Literary Symbolism in Ellison’s Invisible Man

What elements of symbolism and motifs surround Ellison’s Invisible Man?

 

Throughout Ellison’s novel, there are many instances of symbolism dealing with the theme of equality, as well as . The first example of this, is the paper; representing the narrator’s next move. In the beginning of the novel, the narrator delivers a speech after the battle royal and is presented with a scholarship for college. The next instance of this, is when the narrator is given job recommendation letters from Bledsoe, having been expelled from college. In chapter thirteen, the narrator is given a number by a supportive white man, inspired by the speech he heard the narrator give when he came upon an old couple being forcefully evicted, who hopes to have the narrator deliver speeches in his organization.  However, the narrator is reluctant at first, despite that the man “…can see that you have been well trained” (Ellison, 225), and buys the narrator cheesecake and coffee. This combination may also be symbolic and a motif (food and drink) to racial coexistence- the delicate cheesecake as the well to do white man, above and desired then most other kind of foods, and the coffee the black man with a harsher life and wanted by those with a common, more bitter taste.

Another element of symbolism in the novel are the yams. One day, when the narrator becomes famished while walking in the streets, he passes by a yam street vendor, but hesitates to buy them as they are a traditional “niger food”. Out of famished hunger, the narrator buys one and walks always. However, shortly afterwards, he comes back after recalling the yams he ate in his youth, and buys more-having had accepted his black identity he repressed for so long ( “I yam what I yam”). It is also around this time that his interest in making public speeches again begins to eat at him.

Invisible Man Journal- Ch. 9

What happened to the narrator’s “double- conscience”? How are the narrator’s actions related to paper (recommendation letters)? What is Dr. Bledsoe’s motif?

Up until chapter nine, the narrator was very aware of his “double conscience” in society and in dealing with people himself.This was very apparent when he served as Mr. Norton’s driver, despite Bledsoe’s disapproval on how he handled the situation.However, upon meeting Mr. Emerson’s son, this all changes. Before, he was under the assumption that Dr. Bledsoe, despite having him expelled, was someone he could trust and rely on. It might also be inferred that the narrator had come to see Bledsoe as a father figure, due to the nature of the way that the narrator handles being expelled- first with yelling, and then with an accepting, almost apologetic tone easily permeable to punishment. Further, he was so sure of Dr. Bledsoe that he wanted to return to the college and assist him after finishing his education-similar to the role of a tentative son. However, after seeing what Bledsoe wrote on his recommendation letters, the narrator begins to lose some of his “double-consciousness” towards his own race, as Bledsoe, like a white man (as depicted by Rudyard Kipling’s “White Man’s Burden”), feels almost burdened by the narrator. Dr. Bledsoe also seems ashamed of the narrators actions, in what seems like an attempt to maintain his position of power-his life’s winnings. Despite having read the letters himself at the request of Mr. Emerson’s son, the narrator begins to show a lot of doubt towards Bledsoe, as well as Emerson’s son- although, he still maintains hope for Mr. Emerson himself, regardless of his son’s warnings. This lack of trust is further emphasized when the narrator refuses a job and party invitation from Emerson’s son; who at this point, seems to be the only person the narrator should trust; as he has been completely honest with the best of intent: as opposed to his father, who may in some way represent hope for new start to the narrator, but will probably not have as much empathy or even opportunity for him as promised.

Regarding the narrator’s motifs, he continues to be motivated by paper. The first event driven by such, was the scholarship to college he received after giving a short speech at the end of battle royale, in contempt of having been treated so brutally he is still coughing up blood during the speech . The second time was when he received multiple recommendation letters (7) from Dr. Bledsoe after having been kicked out of school; which led him to pursue his journey in New York. It is here that Dr. Bledsoe’s motifs are re-innervated; concerning his selfishness and need for power-even at the expense and hardships of others. In both cases, the paper is presented at the end of a struggle, suggesting that it may be symbolic(the whiteness of the paper alludes to purity; specifically pure of heart. It may also refer to death, of an old life, and the beginning of a new one) to the narrator’s ambitions and delicate balance of mind, as paper is easily destroyed.

