Wednesday, April 29, 2015
IM claims that his invisibility "occurs because of a peculair disposition of the eyes of those with whom [he comes] in contact" (Ellison 3). It is not their physical eyes that causes his invisibility, but it is "A matter of the construction of their inner eyes, those eyes with which they look through their physical eyes upon reality" (Ellison 3). What is the true cause of this blindness and what causes, not only IM to become invisible, but why are we also blind to others?
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The true cause of the blindness that surrounds IM is derived from not only the social stigma that shrouds racial matters at this time in history, but also by human nature itself. We as people have tunnel vision, causing blindness to others and their needs. Absorbed in ourselves, we tend to become blind to how we could help others individually or even our whole society. The whites in this time period may still be climbing out of the deep cavern of racial tension, but that is not the main premise of their turning a blind eye to others. Even today we watch billionaires obsess over money and materialistic things, while others all over the world are starving because they do not have a penny to their name. Inner blindness due to tunnel vision has always been a problem with our world, persisting today, and even before IM's time. Many individuals are self-absorbed, no matter the race, and this blinds us into becoming very egocentric and, in our minds, shadowing all others and their needs.
ReplyDelete-Stephanie Price
Blindness could also refer to the social expectations and racial prejudices that encapsulated America during the Harlem Renaissance. While IM attempts to bend to society's expectations and motives, society is blinded by racial prejudices--more particularly black stereotypes. Racial prejudices cause people to see the invisible man only in the light they want to see him in. This racism becomes an obstacle for IM as he struggles to discover his identity while avoiding black stereotypes, and he eventually labels himself as invisible because he realizes that those that see him (society) are blind.
Delete-Ally Hopson
Blindness could also refer to the social expectations and racial prejudices that encapsulated America during the Harlem Renaissance. While IM attempts to bend to society's expectations and motives, society is blinded by racial prejudices--more particularly black stereotypes. Racial prejudices cause people to see the invisible man only in the light they want to see him in. This racism becomes an obstacle for IM as he struggles to discover his identity while avoiding black stereotypes, and he eventually labels himself as invisible because he realizes that those that see him (society) are blind.
Delete-Ally Hopson
I agree with both of you that social expectations and egocentricity often promote a socially devastating blindness. Does IM, then, reject these stereotypes and gain control over his life by assuming invisibility OR does he simply conform to an already established and promoted invisibility?
ReplyDeleteBy assuming invisibility IM is not gaining control over his life, but rather conforming to the social standards of that time period. If he's invisible he will not be compliant to the puppetry the whites often subjected him to, but this is not the only way people in power could control him. Invisibility is a status that blacks had received many years before IM did. The revolution was fighting free of this dehumanizing label and taking responsibility for what happened to them, but now he is just fading away from the eyes of the whites. IM is no longer being manipulated, but now he is being ignored and neglected. Invisibility is not one sided. You must have at least two parties to be invisible, one to not see and the other to not be seen. It is just another underhanded tactic used against him, conforming him, and shunning him.
Delete-Stephanie Price
In chapter 6, Dr. Bledsoe tells IM, "You're nobody son. You don't exist." (Ellison, 143) Invisibility was one of the most influential stereotypes whites could promote, and it was the stereotype that they wanted blacks to follow--to be a few dark drops in paint that when stirred, transforms into an optic white. Although IM comes into contact with various communities that try to battle this stereotype, IM eventually conforms to it. He even gives himself the title of an invisible man.
DeleteInvisibility is a form of disempowerment. By being invisible, one is unable to take action or make changes. They are only in a state of "hibernation." Perhaps that is why it was promoted in a dominating white society.
-Ally Hopson
DeleteBut if IM chooses to be invisible, is that a form of nonconformity? The white community consistently neglected to see IM as an individual, but instead it saw him as a one part of a malleable, subservient community, so when IM chooses invisibility, isn't he in some form acting as a self-determiner? He is definitely fitting into one of the pre-existing molds shaped for him by the community, but it isn't it his choice? Hmmm...I'm not sure-or at least I won't tell-yet.
DeleteWhile driving around Mr. Norton in chapter 2, IM says, "Half-consciously I followed the white line." (Ellison, 46) He does not only follow the white line on the road, he also follows the white line of life. IM is constantly trying to please white people and in effect, he becomes what they want him to become, which is invisible.
