient and follows the rules gets no recognition, but still has to work hard to obtain education and make an earning. After hearing of Jim’s wrong doings, Mr. Norton isn’t fuming or irritated that Trueblood did receive much punishment, but instead gives him money. Trueblood receives money because he represents the stereotype of a negative black and it proves the whites motives of why blacks shouldn’t be free.