It is not in a cool sense like Susan Storm from the Fantastic 4 who has the super power to turn invisible, rather it is plainly the fact that he is a black man who is not seen by others. In the beginning as he described himself, I truly wanted to feel pity. This man thinks of himself as invisible to the world, so much so, that he doesn't even feel the need to say his name to an audience who is curious to learn more! However, that feeling dissipates within me when he tells us about his mugging incident with the white man. Yes it is fueling his case for being invisible to the audience, but it is also fueling my case for thinking that he is unreliable due to his emotions as well as causing me to slightly unlike him (non of this is related to his race I must add, it is simply because I do not think that violence is ever the answer to solve any problems).
Moving on from the prologue which included some tribute to the famous Louis Armstrong as well as the building of the man feeling invisible throughout society, we move to chapter one. The narrator starts off by developing himself as a character in the story, talking about his grandparents, who were freed slaves from the Civil War and who lived peaceful meek lives in contrast to the father who undermined the people around him. He remembered his grandfather saying on his deathbed weakness being a treachery because it results in a mockery to their community. However the narrator still chose to live a meek life himself, as shown in his next memory of high school and the speeches that he made. They urged the black community to submit and be humble to others in order to advance in society, which was very popular amongst the white community. They urged him to speak at gathering, however this gathering made a circus show out of what should have been a delivery of a great speech. It had boys tumbling on the ground fighting each other blindfolded, then when they were all beat up and tired, and the fights were over, they fought again for money that was thrown at them-that electrocuted them instead. Yet the narrator still wanted to make his speech. But what irks me the most is when he is quoting Booker T. Washington, and begins to speak about social equality-he cowers and says that it was a simple mistake rather than standing for his actual beliefs! I guess if I were in that situation and was staring death in the face as he as staring at a group of outraged white men, I would have probably cowered as well, but for me to want to believe in him I want him to be bold and courageous! However, due to his cowering he gets a briefcase (will this be a significant as the handkerchief in Othello?) This obviously is a symbol to the narrator, but I am not too sure quite yet what it is. What's curious though is what's inside-a scholarship to a state college for black youth. This is huge for the narrator and he is thrilled!! I wonder how this will fuel him and his invisibility amongst others. The chapter then ends with a trip to the circus with the narrator and his grandfather, then he awakes with laughter ringing in his ears. I am not too sure how reliable this entire dream sequence can be, considering that I already think that he is an unreliable narrator and it is a very emotional dream he recalled. The boxing with the others boys could mean many things-it could be literal, or it might just be how he felt, but I am not too sure what I believe quite yet.
Chapter two is slightly shorter, yet still a relocation of the narrators memory-this being an experience in college. It begins with the narrator recalling his colleges statue-a black founder, yet his eyes are cold and his stance rigid. I think that this stands out a lot, because the narrator felt that going to a school where he was welcomed and not shunned, he thought that the statue of the founder might have been a little bit more "welcoming" and not so cold. This could fuel his invisibility complex that he feels. It then moves to a drive that he had with a millionaire named Mr. Norton. He began to work for the man, and took him on a drive to the country side, however things took a turn (haha car pun) when he accidentally drove to the old slave cabins and to the home of Mr. Trueblood. But what irks me here, is the amount of shame that the narrator feels when passing these cabins. He is so upset that he says that the whole trip was a mistake and he urged Mr. Norton to allow him to drive away. Why would he feel this way? None of this was his fault, yet here he is feeling shamed of buildings and a man that he couldn't control. Why is it do you think that he feels this way?
So I probably did this whole thing wrong and we were probably supposed to divide it up somehow and I was probably supposed to put in quotes, but I am just so confused and I left my book at school. I had already read it before this weekend, but I can't get the quotes in right now if we were supposed to have some... So yah! I think that it's your turn?