ReplyDelete-Eric Rose
IM continually tries to confine to other people's idea on the right way to be black and the right way to fight racial prejudice. Dr. Bledsoe thought that by adopting the manners of whites, blacks could then promote a successful future for themselves. Ras the Exhorter argued that embracing the mother culture would empower blacks to destroy whites. All of these ideas are already stunted because their ideology is black and white; defined by the limited concept of race. At the college, IM believed in Dr. Bledsoe's ideology because he saw life in terms of black and white. Come to find out later, he realizes his individuality cannot be defined in terms of black or white.
DeleteEric, I love that you noticed the symbolism of the literal white lines-IM navigates carefully, yet somewhat blindly, along these parameters, doesn't he? What choices does IM have beyond pleasing and appeasing the white community? Do you respect him for doing so or do you wish he'd been more assertive in rejecting his role as subservient?
DeleteMeggie, does IM try to conform to the "right way" to be black, or is he trying to be white? Can he distinguish between the two socially or culturally? Is there a difference? There are so many times when he seems torn between his family's rural, Southern experience and he attempts to reject or suppress those longings. Why does he do so? Is he attempting to suppress his heritage or race? If so, why?
DeleteParticularly in the beginning, the narrator is a very inexperienced character, somewhat expecting others to guide him such as Dr. Bledsoe. Can his innocence as a young man excuse him of his figurative blindness in the Battle Royal? Can inexperience be mistaken for the inability to recognize obvious prejudice?
ReplyDeleteGood question! Is innocence the same thing as ignorance? You'll have to analyze this from both the white community's perspective as well as IM's to find a quality answer. How does IM FEEL during the Battle Royal and does his instinctive repulsion shape your response to whether his inexperience justifies his inability to recognize and react to obvious prejudice? What do you think of his narration of this early part, considering that he is looking back on it after a few years have passed and he views the world and his relationship in it so very differently? Can we trust his narrative of early experience to be as honest as it may have been had he written it during or soon after the event?
DeleteIM seems to be a fairly bright, articulate young man. However, he tends to be repeatedly duped by those he trusts. Should IM shoulder any of the responsibility for the blindness in the novel or is he an innocent victim of racism and circumstance?
ReplyDeleteI absolutely think IM should shoulder some of the responsibility for the blindness in this novel. Yes, he was living during a time of extreme oppression and racial injustice. However, in multiple circumstances he chose to not act within his own will, and allowed for outsiders and superiors to manipulate his future. And, oftentimes he would reflect later from a much bolder position and wished that he would have stood up for himself. This happened multiple times during his time of the Brotherhood, and in many other instances. For example, in allowing Dr. Bledsoe to expel him from the institution for no fault of his own, he allowed for him to take away any hopes at a collegiate education. Bledsoe says, "You're nobody, son. You don't exist-- can't you see that?" (143). And right after such a tongue-lashing, the Invisible Man reflects upon how power is within the individual. He realizes he could have done something to speak against such a dictator.
DeleteAlthough he chose not to speak up for himself and eventually assumes invisibility, what circumstances would have had to unfold made him a victim? (Rather than a manipulated man just trying to make it through the day).
IM must take partial responsibility for the blindness throughout the novel. He fails to see the humanity of the people around him, just as they fail to see his humanity. The vet in the Golden Day aptly describes IM's relation to Mr. Norton as "'not a man to him, but a God, a force'" (Ellison 95). While later he recognizes Norton as not knowing who he is because because he doesn't know where he is, a man unsure of his place. The same thing occurs with Jack, and even with Emerson. IM must take responsibility because he too is blind.
DeleteAdditionally he admits responsibility for becoming invisable, shifting blame from the "' political situation'" to himself (Ellison 575). To exclude him from blame would be to victimize him, and in doing so we look past his human flaws. It is wrong to look at the situation of a person and give them no credit in its creation.
