M. Annunziato
Invisible Man
The Invisible Man chapters 13-21 is a very interesting section of this novel. In this section the narrator joins a group that he knows almost nothing about with almost no hesitation; he does wait maybe a day to call his contact, Brother Jack, but this is a very miniscule amount of time considering what the group plans on doing with him. This group is the Brotherhood, an organization that claims to help be the voice of people who have been stripped of their heritage. When I first read this it seemed like a group that would beneift everyone: giving the narrator a steady job doing what he loved to do while helping out people that have been oppressed and put down by society. As we get to see the Brotherhood more and more we eventually realize that they are simply using the narrator as a tool; he is black so people under oppression will relate more with him than a white person. I find it odd that the narrator, who is not a dumb person, doesn't pick up on this from even the very beginning when someone asks if he's "black enough" suggesting that in order for him to be effective his skin needs to be as dark as possible.
Ralph Ellison has masterfully crafted this book: it is easy to read, easy to understand, interesting, and enjoyable. In one scene where the narrator is trying to dispose of the shattered remains of a bank to no avail it forshadows that something else will be stuck with him and that problems will persist in the future. He skillfully manages to insert events that the reader wouldn't assume would happen such as when he sleeps with the white woman who has been neglected.
Eventually, within these pages, the narrator finds himself at a much higher role in the Brotherhood and of much more importance as he becomes known around the area through his speeches. One of the first speeches he gives that helps put him in this position of power is when he gives a freeform speech after forgetting all that he had prepared because of the blinding lights on the stage. This speech happened to focus on blindness and how everyone needed to rise up and get back what belonged to them. This was peculiar because the narrator is not only literally blinded by the lights but also figuratively as he follows the ideology of the Brotherhood blindly without really ever second guessing it or even thinking too much about it.
Overall this book has been very captivating and interesting so far leaving me looking forward to continuing on in the story.
Friday, February 29, 2008
Character Analysis
M. Annunziato
Invisible Man
In Chapters 13-21 the unnamed narrator joins up with a group known as "the Brotherhood"; this is an organization that says they are against the oppression, divisions, and loss of heritage that plagues the African American people. He is first found by this organization while watching an elderly black couple being evicted from their home with all their worldly possessions being strewn across the ground when he becomes enraged by this occurance and gives a speech spurring the surrounding crowd of people to help this poor couple. Brother Jack, the leader of the Brotherhood, sees the narrator and quickly invites him to join his group. On page 292 while conversing with the narrator about the possiblity of joining he says "Perhaps you would be interested in working for us...with our organization. we need a good speaker for this district. Someone who can articulate the grievances of the people." At first glance this seems like a great offer from a good person that would ultimately allow the narrator to speak publicly but as the story progresses we get a deeper look into the Brotherhood and Brother Jack who personifies what the Brotherhood stands for. In actuality the group is racist and seeks to use the narrator as a tool to achieve their personal goals by using the narrator's black heritage to sway the public's opinions and views. As part of joining this organization the narrator must change his name and abandon his past completely which is actually what he has been against so far in this book; he will need to give up his entire identity, forget his family, and start a new life as a new person. He quickly accepts this offer, almost too quickly which also will give insight into his character. So in essence the Brotherhood is a highly manipulative group at this point. At the first speech that is given the narrator's speech is praised by the audience but the members of the Brotherhood don't think that the way he speaks is the way that he should be; to fix this "problem" the narrator is sent away to be basically brainwashed in believing the Brotherhood's ideology and views. He does all this without a fight.
The narrator is apparently the perfect addition to the Brotherhood; in a very short amount of time he has completely taken in all of their views while throwing some of his own away. In the early pages of chapter 13 he thinks of his old college classmates as hypocrites for loving things from the south but completely disregarding there feelings because of the south's history with African Americans. In this pages we are able to see the narrator as a hypocritical character as well for changing all his views because someone says that they want to help his people. It is obvious that the narrator has some very strong qualities such as being able to speak very well publicly which is an invaluable skill but it just seems that he is very trusting and willing to change without fully understanding everything that is happening behind the scenes. In chapter 18 the narrator receives a somewhat racist letter and when he is warned by another black Brotherhood member that some poeple in the group do have racist tendencies he simply disregards this idea feeling that the group wouldn't harbor hatred towards a people that they claim to be helping and supporting.
