Published in 1952, Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison is set in 1945 and follows the narrator (a black man) as he looks back upon his life. The narrator begins telling his story around the beginning of his college education. He is awarded a scholarship to the state college for black youth and is completely overjoyed. He takes up a job as a chauffeur on campus, but one day, he drives a benefactor somewhere he should not have seen. Shortly after this incident, the narrator has his first encounter with Dr. Bledsoe, a black man who is the current president of the college.
The narrator’s original opinion of Dr. Bledsoe is incredibly positive. He looks up to him, a powerful and wealthy man, the embodiment of success. However, upon their first meeting, his view of Bledsoe completely changes, resolving that he will murder Bledsoe. After learning of what has happened, Bledsoe lashes out at the narrator, perplexed and frustrated as to why the narrator does not understand unspoken rules. These rules are ways to thrive in a white supremacist society, ways to please white people and bypass the system. Bledsoe explains in exasperation that the narrator should only show the sponsors what they want to see- the nice parts of campus and the sections that will please the white people.
There are many different perspectives to be taken on Bledsoe’s mindset. The narrator sees it as unacceptable, as he has grown up trained to respect white people. Bledsoe is a traitor and a horrible liar. The narrator believes in the racist system and abides by it completely, which is why he is so shocked by Bledsoe’s words. However, another interpretation can be that Bledsoe is doing what he must. The problem lies not within Bledsoe, but the system. Within a white-dominated society, Bledsoe feels that he must act a certain way to be successful. This can both be interpreted as playing into the expectations of white society and allowing racism to persist, or as Bledsoe thriving despite oppressive circumstances. Bledsoe has learned how to use the system to his own advantage and became a huge success. If Bledsoe did not have this mindset, one might argue he would be more morally sound, but again, he might not be the affluent man he is today. Regardless of what one’s thoughts are on his actions, the opinion one holds on Dr. Bledsoe is a good opportunity for self-evaluation.
Great Blogpost! I think that the narrator is mostly wrong about his views on Bledsoe but I'm not sure if I fully agree with Bledsoe, either. I like how you talk about how it's really how the system is messed up and I think there are lot's of different yet valid opinions about what is happening with Bledsoe and the system.
ReplyDeleteYes I totally agree. However, I think regardless of one's personal opinion on Bledsoe, he is still actively harming people to make his way to the top. He tells us at one point that he would hang every black person to remain in power, (I'm paraphrasing so hopefully that was the gist of what he said). It's almost like saying Jeff Bezos has used the system to his advantage by underpaying his workers, both he and Bledsoe are still bad people either way.
ReplyDeleteGood post, I especially like the dual perspective you give on whether or not Bledsoe is truly in the wrong. However, I think that it's not quiet as black and white as that. He occupies a moral gray area where it is definitely understandable why he acts as he does but simultaneously that doesn't justify all of his decisions, such as his expulsion of the narrator. Expelling the narrator wouldn't have really helped him out, but it could be argued that he did this out of paranoia due to his experience in such a society. Overall great post.
ReplyDeleteThe chronological setting and dates for _Invisible Man_ are a little vague and confusing, but the novel seems to be set earlier than 1945. Oddly, there seems to be no World War II at all in this fictional world, but the "veterans" who are "shellshocked" in chapter 3 are clearly veterans of World War I (references to General Pershing). We're probably in the mid-late 1920s at this point, so the narrator comes up to New York near the end of the 1920s, maybe early 1930s? The depiction of Harlem and the role of the Brotherhood (aka the Communist Party) tracks more or less with the 1930s. I generally don't worry too much about dates with this novel: it's roughly the 1920s/30s, and it's this weird mirror-world alt-universe that's generally pretty surreal and dreamlike. The distortions of reality are matched by some distortions in chronology.
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