-Nick Olsen
Throughout the novel, IM (along with many other characters) fights stereotypes with more stereotypes, which becomes detrimental to his ultimate search for himself, role in society, and social responsibility. IM is partially responsible for the blindness in the novel, because he too becomes blind to the stereotypes that he cannot escape. Rather than recognizing himself as an individual, it can be argued that his "invisibility" is restricting and passive, leaving little to no room for change. IM claims that he is invisible to those around him because they fail to see him as an individual, yet IM at times also fails to see the white men as individuals. Throughout the text, he lets others control him. He conforms to the stereotypes imposed on him by both his peers and elders, both black and white. IM develops a external locus of control, removing his invisibility and the blindness of others from his responsibility, and in a way, victimizing himself. Despite his circumstances, IM must shoulder some of the responsibility of blindness throughout the novel because this motif is not restricted to only the white men, but envelops every character, and the human race as a whole.
Delete-Breanna Steggell
I think that a number of factors go into developing a "inner blindness" as IM suggests. Nobody is born with such a blindness, but depending on the way we are raised, our own experiences, and the experiences of others, overtime people become unable to truly see other people. IM is invisible "simply because people refuse to see [him]" (Ellison 3). It is a sad truth that this "invisibility" still takes place today. As humans it is easy for us to shut out things we do not want to see, or do not want to be involved in. For instance there have been many tests done which have proved that the majority of people will just walk by, and pretend they do not see, when they encounter another doing a crime or an injustice act towards another being. This is largely because people do not want to offend anyone, or get involved in other peoples business. Just like today, I think peoples "blindness" towards IM is due to the racism at the time, which for many was engrained in their minds since the time they were a small child. For this reason they choose not to see him because they don't want to be involved in any interactions with him because it is not what they are taught as socially acceptable behavior.
ReplyDelete-Allison Buhler
This inner blindness, I believe is developed by the community we live within. During the Harlem Renissance, there was an expectation that whites were to dominate, and others needed to mix within the white, yet not tint it into a grey and ruin the quality. In chapter 6, Bledsoe explains bounds of this invisibility at the college, "We take these white folks where we want them to go, we show them what we want them to see". Although it seems that most often that invisibility restricts the power of an individual, it does not always. In this instance, it gave the individual power, but required that power to seem useless. To be successful, he would have made his power and his decisions feel like they were Mr. Norton's instead. If he had been able to succeed, that would truly have been invisibility. This invisibility is different than in Harlem later in the book. Invisibility in Harlem comes when people are oblivious to the actual existence of people. This blindness is similar to blinders on a racing horse, where selective sight helps bring greater focus. This blindness can be seen in cities such as New York City today, where the sheer amount of people on the streets limits contact, and becomes an obstacle. On such streets, the goal is the destination, and those around you become bodies. Thus, they become invisible like the "Invisible Man" in the book.
ReplyDelete-Ashley Maxfield
Everyone at one time or another ignores certain standards of behavior because by acting one way, they may not receive what THEY want. People choose to look some directions because if they looked in the other they might see something they dislike, or something that will affect their desires. In an imperfect world, selfishness and narcissism are easy traits to conform to. Everyone wants their surroundings to feel comfortable and stable. No one wants their tranquil world around them to suddenly plop upside down because, well, comfort feels better than chaos. An easy yet ignorant way for people to keep their surroundings as they are is to avoid any interaction with different people, ideas and culture.
ReplyDeleteDisposition can be defined as 'something placed or arranged.' Both the whites and blacks in IM have grown up in two different 'arranged' cultures. The whites grow up believing themselves superior, and the blacks see themselves as those who need to follow certain steps in society in order to avoid dangerous confrontations; none of the results of which lean in their favor. Ever.
As a result, the whites naturally skim their eyes over IM because their "inner eyes" since birth were 'arranged' to not pay much attention to negroes. IM, as a negroe, falls in that group of people who walk unseen through the streets of Harlem.
Sorry, that was a ramble.
-Megan Wolfe
Such "inner blindness" is mostly attributed to the social standards of the era. I do not believe, (nor does the IM), that blindness is something someone is born with. The prejudices and oppression during the Harlem Renaissance set up a standard of white superiority and black conformity. I believe selective perspective was largely at play, as people chose to see and act upon their own values and treat African Americans with care or with hatred. People today are much more open-minded and accepting of "seeing" people and making living by a standard of equality. However, during this time period, African Americans were seen as a source of discomfort and potential trouble as this was the norm. Because it was a common practice of the time period, blindness was truly caused by the community portraying African Americans as inferior beings and thus deeming them unworthy of being seen. Even today, we are blind to others that we are uncomfortable with or find different from the normal standard. We are selective beings, and can choose what we want to set our eyes upon.