In these pages we are allowed to watch as the narrator grows in the story and becomes involved with new people that he doesn't know all that well. He seems to be operating off of hope and trust right now. From the begining of the book his grandpa was a great influence in his actions and the Brotherhood makes him almost disown his family since technically they do not exist for his new persona. It will be very interesting to see how the narrator changes throughout the rest of the book as well as seeing what other characterstics of the Brotherhood and its members are revealed.
Invisible Man
In Chapters 13-21 the unnamed narrator joins up with a group known as "the Brotherhood"; this is an organization that says they are against the oppression, divisions, and loss of heritage that plagues the African American people. He is first found by this organization while watching an elderly black couple being evicted from their home with all their worldly possessions being strewn across the ground when he becomes enraged by this occurance and gives a speech spurring the surrounding crowd of people to help this poor couple. Brother Jack, the leader of the Brotherhood, sees the narrator and quickly invites him to join his group. On page 292 while conversing with the narrator about the possiblity of joining he says "Perhaps you would be interested in working for us...with our organization. we need a good speaker for this district. Someone who can articulate the grievances of the people." At first glance this seems like a great offer from a good person that would ultimately allow the narrator to speak publicly but as the story progresses we get a deeper look into the Brotherhood and Brother Jack who personifies what the Brotherhood stands for. In actuality the group is racist and seeks to use the narrator as a tool to achieve their personal goals by using the narrator's black heritage to sway the public's opinions and views. As part of joining this organization the narrator must change his name and abandon his past completely which is actually what he has been against so far in this book; he will need to give up his entire identity, forget his family, and start a new life as a new person. He quickly accepts this offer, almost too quickly which also will give insight into his character. So in essence the Brotherhood is a highly manipulative group at this point. At the first speech that is given the narrator's speech is praised by the audience but the members of the Brotherhood don't think that the way he speaks is the way that he should be; to fix this "problem" the narrator is sent away to be basically brainwashed in believing the Brotherhood's ideology and views. He does all this without a fight.
The narrator is apparently the perfect addition to the Brotherhood; in a very short amount of time he has completely taken in all of their views while throwing some of his own away. In the early pages of chapter 13 he thinks of his old college classmates as hypocrites for loving things from the south but completely disregarding there feelings because of the south's history with African Americans. In this pages we are able to see the narrator as a hypocritical character as well for changing all his views because someone says that they want to help his people. It is obvious that the narrator has some very strong qualities such as being able to speak very well publicly which is an invaluable skill but it just seems that he is very trusting and willing to change without fully understanding everything that is happening behind the scenes. In chapter 18 the narrator receives a somewhat racist letter and when he is warned by another black Brotherhood member that some poeple in the group do have racist tendencies he simply disregards this idea feeling that the group wouldn't harbor hatred towards a people that they claim to be helping and supporting.
In these pages we are allowed to watch as the narrator grows in the story and becomes involved with new people that he doesn't know all that well. He seems to be operating off of hope and trust right now. From the begining of the book his grandpa was a great influence in his actions and the Brotherhood makes him almost disown his family since technically they do not exist for his new persona. It will be very interesting to see how the narrator changes throughout the rest of the book as well as seeing what other characterstics of the Brotherhood and its members are revealed.
Denis Shannon
AP English
Literary Criticism of Invisible Man
February 29, 2008
With his novel Invisible Man, Ralph Ellison has become a very well regarded author. This is due to his style of writing which gives the reader the message so that he or she may easily grasp it. This is a sign of a writer who has mastered his or her trade. Ellison clearly falls into this category. Through the use of various literary techniques such as symbolism and theme, Ellison is able to give the reader a clear idea of the message he set out to create by writing his novel.
