Summary Of Duplicity In Ralph Ellison's Invisible Man

Duplicity Dr. Bledsoe, in Chapter 6 of Ralph Ellison’s Invisible Man, demonstrates himself to be an expert of masks. He is haughty and commanding when scolding the unnamed narrator yet humble and servile when speaking to Mr. Norton. The narrator and the reader soon learn that Bledsoe’s duplicity serves to manipulate and deceive powerful whites, such as Mr. Norton, to his advantage. The duplicity of Bledsoe’s actions may be compared to the beliefs of the narrator’s grandfather- betrayal lies in believing in the mask of submission. Bledsoe is a disciple of Booker T. Washington, as he seems to embody humble contentment in his place in society but in fact remains compliant to achieve his goals. He follows Washington’s ideology to gain a position of power rather than to achieve broad social progress for his people, W.E.B. Dubois’s theology. Bledsoe’s archetype displays the ultimate limitations of the grandfather’s philosophy: African Americans will not gain true power for themselves as a people if they continue to lead double lives. To win true power and equality, W.E.B. Dubois’s theology should be followed. …show more content…
This chilling statement is a shock to the narrator and audience as Bledsoe would rather see every black man in America lynched than give up his authority. He uses a mask as a weapon against people of his own race. His single-minded desire to maintain his power required “acting the nigger” long and hard to get to his position (page 143). He further claims that he will not stand to have one, naïve student crush his accomplishments. This reveals Bledsoe’s priorities: his image and power to not be defiled or