ReplyDeleteI believe the Invisible Man chose to become invisible out of a last resort. He had been working with unfruitful organizations such as the Brotherhood for so long, and had gained nothing out of his efforts. He was now well aware that he could not penetrate into the system of white superiority, and was hopeless. He assumed invisibility to lie low and not cause ruckus, and mostly to stay out of trouble. He had, "always tried to go in everyone's way but [his own]." (Ellison 573.) It was now his time to control his own destiny, even if that may be in the shadows.
The cause of IM's invisibility is that he chooses and accepts to be invisible. In chapter one after explaining how he had been swallowing blood and saliva after all the abuse he endured to deliver his speech, the IM says "What powers of endurance I had during those days! What enthusiasm! What a belief in the rightness of things!" (30). His invisibility sounds as an excuse to secure the position of the victim so he can rightfully blame the white men. He has every right to be the victim. However, he uses this as an excuse to no longer have a purpose or responsibility. He is mocking himself in this quote for having a desire to achieve and having faith in humanity making himself an empty being. In the IM's defense however any other reaction to the heinous acts he experienced would be inconceivable. This hollowness also happened to many slaves that embraced the dehumanization from their white captors. The foundation of this blindness is pride. The upper class' fuel for their greed was their need to feel superior among others and that they were hand-picked by God. This effect of pride has lingered in the times of the Harlem Renaissance and still today.
ReplyDeleteThe paradoxical sense of IMs invisibility is that it relies on the ability of others to see him as they wish to. Such mental classification can be for selfish reasons, but to a degree it is inevitable. We see people primarily as their relation to us and our goals, even if the motive isn't malignant. Classmates, teachers, your doctor, your mom, a stranger, or means to any other ends, people classify each other by relation,unable to see the parts of a person that they don't experience. To become invisible IM either retreats from society or pulls a "Reinhart". The latter involves affirming the preconceived notions and relations of others. As people get to know one another they become less blind, but a degree of blindness is inevitable. The realizations of IM near the end of the novel is less of an ability to see others, an more a way of recognizing the way others see each other. While reading I couldn't help but wonder if the motif of blindness was less of a commentary on race, than on humanity, but one doesn't preclude the other.
ReplyDeleteNick Olsen
DeleteBlindness that comes from the "inner eyes" is developed through environment and upbringing. Although it may appear that people are born metaphorically "blind", this is not true; their "blindness" is only cultivated and fostered through tradition, experiences, and the surrounding culture and people. Selective attention allows us to see only what we choose to see. It is a natural tendency to cloud our vision with stereotypes, prejudice, and conform to the cultural norm. This ideology that is explored throughout the novel is still relevant today. Although we pride ourselves in the progress that has been made in our country regarding civil rights, there are still racial tensions, hidden discrimination, and underlying white superiority. The progress that has been made should be celebrated, but that doesn't mean that the battle for equality is over. This makes Ellison's novel a contemporary classic as it's themes and motifs are not only historical but are also relatable to present day and the human race as a whole. Our "blindness" only shelters us from progress. "Blindness", whether intentional or unintentional, supports ignorance and merely ignores the problem, which inhibits positive progress. We are all "invisible" in some way or another because our "full self", or every aspect of our personalities, cannot be seen or explored by all. People have the ability to see what they choose to see, and ignore the rest.
ReplyDeleteSorry for the late post! The Invisible Man’s invisibility comes about as a result of both external and internal forces. Society was characterized by stereotypes of white superiority and subservient blacks. People who IM encountered were blind; they viewed black people not as humans, but as tools or objects – “natural resources,” even – to be taken advantage of. White people saw blacks as less than human, and as a result were oblivious to (or chose to ignore) their needs and desires. IM himself was blind to this reality of race relations. For example, he desperately wanted to please Mr. Norton, but he didn’t realize that this man saw him as a mere mark on his “score-card” of success. As a naïve college student, IM, as well as his fellow students, tried to conform to white society. They abandoned their own traditions, such as eating sweet yams, to fit in better with whites. But in doing so they abandoned important parts of their own true identities, further contributing to the environment of obscurity and suppression.