Starbucks’ “Race Together” Campaign

Regarding the inequality campaign, people may not have liked the approach Starbucks took;as it was extremely direct, and could easily be judged negatively by someone holding a different opinion nearby. I think the campaign would have been more successful if Starbucks had designated one or two employees (of whom were fairly open minded, and not racist themselves) to privately interview customers at secluded tables, and offered a free item as a token of appreciation. It may have also helped if they sent e-mails to those who had a Starbucks membership, and offered them a free star along with a free item. Additionally, most of us who go to Starbucks are there on our own mission- whether it be to get work done or get a caffeine fix, not to be questioned and evaluated on our own personal opinions.

I personally think that it’s important to discuss and try to get rid of racial inequality, but I think it’s important to have the right kind of atmosphere when doing so. If we don’t discuss it, less people are likely to get involved and the issue will continue, and those experiencing it will continue to be hurt and experience “a double-conscience”. However, if discussed in the wrong kind of environment with strongly outspoken racist people, others who support equality may suppress their opinions and veer away from the  action it will take to get rid of racism. It is also important for people to take the right kind of action if they have decided to act out or protest  against a prejudice situation. Ideally, and hopefully eventually, the world will view others from a blind man’s perspective; that is to say to judge based on the heart and mind, rather than appearance and stereotypes (white,black or other).

It is not that there is an aspect of racism that should or should not be discussed, but rather how it should not be discussed. If people are not completely open on the issue, things won’t change and the racial bitterness will continue. However, if the people in the discussion are not capable of being empathetic toward others in the group, they should probably stay away from discussing things like violence and seeing black people as property rather than breathing, feeling human beings just as they are. A good example of this, is the character Marie LaLaurie from the tv show American Horror Story; a racist white woman from the past, cursed with eternal life by outspoken black rival Marie Laveau. After having heartlessly slaying many blacks due to feelings of white superiority, Marie LaLaurie is forced to watch her daughters die right in front of her and hang (lynched) from her own home. She is then later forced by another black character, Queenie, to watch black movements on a tv set in order to show her the other side of the story, as well as serve as her personal slave for a time.As a result, LaLaurie begins to show a bit of empathy for a little while, but soon returns to her old ways- even murdering another black man, despite Queenies efforts. Queenie’s character also deals with prejudice, and at one point runs off with Marie Laveau to feel more accepted and at peace with herself.

Regionalism and Gender Roles in Freeman’s “Revolt of ‘Mother'”

While many 19th century authors focused on works of fiction, others began to move away from it, and instead focus on realism. Specifically, realism (also called local color) is a literary technique devoted to the accurate representation of reality, as well as a movement against romanticism (fictional writing related to certain countries, and their way of life). Many realist writers chose to focus more on small town characters, and less on those well documented in history, in order to make the characters more relatable to the everyday reader. Some of the most well known realist writers, are F. Scott Fitzgerald(The Great Gatsby), J.D. Salinger(Franny and Zooey), Ernest Hemingway (The Old Man and the Sea), and Mary Wilkins Freeman ( “The Revolt of ‘Mother’”); who were later known as the lost generation. Freeman’s stories analyse the challenges many women faced when they rebelled against a long standing sexist society, by becoming more independently willed and less submissive to men.

Mary Wilkins Freeman was born October 31st in Randolph, MA. Throughout high school and college, she attended female seminaries, which greatly influenced her writing on woman. Her establishment as a writer came in the late 1980’s, when she published a collection of short stories; from which “The Revolt of ‘Mother’” was taken. Throughout her stories, Freeman emphasizes the roles of isolated woman living in New England, who constantly dealt with the sexism related to industrial society. Freeman also felt that while her stories were based current women of her time, they would quickly seem more so like events of the past rather than current life, due to the rapid evolution of the industry, and the everchanging roles of woman. This change would inevitably affect her writing, as woman on the East coast were subject to change sooner than others, due to their relative closeness to Europe; specifically in England, where Western style and culture was developing rapidly, and influencing other nations via cultural diffusion.

