Invisibility in Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison Essay

Most commonly in literature, the concept of invisibility is taken to the extreme effect of being physically transparent and unseen by anyone. In popular media, the hero is also often portrayed as being invisible, going behind the enemys back to complete his or her mission. In Ralph Ellisons Invisible Man, this view of invisibility is reversed; rather than being invisible and getting noticed, a man is in plain sight of everyone- however, due to a slew of stereotypes and prejudices, nobody recognizes what he accomplishes. Beginning his journey as a man who stays out of the way by doing what he is told, he is quickly forced to leave and go somewhere else to â€Å"find† himself. This change puts him into a position into which can be more†¦show more content†¦H. Auden- He was found by the Bureau of Statistics to be One against whom there was no official complaint, And all the reports on his conduct agree That, in the modern sense of an old-fashioned word, he was a saint†¦ And our teachers report that he never interfered with their education†¦ To put it more simply, he was the perfect student. However, the incident with Mr. Norton that occurs in his junior year, involving the passive use of the narrators invisibility, quickly turns foul and infuriates Dr. Bledsoe. During the intense argument that followed the narrator’s trip to the Golden Day, Dr. Bledsoe said, Power doesnt have to show off. Power is confident, self-assuring, self-starting and self-stopping, self-warming and self-justifying. When you have it you know it (Ellison 143). Bledsoes idea of invisibility manifests itself here- what the narrator eventually learns that having power and being invisible can coincide with each other- a person can be invisible and successful as long as they have self-assurance and self-justification. This discussion with Dr. Bledsoe opens the narrators eyes to the real world, showing that being right does not necessarily equate to being powerful- and people without power usually remain invisible. The Liberty Paints plant, the place of work for the narrator for only a day, is one of the most important metaphors in the novel, serving to complexlyShow MoreRelated Invisible Man Essay: Identity and Invisibility1164 Words   |  5 PagesIdentity and Invisibility in Invisible Man      Ã‚  Ã‚   It is not necessary to be a racist to impose invisibility upon another person. Ignoring someone or acting as if we had not seen him or her, because they make us feel uncomfortable, is the same as pretending that he or she does not exist. 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