ReplyDelete-Eleanor Wettstein
I agree. It's really surprising how long ethnocentrism has been a concept. Since the late 1700's at least!
Delete-John Eggleston
If you listen to the npr story found on the blog about communism in the south, the historian Robin Kelley gives a very good example of how black people can be invisible. He explains that by pretending to be laundry women, black women in the communist party could move messages to the houses of party officials because other white people would be "blind" to them. This blindness is the normality of black women as laundry women, and the simplified view of them as simply something that transports laundry. Blindness to a person is simplifying them to one specific role, and ignoring their humanity and ability to make choices.
ReplyDeleteAnother time blindness worked in the African Americans' favor was when they sang their spirituals and work songs. Because the masters and supervisors viewed them as mere commodities, they neglected to attend to their lyrics, which were often coded messages which provided routes and times to escape the plantations. Rather brilliant!
DeleteBlindness comes from our subconscious desire to avoid anything unpleasant. When we see people who are less lucky than we are it makes us uncomfortable because we feel like we should help but don't really want to. We glance over these persons because they make us feel guilty. No one wants to feel unhappy.
ReplyDelete-Elizabeth Miller
The blindness that Ellison is privy to in the eyes of others comes from a particular, long-lasting ideal about the black man and all that he represents. There stands a deep and ugly history which is slavery and bondage, and the effects of that are still being displayed hundreds of years later. Many could not see him because he exhibits the past, and they would prefer not to remember what happened. It is also because many do not understand what it is like to be a black man at this time. And, as one of mankind's many indiscretions, the common man does not like, and does not trust, who he does not understand. We are blind to others for very similar reasons. We often choose not to see someone else, because it is easier than acknowledging that we have possibly done wrongdoing to that person. In other cases, we let someone be invisible because we don't know them, and we are afraid to let ourselves be vulnerable to a new friend, or even a new acquaintance. Most people are highly concerned about themselves and what may become of them as a result of others, and unfortunately the result of that is many a person's invisibility.
ReplyDelete-Molly Jackson
The true cause of blindness is mankind's natural disposition to be self-interested. What I mean by this is that our own human experience occupies a large majority of our brain and leaves very little space to consider the struggles and triumphs of other people. This phenomenon is easy to see in the halls of our very own East High. As I move from class to class I probably pass by at least two hundred other students but I never stop and consider the thoughts or actions of any student other than myself. Everyone just turns into a faceless blur which renders each individual student as invisible to my eyes. I believe that this is the experience that the Invisible Man relates to the audience within the book.
ReplyDelete-Spencer Frey
The true cause of blindness is mankind's natural disposition to be self-interested. What I mean by this is that our own human experience occupies a large majority of our brain and leaves very little space to consider the struggles and triumphs of other people. This phenomenon is easy to see in the halls of our very own East High. As I move from class to class I probably pass by at least two hundred other students but I never stop and consider the thoughts or actions of any student other than myself. Everyone just turns into a faceless blur which renders each individual student as invisible to my eyes. I believe that this is the experience that the Invisible Man relates to the audience within the book.
ReplyDelete-Spencer Frey
The blindness the Invisible Man refers to is not physical blindness but rather blindness by choice. There are many things that can cause someone to be blind to certain things, in the book the main causes of blindness were from racial prejudices and views that clouded the minds of society. This blindness can come from ignoring issues as well as not acknowledging other people's views and beliefs due to prejudices and opposing ideas. The invisibility that the Invisible Man experiences is not unique to his experience, many people around the world fell this sense of invisibility because of other people's blindness. If every person in every country began to see past differences and see the truth behind situations and circumstances, this blindness mentioned in the novel could be eliminated.
ReplyDelete-Elizabeth Brown
One could argue that the aforementioned blindness originates from an individual's hesitance to subscribe to new, or potentially radical, viewpoints. Contingent upon our experiences and interests, it is easy to understand why an individual might have no knowledge of another person's sentiments. We are so often blind to those surrounding us due, in large part, to our disinterest in the lives of those people. A viewpoint which is seen in the novel, which I don't endorse, is one which belongs to the white elites. They don't see the struggles of the black community, even as they bear partial responsibility. While none of this sensation is as simple as described, I believe that understanding these reasons can help in the defeat of this blindness.