Ellison's novel Invisible Man is one that uses literary elements to its advantages. The novel obviously relies heavily on symbolism, but also relies on the element of story. Unlike some authors, Ellison's novel contains a story that is directly related to the theme that he is portraying. The story of the protagonist, who remains nameless and is the character the title refers to, is one of the ways that Ellison chooses to convey his themes. This is different than the work of many authors in that they choose to mask the main idea of the novel behind symbols and metaphors rather than have it on the page directly in front of the reader. This is not to say that Ellison doesn't use metaphors and symbols, because he certainly does conceal some of the meaning through the use of these, but the story itself does reflect the main theme. That theme is the oppression of blacks by whites through various means. This is reflected by the struggle that the protagonist faces in trying to get an education and subsequently make a living in New York City. While attending college, the protagonist volunteers to be a chauffeur for a trustee of the college, Mr. Norton. This leads to Mr. Norton seeing some unpleasant sights involving blacks near the college. As a result of this, Dr. Bledsoe, the president of the college, expels the protagonist for showing the trustee these unpleasant sights. Dr. Bledsoe implies that his expulsion is due to the fact that he has made Mr. Noron think that the college is not doing as well as t could to benefit blacks. This is one of th many ways that the story shows how whites have a negative influence on blacks.
Another way that Ellison conveys the meaning of the novel to readers is through the use of his writing style. Ellison is careful about how he makes the characters in his novel speak. For example, the black characters in the novel that seem the happiest with their lives speak with a dialect that is different than that of the whites, while the ones that are struggling to conform to the demands of whites speak with the same dialect as the whites. This seen many times throughout the novel. For example the man that the protagonist and Mr. Norton meet at the Golden Day is said to speak like a white man. This character is clearly one with a troubled life, as he is incarcerated in a mental institution. The most obvious character in the novel who speaks in the same dialect as the whites is the protagonist himself who clearly has to struggle to stay alive, while characters who do speak in dialect, such as the homeless man that the protagonist meets in the city seems to be very happy.
Ralph Ellison's novel Invisible Man is one that very effectively conveys the theme that Ellison desired to convey with this work. This novel is one that clearly accomplishes its goal: to leave an impression on the reader of the theme. Many authors strive to attain the skill to write with the clarity that Ellison has, though not many achieve the goal.
AP English
Literary Criticism of Invisible Man
February 29, 2008
With his novel Invisible Man, Ralph Ellison has become a very well regarded author. This is due to his style of writing which gives the reader the message so that he or she may easily grasp it. This is a sign of a writer who has mastered his or her trade. Ellison clearly falls into this category. Through the use of various literary techniques such as symbolism and theme, Ellison is able to give the reader a clear idea of the message he set out to create by writing his novel.
Ellison's novel Invisible Man is one that uses literary elements to its advantages. The novel obviously relies heavily on symbolism, but also relies on the element of story. Unlike some authors, Ellison's novel contains a story that is directly related to the theme that he is portraying. The story of the protagonist, who remains nameless and is the character the title refers to, is one of the ways that Ellison chooses to convey his themes. This is different than the work of many authors in that they choose to mask the main idea of the novel behind symbols and metaphors rather than have it on the page directly in front of the reader. This is not to say that Ellison doesn't use metaphors and symbols, because he certainly does conceal some of the meaning through the use of these, but the story itself does reflect the main theme. That theme is the oppression of blacks by whites through various means. This is reflected by the struggle that the protagonist faces in trying to get an education and subsequently make a living in New York City. While attending college, the protagonist volunteers to be a chauffeur for a trustee of the college, Mr. Norton. This leads to Mr. Norton seeing some unpleasant sights involving blacks near the college. As a result of this, Dr. Bledsoe, the president of the college, expels the protagonist for showing the trustee these unpleasant sights. Dr. Bledsoe implies that his expulsion is due to the fact that he has made Mr. Noron think that the college is not doing as well as t could to benefit blacks. This is one of th many ways that the story shows how whites have a negative influence on blacks.
