Exploring the Idea of Ralph Ellison's Invisible In Novel Invisible Man
You’re only Invisible to those who don’t deserve to see you. Invisibility is something that no one wants. No one wants to be Invisible in anyone’s eyes. Being unrecognized takes a big toll on one’s mental state and it hurts. As society’s perception of an individual plays a big role in the development of a person’s identity. In Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison, the main character, who does not have a name, has lost his identity. In this novel, Ellison shows the narrator’s psychological growth. Although he had no judgments on white people but the men’s actions show how they are racist toward black people. He constantly remains respectful to authority. In Invisible Man Ralph Ellison does a good job at exploring the idea of Invisibility through his characters, thoughts, and actions.
The story opens where the narrator is with his grandfather on his deathbed. The grandfather tells the narrator if he wants to be a success as a black man he has to remain submissive to white people. Also, he tells the narrator, however, that some behavior can be traitorous. This advice confused the narrator and follow him as he struggles to define his responsibility to anyone other than himself. After his grandfather's death, the narrator is invited in his town to give his graduation speech to a group of white people. The narrator is also forced to fight in a “battle royal” blindfolded in a boxing ring. After a battle with a blood-filled mouth, he gave a speech and was rewarded him with a scholarship. The narrator accepts his scholarship from white people with gladness and he remains respectful to authority.
What is identity and why is it important? Identity is who you are--it shapes a person’s beliefs and what a person thinks about himself. However, how the world perceives an individual affects how one defines himself. Identity is important because it helps us to make decisions and teaches us how to behave. When we know who we are we become confident and we identify our strengths. According to “In Search of Manhood: The Black Male’s Struggle for Identity and Power,” by Aza Nedhari says “Self-awareness is defined by a conflicting identity that forces the Black Male to view himself through the lens of the dominant culture that does not perceive and does not allow him to function as equal”. Self-awareness meaning is self-consciousness which means the quality of being carried out deliberately and with full awareness, especially in an affected way. Second is a conflicting identity which means each side believes the fight is between black and white and that is the main reason which forces the black male to see himself through the lens of the dominant culture, dominant culture is cultural practice who is powerful in everything, for example, social value, language, economic and political who does not allow to understand the black male and also does not allow him to function as equal.
Society refuses to see the narrator. As the narrator struggles to come to terms with his identity, he finds that his efforts are complex by the fact that he is a black man who lives in a racist society. From the Liberty Paints plant to the Brotherhood he certified different ideas that how Blacks should behave in society. According to “Invisible Man,” the narrator says, “When they approach me they see only my surroundings, themselves or figments of their imagination, indeed, everything and anything except me”. People refuse to see the narrator simply because of the stereotypes and racial prejudice. Author Annie Jacob Nidhiya in her article “Visibility of racism in Ralph Ellison’s Invisible Man” she discusses how whites stereotype blacks and the negative impact it has on the lives of black men and women. She states: “His invisibility or people refusing to see him is because of stereotypical mindset towards the black race”. A stereotype is a wrong idea that group of people has about what something or someone is like. This statement shows that white people have negative thoughts about black people and that’s why he was invisible in their inner eyes.
The narrator experienced the stereotypical mindset towards the black race. He finds himself in a Liberty Paint Hospital. He temporarily lost his memory. He wasn’t able to speak. He had an accident and was injured that’s why he was admitted to the hospital. The doctor asked him questions about his identity but the narrator wasn’t able to tell them anything. He had completely forgotten about his identity. The doctors were discussing the best way to treat the narrator and one of the doctors tells about castration. According to Visibility of racism in Ralph Ellison’s Invisible Man Annie says “the doctor who gave the narrator an electric shock treatment; he enjoyed it and said that the blacks had a dancing rhythm in their bodies”. This shows that the white people are very cruel toward black people. Instead of treating him properly they start treating him with shock and enjoy his body writhes.
The incident where the narrator understands his invisibility in people’s eyes. The narrator accidentally hit the white man and suddenly the narrator becomes visible to him. The white man saw him and called him with an insulting name. The other day the narrator saw his photo with an article on Daily News which was about an accident which says “an invisible man biting a white man.” According to Visibility of racism in Ralph Ellison’s Invisible Man Annie states that “In fact the narrator, the invisible man has not bitten the white man, but whites always have stereotypical thoughts about blacks” (Annie 2). This shows white people are born with a fear of someone who looks different.
