Succumbed in the Illusion of Symbols
Sunglasses block light, letters revive elapsed emotions, and briefcases provide a compartment to clasp onto vital items incapable of letting go. Symbols in Invisible Man play meaningful portrayals throughout the novel. Author Ralph Ellison writes about an innominate mans journey during one of Americas darkest times in the Jim Crow South desiring to identify a resemblance to truth. The narrator encounters many figures like Dr. Bledsoe, the last hope for many African Americans, as well as Brother Jack who claims to represent the people, but instead his organization misleads IMs interpretation of truth to a great extent in blinding IM from reality. Invisible Man throughout the novel becomes blind to truth due to the false illusions of several key items like sunglasses, paint, letters and many others bound together by a single briefcase. Altogether, these symbols used in the novel represent Invisible Mans vague understanding of reality. The sunglasses, letters, and paint blended into the novel by Ellison deceive the characters interpretation of truth, depict hardships for him and African Americans alike, and characterize the nave narrator. If IM cannot flee from cast illusions in form of symbols, then he will succumb to the bitter taste of reality and racism as an obstacle of gaining his identity.
IMs interpretation of life appears misleading when sunglasses distort his vision. Sunglasses in reality cover light, but figuratively they block the truth. His green glasses make life appear dark as if everything becomes one. With the glasses on, IM can proclaim himself in any manner and evolve into an exemplary man. These glasses though are deceiving about a person in determining the truth because if glasses could eradicate his identity so quickly, who actually was who? (Ellison 493), making IM feel as if the illusion of sunglasses act like a powerful talisman overpowering his identity as a whole with reality strongly lurking over him. One example occurs when a prostitute comes up and slips IM money as if he contains the dynamism of a pimp, as well as woman bewildering him for an influential Reverend. The glasses allow IM to come to a realization of having a deceitful interpretation of truth. People like Brother Jack and Dr. Bledsoe help puppet IM into the person they desire him to evolve into. Invisible Man adapts into this machine lacking understanding of factuality in society. With the glasses on, faces in his life become nebulous especially in areas with signs of movie houses muted down to a soft sinister glowing (Ellison 484), misshaping IMs outlook on life.
Letters in IMs life create false aspirations for him and his people to better themselves while really being succumbed into the wickedness of the peoples racist or hindering motives in search of his identity. In the first letter, Dr. Bledsoe sends Invisible Man off from the racist Jim Crow South, to the so called Liberated North. IM adulates Dr. Bledsoe for all he constantly does for his people as if Bledsoe signifies the final straw of African American hope. Dr. Bledsoe is commonly known as the president of their race and to many our leader and our magic, who kept the endowment high the funds of scholarships plentiful and publicity moving through the channels of the press (Ellison 116), who inflicts fear due to his great power to everyone. In New York the Narrator finally reads the letter and discovers Dr. Bledsoe picked poor Robin clean (Ellison 193), by ceding IM away from the perfect college setting to sample a taste of reality in the North. Life in college allows the Narrator to develop into a knowledgeable orator and to accomplish something for the betterment of him and his people however, Invisible Man gets betrayed by the seemingly honorable president of his college (Bloch 1019). Unfortunately, the Narrator experiences constant drawbacks as he discovers his last chance of hope to contribute alterations to society are marred or picked clean. Furthermore, overtime Invisible Man loses himself to the lofty North obliterating his southern roots. This new letter reminds Invisible Man that he resides in a white mans world by advising him in todays terms to learn to crawl before he can walk and take on issues with caution and to keep on helping the colored people (Ellison 383), or the racist reality will put its foot down.
In final consideration, the Paint Factory characterizes Invisible Mans nave understanding of the bitter world of racism. The name of Liberty Paints creates an extensive metaphor for racial inequality in America. The implementing of Liberty in the factorys name emphasizes leaders notions shown by those leaders of America, a country claim of discovery based on liberty, but ironically advocates freedom for the individuals. Factory leaders slogan of If its Optic White, Its the Right White (Ellison 201), implies moral superiority of their whiteness to their black counterparts which IM lacks understanding of. Essentially, the Narrator lacks understanding of how at the plant blackness disappears beneath whiteness as racism, which yet again creates another obstacle to establish identity. Especially when the speck of dirty hits the optic paint where the Colonel of the plant says Thats the way it oughta be (Ellison 205). The Colonel and other workers at the factory gain their ways of moral superiority from the inner eyes of traditions, racial barriers, and personal desires that prevent them from seeing him as an individual (Bloch 1019). Thus, Invisible mans nave experience develops a frustrating reality that no amount of hard work African Americans put forth will grant him and his people equality.
Due to Invisible Mans incapability of fleeing illusions, he succumbs to bitter reality. Sunlight blocks Invisible Mans interpretation of truth with everything appearing nebulous with a cloud of uncertainty reigning over his life. Letters continue to bring false aspirations, especially the Bledsoes, and reality checks to remind the Narrator to caution certain issues telling him this world belongs to the white man. The factory paint experience allows the nave Narrator to understand that no amount of hard work in society will grant him equality. Therefore, symbols in Invisible Man provide hurdles of harsh illusions to awaken him into this world of racism.
Work Cited
Bloch, Alice. "Sight Imagery in Invisible Man." Sight Imagery in Invisible Man 55.No. 8 (1966):
1019+. JSTOR. The English Journal. Web. 20 Oct. 2011. <http://www.jstor.org/stable/812728>.
Ellison, Ralph. Invisible Man. New York: Vintage International, 1995. Print.
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