An exploration of Ralph Ellison's, "InvisibleMan's" quest for identity through the removal of the blindfolds, which blind him to reality and personalpossibility.

University Degree Linguistics, Classics and related subjects

An exploration of Ralph Ellison’s, “Invisible Man’s” quest for identity through the removal of the blindfolds, which blind him to reality and personal possibility.

Conflicting physical, social and psychological journeys forms the theme of migrations in Ralph Ellison’s, “Invisible Man”. The nameless narrator, “invisible man”, migrates toward an understanding of what it means to “be invisible”, in terms of how people view us or choose not to see us at all. Ellison’s, “invisible man” is continually being reborn and altered by experiences, which further develops the theme of both physical and psychological migrations. However, migration in the sense of a desired escape from segregation, a better life, or the ultimate quest for identity, involves sacrifice as well as psychological impact due to uprooting oneself, as explored throughout the novel. Ellison portrays and explores this theme through the invisible man’s feelings, emotions and personal “development”. How do we move from one kind of consciousness to another? The invisible man initially experiences his “invisibility” as both alarming and degrading; however, through experience, he soon learns to value this sense of invisibility as being liberating. “I was and yet I was invisible, that was the fundamental contradiction. I was and yet I was unseen. It was frightening and as I sat there I sensed another frightening world of possibilities.” The narrator says this when he takes on the identity of Rinehart. He begins to realise that, “It is sometimes advantageous to be unseen.” Not only is he entertained at people mistaking his identity, but it also allows him to slip by Ras the Exhorter unnoticed. In being self-reflective the narrator eventually embraces an existential notion that everything is possible. He comes to the realisation that we cannot imagine or predict our futures until we are in that reality. Through Ellison’s careful, structured use of contradiction and paradox, a clear message is delineated that we as human beings make ourselves vulnerable to absurdities, as well as participating in our own absurdity. We belittle ourselves by pleasing others and conforming to their values in order to attain what we believe to be an identity for ourselves. The narrator begins to realise that he is functioning in a reality that “sets him up”, that every situation shapes him, and that in experiencing racial, gender and cultural constraints he is forced to question whether a “fixed identity” exists. Several motifs are evident throughout the novel, portrayed by recurring structures, contrasts, and literary devices that help develop Ellison’s chosen themes. For the purposes of this essay, the representations of seeing/sight, incorporating: blindness, perceptions, vision and understanding; the nature of contradiction and paradox; the narrator’s quest for identity, incorporating the nature of existence and the idea of visibility verses invisibility, shall be explored.

The prologue functions as an introduction to the complexity of the narrator’s invisibility. The prologue opens with the statement, “I AM an invisible man.” (Ellison: 7) The narrator describes what he means by invisible in terms of ascertaining firstly that which he does not mean, “No, I am not a spook…”, and then continuing to establish that “[he] is a man of substance, of flesh and bone, fibre and liquids…”, “[he] might even be said to possess a mind. I am invisible, understand, simply because people refuse to see me”. In the narrator’s description of what makes a man invisible, he points out that the fault lies in the beholder and is “A matter of the construction of their inner eyes, those eyes through which they look through their physical eyes upon reality.” (Ellison: 7). The narrator gives a more focussed example by explaining how he almost killed a white man on the street that he bumped into. He continued to attack the man due to his continuing insults and refusal to apologise. The narrator then realised that the man did not see him as an individual and walked away, laughing at the thought that the white man was almost killed by a “figment of his imagination”, ironically portraying the narrator’s embracement of his role as an invisible man. We do not choose invisibility. Ellison suggests that we are all “invisible” in our complexity and that the summation of our individual choices and experiences is what we experience as an ever-changing identity, instead of accepting this as the nature of existence. The narrator inadvertently begins to become a “man of many faces”, as Rinehart is. He is mistaken for Rinehart when he attempts to disguise himself, which seems to emphasize the flexibility and instability of our identities, and how people perceive us in the world. The nature of existence seems contradictory. Throughout our lives we receive indications of our invisibility, as portrayed by the experiences of Ralph Ellison’s “invisible man”, but we seem to continue living in denial, as acceptance seems crippling to our reality, pride and nature of existence.