ReplyDelete-Matthew Gessel
The reasoning behind why the IM is invisible is because, to everyone else, he is seen as an outcast. He goes unseen because he's attempting to overachieve as a black man in a society where this is not seen often. Although he tries to push himself above and beyond by going to college, and even accepting letters of recommendation for jobs in the city from Dr. Bledsoe (which end up being false letters of recommendation), he goes unnoticed. I believe that we tend to be blind to others because we simply do not know the person. We don't know everything that the person has gone through, and we simply don't notice them. Of course, there's the factors of some people's opinion on other races, where they simply do not care for someone and choose to ignore them due to their race, but I believe everyone can be blind to the people around them.
ReplyDelete- Derek Strong
I think that the reason why IM is invisible because he is, in a way socially inferior. This can be seen when he accidentally bumped into the blonde man in the prologue. Instead of ignoring the man when he mumbled a racial slur, he IM beat him up. I think that the people who don't really speak up are just overlooked. I also believe that the reason why we are so blind to others is because of what everyone goes through in their day to day lives. Some have it worse than others, but once they say something about it they might just come across as whiny or prone to complaining, and they just block it out. We are so engrossed in what we do everyday that we just don't have the energy to really listen to them anymore. It is true that everyone has some lightening up to do, but more importantly, we need to at least try to look into what needs to be done to help instead of ignoring them.
ReplyDelete-John Eggleston
In chapter 22, Invisible Man tells Brother Jack, “I’m riding the race I’m forced to ride” (469). Certain races have always been looked down upon, especially in the past, and a sense of egocentricity still exists today. “Superior” races alter their behaviors shown to minorities to demean and suppress them. Invisible Man speaks incessantly of the suppression he and his black culture are negatively affected by from the white people throughout his journey. When a superior or more dominant group diminishes or silences a different group through coercion, the suppressed group will not retaliate, but remain quiet. This forces one into “riding the race” they were born into, and strands them into invisibility. The practice of a dominant group inhibiting a different racial, religious, cultural, or socioeconomic group has been part of the United States and the world’s history for centuries. There are surely many reasons (although not justified) why white people have treated black people in such a horrific manner, but the root of the problems have all come from preconceived notions that have lingered in a culture. A prejudiced view was formed and cultures held onto these ideas because of tradition and practice. Depending on house hold situations and circumstances, the practices of treating others with invisibility is either taught or ceased through upbringing. Preconceived notions, one’s upbringing, and furthermore one’s action on these traditions is what forces one into “riding the race” they were born into, leaving them invisible.
ReplyDelete-Kaitlyn Nielson
The true cause of "blindness" is the selfish nature of humans. Me, you, everyone, "none of us seems to know who he[/she] is or where he's[/she`s] going" (Ellison 577). All humans are consumed in their search for their purpose, yet we never seem to really achieve that. This is why we, as humans, never really know the direction we`re going, yet all of us strive for it. In this journey, for our own selves, we become blind to much of the world around us. An example of this is when Brother Jack shows IM his glass eye. Jack`s eye symbolizes his limited vision of the world, and in that, his blindness to those who are invisible, people like IM. This is because Brother Jack is consumed in his own life and search for a direction, which he thinks is power in the Brotherhood. Invisibility is emphasized even greater when a person is a minority, someone who can be easily believed to not have a role in someone`s life, making it simpler for people to be blind to those who they believe aren`t important. And when blindness occurs in a society, it creates invisibility of those who are believed to be subordinate, which is often all, because human nature raises one`s self above others routinely.