The narrator sees himself as an Invisible Man. The narrator explains that his invisibility is not because of some biochemical accident or because of a supernatural cause. In fact, other people unwillingness to notice him because he is black. It is like walking in a dream in which he does not appear. Being Invisible sometimes doubts the narrator whether he really exists. According to Invisible Man, the narrator says “I am Invisible, understand, simply because people refuse to see me. Like the bodiless heads you see sometimes in circus sideshows, it is as though I have been surrounded by mirrors of hard, distorting glass”. The narrator is invisible to people because of their inner eyes. People only look at his skin not him not his intelligence. The narrator also talked about light. He says “without light, I am not only invisible but formless as well, and to be unaware of one's form is to live a death. I myself, after existing some twenty years, did not become alive until I discovered my invisibility”. This shows that without light he is shapeless and to be unaware of one's appearance is to live a life of death. He wasn't alive until he finds his identity.
Furthermore, the narrator talks about the realization of the world. He comes to the realization through his experiences how what the world is like. The narrator realizes that there is delusion and there is reality, and reality can be seen through light. The narrator says, “Nothing, storm or flood, must get in the way of our need for light and ever more and brighter light. The truth is the light and light is the truth”. The light is used as a symbol for the reality of the world with differences between dark or light which means black or white to help show the narrator developing understanding that people need to be shown their true ways.
Brother Jack is a leader of the Brotherhood uses the narrator. In the beginning, Jack seems very kind, helpful, and intelligent. He gives jobs and money to the narrator to help his people to fight against prejudice. The narrator is given a new identity by brother Jack. In Invisible Man “That is your new name,' Brother Jack said. 'Start thinking of yourself by that name from this moment. Get it down so that even if you are called in the middle of the night you will respond. Very soon you shall be known by it all over the country. You are to answer to no other, understand?”. The Brotherhood wants the narrator. The Brotherhood is controlling his identity. They want the narrator as their new Brooker T. Washington. As long as he is with Brotherhood he is not gonna find out who he really is. This Brotherhood is keeping him from his true identity by giving him more identities.
Later on, the narrator understands that he is invisible to Brother Jack as he is invisible to everyone else. Jack uses the narrator as a tool to develop his Brotherhood goals. Brother Jack shares the same racial prejudice as the white American society. In Invisible Man narrator says “The heroes are those who die. This was nothing after it happened. A minor lesson is a discipline. And do you know what discipline is, Brotherhood Personal Responsibility? It’s sacrifice, sacrifice, SACRIFICE!” The narrator wants to be a man of passion, action, and responsible. On the other hand, Brother Jack fights for patience and sacrifice for the organization. Their differences reach to the end of the argument and the image of Jack symbol of his blindness to the narrator. According to Ralph Ellison's Invisible Man As A Parable of Our Time by Clint Smith says “In New York, he is pulled out of poverty and given a prominent position in a communist-inspired “Brotherhood” only to realize that the brothers are using him as a political pawn”. This shows that the Brotherhood gives importance to the narrator just because they were using the narrator for their advantage but the narrator realizes their intentions. Ellison clearly shows that we need to be conscious about our own live dangers. When people title themselves as a best friend or brother it doesn’t mean they will honor the role that goes with the title.
Dr. Bledsoe is a black man who is the president at the narrator’s college. Dr. Bledsoe is selfish, ambitious, and disloyal. He puts on a mask of servility to the white community. He wants to maintain his power and status. He stated that he would see every black man in the country executed before he would give up on his authority. According to the novel Invisible Man “, He ordered you. Dammit, white folk are always giving orders, it's a habit with them. Why didn't you make an excuse? Couldn't you say they had sickness – smallpox – or picked another cabin? Why that Trueblood shack? My God, boy! You're black and living in the South – did you forget how to lie?” Dr. Bledsoe is surprised that the narrator didn’t learn yet how to lie to white people while apparently following their orders. Finally, he is exposing the truth behind the face of black obedience, a truth that the innocent narrator has not learned yet. Furthermore, Dr. Bledsoe won his political power and economic strength through his relationship with northern liberals such as Mr. Norton. According to Southern Elements in Ellison’s Invisible Man by Bohoendradatt says “Bledsoe understands perfectly well how the system works, manipulates it for his own selfish ends. He will tolerate no threat no his personal power, nor to the system from which he personally benefits.” Dr. Bledsoe is only looking for his own benefits. He only cares about his power and status. From this statement, he proves that he is really selfish. Dr. Beldsoe clearly tells the narrator that he is invisible which shows that Dr. Bledsoe is so blindfolded because of his power and status. “you're nobody, son. You don't exist – can't you see that? The white folk tells everybody what to think – except men like me. I tell them; that's my life, telling white folk how to think about the things I know about…But you listen to me: I didn't make it, and I know that I can't change it. But I've made my place in it and I'll have every Negro in the country hanging on tree limbs by morning if it means staying where I am.” This is the first time the narrator told that he is invisible. Dr. Bledsoe has achieved a position of authority incredibly scarce between men of his race but feels no commitment to helping other black people. He will not hesitate by hanging every black man in the country when it comes to maintaining his power.
In conclusion, In Invisible Man Ralph Ellison does a good job of exploring the idea of Invisibility through his characters, thoughts, and actions.