Another way that Ellison conveys the meaning of the novel to readers is through the use of his writing style. Ellison is careful about how he makes the characters in his novel speak. For example, the black characters in the novel that seem the happiest with their lives speak with a dialect that is different than that of the whites, while the ones that are struggling to conform to the demands of whites speak with the same dialect as the whites. This seen many times throughout the novel. For example the man that the protagonist and Mr. Norton meet at the Golden Day is said to speak like a white man. This character is clearly one with a troubled life, as he is incarcerated in a mental institution. The most obvious character in the novel who speaks in the same dialect as the whites is the protagonist himself who clearly has to struggle to stay alive, while characters who do speak in dialect, such as the homeless man that the protagonist meets in the city seems to be very happy.
Ralph Ellison's novel Invisible Man is one that very effectively conveys the theme that Ellison desired to convey with this work. This novel is one that clearly accomplishes its goal: to leave an impression on the reader of the theme. Many authors strive to attain the skill to write with the clarity that Ellison has, though not many achieve the goal.
Denis Shannon
AP English
Symbolism in Ralph Ellison's Invisible Man
February 29, 2008
Ralph Ellison's novel Invisible Man is one that is clearly very symbolic. Ellison uses many symbols in his novel that are intended to give the reader insight to the meaning that Ellison is trying to communicate. In Invisible Man, that meaning is one based on race relations. Ellison is clearly trying to convey a message to the reader about the way that whites have impacted the way that blacks live. There are numerous examples of this throughout Ellison's novel. Perhaps the time when this message is most clear is just before th main character leaves for New York City. This is a time in the novel during which the main character himself learns about the relationship between these two races.
One of the many symbols that Ellison uses to convey his idea about the impact of whites on blacks is the scene when the main character, who remains nameless to the reader, discovers what Doctor Bledsoe has written to the northern trustees of the college. This occurs when he visits Mr. Emerson's office and converses with Mr. Emerson's son. The reader discovers with the protagonist that Dr. Bledsoe had never intended to let the protagonist return to college after all. This is an example of how whites have influenced the way of life for blacks in many ways. For one thing, in ht letter, Dr. Bledsoe refers to himself as, "your humble servant," despite the fact that he holds the important position he retains at the college (Page 191). This shows the level of inferiority that blacks still had during this time period. Despite the fact that Dr. Bledsoe had obtained a very important position through years of hard work, he still had to refer to himself a a servant to whites. In addition to the attitude that Dr. Bledsoe is forced to have towards himself, the influence of whites on blacks is also clear to the reader when Bledsoe explains how he plans on dealing with the situation of the protagonist's expulsion. Bledsoe hopes to accomplish this by making the protagonist work to earn the tuition so that he can can earn the money to return at a later date. This is a method that whites have applied to blacks many times. This is comparable to a business manager withholding wages from an employee stating that he will be payed if he simply works for a little while longer. This section of the novel is easily comparable to Langston Hughes' "Dream Differed". It is clearly a message from Ellison to the reader showing how white have applied this method of submission to blacks many times, such as with civil rights, so blacks are learning to use it to their own benefit.
Another important symbolic event occurs when the protagonist seeks a job after learning that he will not receive one from Mr. Emerson. He is referred to a paint factory that will probably hire him. It is obviously symbolic that the protagonist is sent to a factory owned by a company that is famous for making the world's best white paint. This is obviously Ellison's message to the reader that the whites are trying to make the entire world become as white as possible. It is obvious that this is the message that Ellison is trying to send to the reader from the company's slogan. The slogan reads, "If it's Optic White, it's the Right White." The protagonist then relates this to something he commonly heard as a child, "if you're white, you're right." The fact that the company he works for is named from an old racial adage is a clear message to the reader that whites are doing their best to make the white culture universal by eliminating black culture as much as possible, effectively painting the world white.
The paint factory is filled with symbolism, especially the first job that the protagonist is given: mixing a black liquid into white paint that has gone bad. This is clearly a message from Ellison that black culture is being dissolved by white culture. The same symbolism is used again later when the machine that the protagonist is supposed to be monitoring explodes, filling the room with white paint and covering the protagonist. This is an obvious reference to the impact that whites have had on blacks, forcing them to cover up their culture and become as similar to whites as possible.