ReplyDelete- Whitney DeVries
The true cause of this blindness is the precedent set by society to follow others and conform to their idea of how to behave. In the epilogue, our narrator realizes that "my problem was that I always tried to go in everyone's way but my own" (Ellison 573). Throughout the novel, our narrator is expected to blindly follow others and adopt their opinions. IM became invisible through the indifference and illusions of others. The Brotherhood is a prominent example of these themes. Near the end of the novel, the narrator learns that they only expected him to speak - not think. To the Brotherhood, our narrator was nothing more than a mere tool to start race riots in the streets. And our narrator was blind throughout their entire plan. It wasn't until the narrator embraced his invisibility that he realized: "You go along for years knowing something is wrong, then suddenly you discover that you're as transparent as the air" (Ellison 575). We are blind to others because we don't understand what it means to have to fight in order to be seen. The narrator's philosophy is to play the cards life deals you, and invisibility was in his cards. He writes about life and how it can be lived, but not controlled. The only flaw in that idea is someone who chooses to be blind. Members of society often choose blindness because they don't understand the invisible. As a society, we live our lives in terms of ourselves and our values - not others. We look, but we don't see.
ReplyDeleteThe cause of the blindness and overlook engrained in minds and eyes of those surrounding IM came as a result of many variables present in his surroundings. Cultural, environmental, and social elements perpetuated by the racism, oppression and white superiority of the era elevated the extent to which such social injustices were carried out, and for one living on the side burdened by a broken society, feelings of invisibility or irrelevance were not only understandable but common. Racial tensions were extremely high during the era of this novel, so most white individuals did not treat black citizens with the respect, dignity, or humanity that society today has tried to recognize and exercise, (whether or not we have accomplished such is a whole other topic...). Humans are inherently more comfortable and drawn to those like our own, as such commonality in appearance and social values gives us comfort. In present times, we are encouraged to accept and seek differences and see how we can thrive and grow from such rifts or uncommon grounds. However, we still see many elements of xenophobia and fear in those unlike us in our era, seen explicitly in various political policies by our current administration. Such slow growth in acceptance of those unlike ourselves has stemmed from our deeply engrained nature of discomfort of the unfamiliar. In the era of IM, seeking out differences and trying to build relationships with those unlike oneself was not supported by society, especially for those unaffected by social injustice and racism. For those plagued by circumstance, receiving recognition and even praise by the successful in America was desirable, sometimes causing black individuals to desire conformity and approval from white citizens as they viewed it as a path exercising the American Dream. In seeking their approval, he sometimes abandoned his true self and his oppressed people in the name of hopeful success. When IM would get the slightest bit of recognition, which was rare, he would completely engulf it. He would willingly conform to what others wanted him to be, much like a puppet. He eventually went so far with it to become invisible when it seemed that is what they wanted from him. IM continued to trust people such as Mr. Norton and the Brotherhood, trying his hardest to please them, not recognizing they were only utilizing him for his skills and would end up hindering his ability to succeed in the end. The temptation of success and status was too great for IM to recognize that he was sacrificing his identity and confidence in self in order to please. A combination of all the above caused IM to slowly stray from his true self, eventually withering into invisibility.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteThe true cause of this blindness seems to be a common trait within humans. Us humans seem to choose not to associate ourselves with those who are different than us, whether it is on purpose or on accident. The members of society that surround IM throughout the novel are blind due to the cultural norms at the time. IM does his best throughout the novel to become more visible to others, but when he didn't get the recognition he yearned for, he dug himself further into his hole of Invisibility.
ReplyDeleteThe theoretical blindness that IM refers to one becoming blind, arises from the inner selfishness of the human condition. Evolution has led to humans opting to remain in groups of similar individuals. This notion originated millennia ago out of the need for safety. Thus, communities of humans where established along with traditions defined by climate and region. Gradually over the course of history, humanity expanded its grasp across the Earth and consequently brought communities into contact. Although IM is present within the community in New York, he is cast aside as a foreigner. This subtle rejection allows IM to be largely ignored, thus enabling IM to appear invisible. We ignore others for the same reason as IM is ignored. Often, we see someone with a strange appearance or hear someone with an odd accent then subconsciously think that person is different. This mindset leads to us being “blind” to others.