This is a preview of the whole essay

Several metaphorical references are made to the theme of sight and blindness. A strong correlation can be drawn between the themes of blindness and the experience of “invisibility”. Blindness recurs throughout the novel and represents how people avoid seeing and confronting the truth/reality. The narrator describes people’s inability to see that which their prejudice does not allow them to see and the impact this has on him. He experiences people’s lack of “vision” as invisibility. Ironically however, it is not only the boys who fight in the “Battle Royal Scene” wearing blindfolds, symbolizing their powerlessness to recognise their exploitation at the hands of the white men, the founder’s statue at the college with empty eyes, signifying his ideology’s stubborn neglect of racist realities, Jack’s glass eye falling from his eye socket and landing on the table, functioning as the superlative of his established lack of vision in which he sees only what the Brotherhood wants him to see, or the narrator’s realisation that Jack does not see him as a human being, “…yes, and blindness; he doesn’t see me. He doesn’t even see me…”, but more importantly, the narrator’s own experiences of blindness, or lack of vision, such as in chapter sixteen when he addresses the black community under enormous, blinding lights, each case corresponding the failure of sight to a lack of insight.

The Battle Royal represents the white men of the society keeping the black men oppressed in a state of darkness, confusion and fear. The white men vicariously live out their desire to be less civilized by constructing the event and by blindfolding their black “victims”. White blindfolds thus blindfold the boys literally and figuratively. Before the narrator moves his blindfold, he realises that he had never truly experienced darkness before and it scares him. His invisibility is again foreshadowed, as the reader knows that he will fade as a character into more darkness as the novel progresses.

In chapter five, the narrator witnesses a speech by Reverend Homer Barbee at the college chapel. Here the reader is confronted with yet another example of storytelling within storytelling. Barbee’s story is one which has been told many times before and it seems to echo how the narrator’s life will proceed, touching on points such as an under riding conspiracy, a funeral procession, and the journey underground. The Reverend seems to “hide” behind his dark glasses, further implicating a connection between him and the narrator, realised later in the novel. Barbee is described as “Buddha-like”, but what is most surprising to the narrator about his physical qualities, is the shock that he is blind, after ironically hearing him describe in great detail, the beauty of the campus. Barbee’s first name is Homer, and he is blind like the Greek writer. Barbee’s physical blindness is symbolic of pretence and a story, which he can orally illustrate for others, but cannot see himself. He is hiding his blindness behind his glasses while creating an allusion for the audience to see into and believe. As a final twist of irony, Barbee’s glasses fall off his face as he makes his way back to his seat. This blindness is metaphorical as well as physical; Barbee cannot see that the blacks are still oppressed and have not made the gains that he seems to think they have. Adding to this theme is a line about the statue of the Founder and the “eternally kneeling slave”. This reinforces the theme of blacks’ not being truly free.

The figurative sense of sight and lack of insight is closely linked to the nature of existence. The “nature of existence”, refers to that which constitutes the character and nature of a human being through either acceptance of surroundings, experiences, values and events and ultimately fate, or through the person’s testing of these boundaries and limitations, ultimately broadening what appeared to be constraining before, and creating and moulding for himself a more dignified, acceptable “self-identity”, or perception thereof. In chapter twenty-one, Invisible Man casts his thoughts back to the death of Brother Tod Clifton, which he had watched happen. Images of the dancing Sambo doll are provoked and the black thread, which allowed it to move. “Clifton had been making it [the doll] dance all the time and the black thread had been invisible.” (Ellison: 359) The image of the black thread seems to signify the nature of existence perfectly on several levels. As the idea is presented that the black man is invisible and merely an entertainment to whites, so too, in dramatic irony, is the Invisible Man, nothing more than a puppet, manipulated by The Brotherhood. The nature of existence is portrayed as being fleeting by nature, complex and fragile. The narrator “blindly” states that, “The shooting was all that was left of him now, Clifton had chosen to plunge out of history and, except for the picture it had made in my mind’s eye, only the plunge was recorded, and that was the only important thing.” (Ellison: 359). It is ironic that the nature of the narrator’s existence and his perception of Clifton’s death are correlated by his own words. The narrator describes Clifton’s death as his choice however, in dramatic irony, the reader realises that Clifton had chosen the novel path, leaving behind The Brotherhood, which in the future would be recognised by Invisible Man as nothing more than his puppeteers, manipulating him into performing actions which would further their cause. A theme of death and rebirth is also introduced in this scene. The cycle of death and rebirth started with Tod Clifton and ended with the Invisible Man feeling changed, and in some ways more human. “… I would never be the same. Never. After tonight I wouldn’t ever look the same, or feel the same. Just what I’d be, I didn’t know; I couldn’t go back to what I was – which wasn’t much – but I’d lost too much to be what I was.” (Ellison: 384). It becomes evident that the nature of existence is unstable, fragile, and in a constant state of metamorphosis. “Here within this quiet greenness I possessed the only identity I had ever known, and I was losing.” (Ellison: 89)). The individual, the narrator in this case, can either embrace the change brought about circumstances, or he can choose his own destiny, by furthering his quest for his own identity.

