Ralph Ellison's Invisible Man follows the journey of an unnamed man in his quest to gain social acceptance. As the narrator, he remains nameless as he journeys from the South, where he studies in an all-black college, to Harlem where he joins a party, known as the Brotherhood. Throughout the novel, the narrator appears invisible to the world around him because others fail to acknowledge his presence. Ellison incorporates the motif of mask and false identity through several different characters in the novel. These people seem to positive at first but later they show their true colors and is less than appealing to say the least.
The university in which invisible man attends is run by a black man who goes by the name Dr. Bledsoe. Dr. Bledsoe is put in a rare positon of power, for a black man at the time. His job is to educate and push the black race forward in hopes that one day their race will be accepted by the whites. Instead he manipulates the ideas of the founder and teaches the idea of white supremacy. Invisible man makes a comment about the statue outside the university. He says "I am standing puzzled, unable to decide whether the veil is really being lifted, or lowered more firmly in place."
The narrator uses to the words to suggest …show more content…
Dr. Bledsoe is obviously furious with Invisible man for showing Mr.Norton the slaves quarters and taking him to the bar known as The Golden Day. Dr. Bledsoe decides it is necessary to punish Invisible man. Dr. Bledsoe yells at the narrator saying, “‘Ordered you,?’ he said. ‘He ordered you. Dammit, white folk are always giving orders, it’s a habit with them. Why didn’t you make an excuse?…My God, boy! You’re black and living in the South did you forget how to lie?'” (139). These words bring to light Bledsoe's true character, introducing the idea of a false identity, that is seen further throughout the
The university in which invisible man attends is run by a black man who goes by the name Dr. Bledsoe. Dr. Bledsoe is put in a rare positon of power, for a black man at the time. His job is to educate and push the black race forward in hopes that one day their race will be accepted by the whites. Instead he manipulates the ideas of the founder and teaches the idea of white supremacy. Invisible man makes a comment about the statue outside the university. He says "I am standing puzzled, unable to decide whether the veil is really being lifted, or lowered more firmly in place."
The narrator uses to the words to suggest …show more content…
Dr. Bledsoe is obviously furious with Invisible man for showing Mr.Norton the slaves quarters and taking him to the bar known as The Golden Day. Dr. Bledsoe decides it is necessary to punish Invisible man. Dr. Bledsoe yells at the narrator saying, “‘Ordered you,?’ he said. ‘He ordered you. Dammit, white folk are always giving orders, it’s a habit with them. Why didn’t you make an excuse?…My God, boy! You’re black and living in the South did you forget how to lie?'” (139). These words bring to light Bledsoe's true character, introducing the idea of a false identity, that is seen further throughout the