In Freeman’s  short story “The Revolt of ‘Mother’”, Freeman analysis how the industry is rapidly changing small town characters; who are inspired to fight against gender roles in their society. Respectively, Sarah (mother), having played the role of a good mother and  housewife for over 50 years, decides to take matters in her own hands when her husband tries to build a barn instead of a house on the only empty plot of land. To worsen matters, the people in her community are largely unsupportive of her plan, as they have come to rely on traditional gender roles; not those of the modern woman. Nevertheless, Sarah is successful, to the point that her husband apologies to her, and promises to do what she wants henceforward. This gesture may not seem very important now, but in that time was a big deal because it made man (who was supposed to be the stronger sex; masculine, fearless, and support the family), look weaker than females, who were seen as the weaker sex ( expected to birth children, take care of the house, agree blindly with her husband, support her husband, and do the laundry as well as cooking)

Despite the many popular fictional 19th century authors, a growing clan of writers began to develop their works based on realism; a technique used to portray the realities of life mostly using small town characters. Among these, was Mary Wilkins Freeman; whose writing reflected the lives of New England woman, and their rebellion of traditional gender roles in an industrial society. As a result, many women (such as Sarah from “The Revolt of ‘Mother’”) were inspired to, and successful in carrying out their own ambitions against the will of men.

Gender Roles and Reversals

 

 

In today’s society (as well as in the past), men and woman have been subject to roles and tasks that are gender specific. For women, this includes “easy” things, like laundry, cooking, sewing, cleaning, showing weakness, and taking care of children. Regarding men, they are expected to be strong, never show weakness, protect, be athletic, and provide for their family. Most of the time however, these things are a very inaccurate embodiment of how people, regardless of gender, really are. For example, in Judy Brady’s essay Why  I Want a Wife, Brady discusses why she to wants a wife who will “send me to school….keep track of the children’s appointments…take care of my physical needs..” (Brady). By the same token, Kitty from That 70’s Show is made out as a very feminine character, but wants to get a career; something to fulfill on a regular basis, that allows for more gender equality and is told by her husband, Bob, that the only thing she needs to be worried about filling is the top of her shirt.

 

 Personally, I fulfill and rebel against the typical female stereotype. While I do like things to be clean, and care immensely for those I love, I also have another side that is not “feminine” at all. I like to skateboard and play video games, and I would much rather be playing call of duty then be getting my nails done or go shopping.

 

With the exception of woman receiving education and being accepted in the workforce (although, many jobs are still sexist against woman more so then men), not much has changed with societies standards since the 1960’s. Woman are expected to balance more then they have in the past with the addition of a career, but are still scarcely accepted as a strong leader or any other form of dominance. Men’s standards are pretty much the same, with the possible exception on an emphases to be more fit. With this, comes a growing need for self expression and an increase in rebellion against gender roles, presently taking the form of same sex marriages and women in government offices.

 

 

The Archetypes Within

In looking  at the Jungian archetypes, I am most definitely the soul type. In general, the soul type focuses more on the unconscious psyche, which deals with the feminine and masculine side we all have within us. It is important for everyone regardless of gender to find a balance within themselves, and never neglect feelings they might have, even if they are more masculine or feminine then they are comfortable with. For example, I find it is easiest to express my masculine side by skateboarding and playing video games, and feminine by cooking and gardening. I see all four parts of the soul archetype in me, which is why I believe it to be the best to identify with. I am the explorer, in that I love to explore new places, and be independent and sometimes completely isolated. I firmly believe we all need to find ourselves on our own time, and should not let our inner self be molded by family or society. I am the rebel, in that I think rules are meant to be broken, and that when government becomes harmful or unfair, the people need to revolt. I am the lover, in that I believe that there is only one true love that one must find in their life. Further, once that person is found, I believe you must spend a lot of intimate time getting to know that person on all levels, to the point of where they become a part of you, you can no longer live without. I am the creator, in that I love making art, especially sculpture. I believe that the images and ideas in my head can become a reality, even if the building blocks (such as technology) is not at the same level yet.

Regarding the Ego type, I am the hero. I believe that if you truly want to do something, it is never impossible. I am willing to do things others would not (such as joining a circus, or living alone in an isolated area) and have interest in doing them. I am not easily frightened, and love watching horror movies; although I have yet to be afraid. 