ReplyDeleteThe figurative blindness that IM describes is caused by both social and personal factors. Societal views of issues such as race become deeply embedded in people, and thus influence the way they view the world and their neighbors. Prejudice is almost always rooted in fear of difference. People tend to denounce those who are different from them because it is easier to understand those with whom they are similar, and people like to feel in control of their understanding. In the epilogue, IM praises diversity, but he is ahead of much of society. Structures such as government tend only to enable blindness, as the system has always favored those born into privilege. But even these structures were formed from society, meant to serve those who it views favorably. Because of society’s prejudice on a local level, as well as its power through the government, it influences many people and causes them to be blind to those who are different from them. These “different” people are all too often minorities. Society’s views of certain groups of people greatly influence its members on a personal level. So although it takes both society and individuals to turn a blind eye to minorities, in many ways the two entities are one in the same. Thus, as society’s blindness is passed on through the people, many become blind to others, and many become invisible themselves. The cycle of oppression and structural violence creates internalized blindness in minorities, which reflects invisibility from the inside out. IM is forced to be invisible because, as he says, “people refuse to see [him]” (Ellison 3).
ReplyDelete-Gracie James
Blindness is caused by fear and ignorance. One may be blind due to the fear of prejudice from their affiliated group, or even other groups. Social pressure and its expectations is one of the most powerful forces (Solomon Asch's experiment is just a small example of conformity, but displays how real it is.) Racial division is so deeply rooted in American culture, the pressure to stay within "race norms" is immense and thus why so many people have become blind. Mind that this social push is constant, and so it becomes a habit for anyone to merely judge someone due to their race, a visible "group," and not as a unique individual with unique traits and personal thoughts. This is how IM realizes that he is invisible. In the beginning of the novel, IM knew his place in society. He was an African American male in the 1920's, and that had its limits. He grew up in the south, where severe racism took place. He was raised to be submissive to the so-called "superior race" of whites. This also applies to any other race in any culture, we as humans are raised to know our place in society. We grow up learning not venture out into other realms and become ignorant, or blind, to those who may be suppressed or disrespected, because they are simply "in their place." IM is invisible because people are ignorant to see his individuality and fear the social consequences of being able to see beyond race. We as a society can be blind through fear of reaching across the race barrier and ignorant to what special contributions those individuals of other races may hold.
ReplyDeleteThe cause of blindness in Invisible man is the inability of people to recognize individuality in other's lives. When brother Jack looks at his staff and followers he sees a lot of materials and several tools to manipulate them with. Invisibility comes when it doesn't matter who does what you do, as long as someone is doing it. It is easy to invoke on others when they are tightly controlled and allowed no individual choice to appear in their work. Invisibility is when actions are not seen as accomplished by individuals but by a role. When people are reduced to their socially defined role it allows others to ignore the person behind the actions.
ReplyDeleteThe figurative blindness in Invisible Man is caused by erroneous assumptions. Assumptions lead to expectations, which in turn determine perception. When people are burdened with preconceived notions about the superiority of one race over another, or in the case of the Brotherhood, the belief in the importance of a group over the individual, their perception is limited to a narrow point of view. In this example, the Brotherhood loses sight of the most crucial factor in their equation, which is that a group of people is made up of individuals. Through the very action of stripping away their individuality, they are buying into the system of oppression where a powerful few decide what is best for the vast majority, effectively implying they think themselves better equipped to determine the live’s of the people than the people themselves. This strips the people of their voice, making them invisible in the eyes of the few.
ReplyDeleteThe blindness in Invisible Man is caused by societal expectations that diminished character's individuality. Near the end of the novel, IM discovers, by learning about Rinehart's multiple personas, that people are multifaceted beings impossible to fully comprehend unless generalizations and stereotypes are removed. IM's complete personality was hidden behind facades designed to appease the demands of others. The preconceived ideas about black men among the different communities IM interacted with shows how rapidly a person's unique characteristics can be hidden behind an uninformed generalization, rendering individuals invisible to the blindness of societal expectations.
ReplyDeleteThe blindness that is read of in IM is a spectacle that is perceived as an imperative, while in reality it's a wall we create that prohibits one from seeing ahead. Ahead of the image one creates, the image that covers the truth of what is in front of you. The blindness is promoted by racism, cultural diversity, religion, gender, race, and color. IM's invisibility is powered by the blind's bias thoughts and actions, it is seen as a generalization of people based upon the expectations they think, and assume because of their pass and their assumptions. This blindness is an epidemic that cannot be stopped but can be altered by taking action on this cultural generalization that as humans we have. It's a judgement and a persecution given to the invisible.
ReplyDelete-Gregoria Alegria