The theme of stereotyping by both individuals and groups is also tied into the theme of the nature of existence. In the scene in which the narrator meets Trueblood with Mr Norton, it becomes evident that Trueblood’s incest has been set up by the white community as a symbol or stereotype, to present a false reality of how blacks should be seen, the message portrayed that one disgrace to the community brings the whole community down. Trueblood’s very name is suggestive, as he is true to his blood, nature. In contrast, the narrator looks away in shame at Trueblood’s audacity during the storytelling. However unfair or prejudiced the view of a false reality evidently is, it is indeed reality that the nature of existence is shaped by such stereotypes and manifestations of those in power to aid their own means; in this case, the white community. Trueblood’s storytelling within the narrator’s storytelling is symbolic. Upon closer examination of the dream which Trueblood talks about, one notices that it is strangely symbolic of the entirety of the narrator’s story, picking up on the themes of a race without a finish line and an awakening out of the tunnel of darkness. Symbolically too, when he wakes up, reality is worse than his illusion had been. Faced with this kind of reality, it is no wonder Mr Norton, a trustee of “the illusion”, feels faint and desires whisky. The narrator is caught up in a race against himself, as his grandfather writes in his dream in chapter one: “Keep This Nigger-Boy Running”. “It was a dream I was to remember and dream again for many years after. But at that time I had no insight into its meaning.” (Ellison: 32).

Related to the incident of Mr Norton visiting Trueblood, we are introduced to one of the many appearances of contradiction and paradox. The reader is aware due to prior references that Mr Norton desired his own daughter, however, due to the structure of society, he holds a high “visible” social status, in comparison to the scorned Trueblood, who in turn is objectified as a mascot for the black people to be oppressed. We become aware that incest is not class divided, but rather a universal phenomenon, regardless of class, or status. Mr Norton giving Trueblood a hundred dollar bill, functions not only as a symbol of the way in which Mr Norton can relate to Trueblood, ironically supporting him yet at the same time asserting “difference” by the sum of money, but also by functioning as a microcosm, symbolising American culture at large. Ellison seems to suggest that when people participate in absurdity or do wrong, that American culture paradoxically treats these individuals as “celebrities”.

In chapter one a clear reference is made to the idea of contradiction and paradox. The Battle Royal Scene takes place in the building encompassing some of the town’s most respected people, but it is dark, smoky and loud, and smells of alcohol. Contradiction is brought about by the stereotypical view that people who are respected, and hold respectable positions such as “…bankers, lawyers, judges, doctors, fire chiefs, teachers, merchants. Even one of the more fashionable pastors.”, would portray themselves in a respectable manner, and not be involved in the Battle Royal, which is to proceed.

Ralph Ellison’s novel, “The Invisible Man” is a complex one, with several themes and motifs functioning collectively to convey a similar meaning. As human beings cannot be compartmentalised or stereotyped by means of race, gender, class or age, (or several other distinctions people may attach to convey separation), just so, “Invisible Man”, as a novel, cannot be definitely compartmentalised to convey one single meaning or message. The narrator gives an account of a meeting with Mr Norton during the period he lived underground in the epilogue. The narrator is not surprised that Norton does not remember him, as he realises that the role of his destiny was more about Mr Norton himself than the narrator, or anyone else. Ironically Norton treats the narrator as he did the patients of the Golden Day because the narrator does not tell Norton what he wants to hear. Thus, the invisible man is Norton’s destiny, a destiny he will never realize because of its invisibility. The narrator no longer needs Norton, Jack or the hypocritical Bledsoe; he only needs to overcome the struggle of himself. Ellison has masterfully conveyed the voice of an “invisible man’s” thoughts, feelings and emotions as a portrayal of what it means in essence to be “invisible”, and how through migrations brought about by a dualism of psychological and physical migrations, he is capable of escaping that which he initially accepted as fate. Ralph Ellison’s novel is about voice and emergence, and the victor in the race is the Invisible Man.

BIBILIOGRAPHY:

Ellison, R. Invisible Man. England: Penguin Books,1965.