Under the self type, I am the magician. I believe that there is a way to make things happen, and that dreams can come true. I believe in developing a vision of how you want your life to be, and that we can all achieve our dream lives, regardless of obstacles in our way. 

The Archetypal Hero

 

While many different hero stories can be found in all regions of the world, there are similar underlying ideas in all of them, that suggest that the hero themselves are more so an embodiment of the culture and its ideas then an individual in themselves. Most hero’s are found to have the fallowing characteristics in common; bravery, altruistic, visionary, focus, determination, ambition, fatal flaw, wisdom, and honesty.

Real life hero’s are often more of an individual, and therefore do not have as many of the same attributed as the stereotypical hero. For example, in the news recently, there was a man who lived near a cliff well known for the many suicides that happened there every year.  In response, the man (who lived very close to the cliff), saved many suicidal people from jumping by restraining them (in his younger days, of course), asking what he could personally do to help, and offered a cold glass of beer or tea to those willing to step away from the cliff. This man is undoubtedly a hero, but does not posses some of the common traits (ambition and vision for example) of a typical hero. To read more about his story http://www.businessinsider.com/the-australian-man-who-stopped-as-many-as-500-people-from-jumping-off-a-cliff-passed-away-2012-5

On the other hand, fictional characters almost always posses all the qualities of a hero, because they are created as such.  It is much easier to write and elude to a hero fictionally, because it allows the author of their (the hero’s) story to consider and include information in the hero’s personality that reflects whatever they are specifically trying to portray.

However, both fictional and nonfictional hero’s always bring a sense of peace into light, even if there is a tragedy to themselves or a companion along the way, the cost of peace and fulfillment is always more important (for example, the man who saved people from jumping probably meant with some resistance at one encounter or another, but did not give up…..fictionally, the main character from Pan’s labyrinth loses fairy companions to an evil creature, but still accomplishes her goal in the end)

Heroes can be harmful to society, if they have the wrong ideas in mind. For example, using strength or drugs to try to forcefully prevent someone from doing something, may bring more harm then intended, even if one’s heart is in the right place in trying to prevent something.

Being completely honest, I don’t have “hero’s” in my life……I’ve been through some things (and are still experiencing), that have pushed me away from being trusting and dependent on others, and have yet to find someone I can label as a hero…

 

The New Age of Enlightenment

During the mid-17th  century, the age of enlightenment flooded across Europe. Scientist and philosophers separated from the church, in order to clearly study the universe and it’s inhabitants.  Knowledge in the areas of Art, Philosophy, Math, Science, and English grew tremendously, largely due to the use of logical thinking, and the creation of methods that would test results for accuracy.

Recently, it has been argued that the 20th century is an age of enlightenment as well, due to growth in those same areas. For example,  literary works such as George Orwell’s 1984  and Animal Farm have made a huge impact in the last few decades, regarding their accurate embodiment of government as well as society.  Regarding math and science, we have made tremendous breakthroughs. Diseases that once destroyed entire populations, are now easily treatable in most countries, with full recovery in most patients. Further, our knowledge in the medical field has grown to the extent that we are now able to treat known  and unknown virus’s effectively  as they are discovered.

Within the past few days specifically, the Ebola virus has killed many in Africa, and deteriorated the health of an American  doctor and volunteer, who were treated while in Africa before being sent to the center for disease control (CDC) in Georgia. When the doctor arrived in Georgia yesterday, despite his rapidly deteriorating health, he seemed to respond well to the treatment. This is just one example of how far we have advanced in the medical field alone.

However, the medical field is not the only thing getting our attention…

 

Despite negotiable efforts, many governments have become hostile to their citizens. If you’ve turned on the news this year, you’ve probably seen the riots in the Ukraine against Russia, and the Syrians fighting a civil war. Many  Americans have also protested on Wall St., and at a local state level as well, including here in Arkansas. With the rise of these efforts, police around the world have become increasingly brutal and ruthless in killing innocent people, and now signify something almost heartless, nowhere near the interest of protecting the people…..With these actions and ideas in play around the world, it would be fair to argue that within the near future there will be another reform within the next few decades, regarding our freedoms as human beings and individuals.