The symbolism in Ellison's novel Invisible Man is very pervasive. The novel is very symbolic as a whole and s very effective at conveying Ellison's message to the reader about the impact that whites have had on blacks. The symbolism of Ellison's novel makes it much more meaningful to the reader. Because of the symbolism, the message is conveyed so that the reader can easily grasp it, but not forced into the reader's mind.
AP English
Symbolism in Ralph Ellison's Invisible Man
February 29, 2008
Ralph Ellison's novel Invisible Man is one that is clearly very symbolic. Ellison uses many symbols in his novel that are intended to give the reader insight to the meaning that Ellison is trying to communicate. In Invisible Man, that meaning is one based on race relations. Ellison is clearly trying to convey a message to the reader about the way that whites have impacted the way that blacks live. There are numerous examples of this throughout Ellison's novel. Perhaps the time when this message is most clear is just before th main character leaves for New York City. This is a time in the novel during which the main character himself learns about the relationship between these two races.
One of the many symbols that Ellison uses to convey his idea about the impact of whites on blacks is the scene when the main character, who remains nameless to the reader, discovers what Doctor Bledsoe has written to the northern trustees of the college. This occurs when he visits Mr. Emerson's office and converses with Mr. Emerson's son. The reader discovers with the protagonist that Dr. Bledsoe had never intended to let the protagonist return to college after all. This is an example of how whites have influenced the way of life for blacks in many ways. For one thing, in ht letter, Dr. Bledsoe refers to himself as, "your humble servant," despite the fact that he holds the important position he retains at the college (Page 191). This shows the level of inferiority that blacks still had during this time period. Despite the fact that Dr. Bledsoe had obtained a very important position through years of hard work, he still had to refer to himself a a servant to whites. In addition to the attitude that Dr. Bledsoe is forced to have towards himself, the influence of whites on blacks is also clear to the reader when Bledsoe explains how he plans on dealing with the situation of the protagonist's expulsion. Bledsoe hopes to accomplish this by making the protagonist work to earn the tuition so that he can can earn the money to return at a later date. This is a method that whites have applied to blacks many times. This is comparable to a business manager withholding wages from an employee stating that he will be payed if he simply works for a little while longer. This section of the novel is easily comparable to Langston Hughes' "Dream Differed". It is clearly a message from Ellison to the reader showing how white have applied this method of submission to blacks many times, such as with civil rights, so blacks are learning to use it to their own benefit.
Another important symbolic event occurs when the protagonist seeks a job after learning that he will not receive one from Mr. Emerson. He is referred to a paint factory that will probably hire him. It is obviously symbolic that the protagonist is sent to a factory owned by a company that is famous for making the world's best white paint. This is obviously Ellison's message to the reader that the whites are trying to make the entire world become as white as possible. It is obvious that this is the message that Ellison is trying to send to the reader from the company's slogan. The slogan reads, "If it's Optic White, it's the Right White." The protagonist then relates this to something he commonly heard as a child, "if you're white, you're right." The fact that the company he works for is named from an old racial adage is a clear message to the reader that whites are doing their best to make the white culture universal by eliminating black culture as much as possible, effectively painting the world white.
The paint factory is filled with symbolism, especially the first job that the protagonist is given: mixing a black liquid into white paint that has gone bad. This is clearly a message from Ellison that black culture is being dissolved by white culture. The same symbolism is used again later when the machine that the protagonist is supposed to be monitoring explodes, filling the room with white paint and covering the protagonist. This is an obvious reference to the impact that whites have had on blacks, forcing them to cover up their culture and become as similar to whites as possible.
The symbolism in Ellison's novel Invisible Man is very pervasive. The novel is very symbolic as a whole and s very effective at conveying Ellison's message to the reader about the impact that whites have had on blacks. The symbolism of Ellison's novel makes it much more meaningful to the reader. Because of the symbolism, the message is conveyed so that the reader can easily grasp it, but not forced into the reader's mind.
Thursday, February 28, 2008
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