A day students. Please post a comment to respond to the following prompt. Draw on your knowledge of Invisible Man as well as your understanding of Plato's "Allegory of the Cave" to answer the following questions. Use textual references where necessary.
Plato raises the idea in paragraph forty of transitioning between the world of light and the cave and that these transitions each affect the vision of the human. Plato says as well that these "bewilderments...from coming out of the light or from going into...[are] true of the mind's eye, quite as much as of the bodily eye." I would argue that the Invisible Man has suffered from these bewilderments multiple times throughout the text.
Which moment of the text do you think is the has provided the most significant bewilderment to the Invisible Man? Is this a moment of going out of the light or going into it? Which of his eyes is this effecting? What is the overall importance?
Be thorough but concise in your answer. Show me that you've read the book and tell me something coherent - edit before you hit submit. Make sure you're focusing on the prompt.
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I think the moment that has provided the most significant bewilderment to the Invisible Man is when he wakes up in the factory hospital. The Invisible Man wakes up dazed and confused about what is going on. Once the man starts to ask him what is name is, the Invisible Man goes into shock; he can’t remember what his name is. Ellison writes, “I tried again, plunging into the blackness of my own mind. It was no use…(239).”After working at the paint factory, it is as though the white people have taken his identity. This is an obvious time of going into the darkness for the Invisible Man. He doesn’t know who he is and, at this moment, doesn’t know what to do. This is taking away the Invisible Man’s ability to see the truth; once he is part of the white society, it is hard for him to see what is wrong with it. Also, when he wakes up a different man is looking at him with “a bright third eye that glowed from the center of his forehead (231).” This experience takes away the Invisible’s man inner eye, also called the third eye. The white man is blocking the Invisible Man’s ability to see a higher truth about the white society by “blinding” his inner eye. This, therefore, is important because it interferes with the Invisible Man’s journey to find his true identity. He must now wait for the “burning” to stop before he can continue on.
The moment that has provided the most significant bewilderment for the Invisible Man was right after he makes his speech to the large audience from page 347 to page 349. He has just entered the brotherhood and is being tested by the older and more experienced brothers. When he is walking in the tunnel, he is physically blinded because the spotlight had been shining in his eyes. He cannot even walk straight. He says that he “stumbled as in a game of Blind Man’s Bluff.” He is literally leaving the light and entering a dark passage-leaving him blinded. However, he is also entering the dark on a figurative level. He is blinded by the fact that the white men are not perfect; he believes that their intentions are completely righteous. The Invisible Man is not certain where he is going to end up, or with whom he will end up with. The stumbling in the tunnel symbolizes his uncertainty. The fact that the Invisible Man is falling for the same false acceptance as he did before shows that he is going into the dark-he is entering the dark cave to be chained up, not leaving.
The moment that caused the Invisible Man the most bewilderment is after Emerson junior informed him of Bledsoe’s true intentions by revealing the contents of the letters. It was at this moment that the readers can see a huge shift in the narrator’s personality. Before, the Invisible Man was under the influence of Dr. Bledsoe, and believed in every word he said. However after being thrown into reality by finding out that Bledsoe was merely using him, the Invisible Man truly feels anger and resentment of the real world. He is no longer blindfolded by the leaders of his community, and is now searching for his own identity. This moment signifies the Invisible Man going into the light as the sun represents the truth in the “Allegory of the Cave”. The shadows in the cave represent the darkness that people choose to live their life in. At first, the Invisible Man lived in a “cave” because he succumb to men like Bledsoe and Norton who kept the majority of the African American race is disregard to the men in power who were mainly of European descent. Readers could long tell that Dr. Bledsoe was a corrupt figure who was using his own people, the African American race, to stay below the whites so that he can remain in power along with the whites. After Emerson junior revealed to the Invisible Man that Bledsoe was just jerking him around and making a fool out of him, the Invisible Man got a glimpse of reality and started to see the sunlight which effected his inner eye of his mind because he started to view people and act differently. For the first time, readers can see the Invisible Man talk back to his superior figure (Brockway) and by getting into a physical altercation with him after this incident because the Invisible Man’s personality and state of mind started to change. He also started to become more violent; he stated that he would “kill Bledsoe…I owe it to the race and to myself (194).” This is significant because the Invisible Man is starting to see the sunlight, and is starting to lift blindfold from his eyes so that he can truly become enlighten by reality.
The moment that has provided the most significant bewilderment to the Invisible Man is when the old man and woman are evicted which causes him to deliver his first speech. He realizes the injustice that is being shown towards them, and for the first time, decides to take action in the form of his speech. During his speech, the Invisible Man says, "These old ones are out in the snow, but we're here with them"(279). By saying this, the Invisible Man taking pride in his race instead of trying to become like the whites as he had been doing before. This in turn, leads him into the light, which means he is establishing his identity. This moment is affecting his mind's eye because he is advocating for his race not because they have the same skin color, but because they are all experiencing injustice. This particular moment is important overall, because he is taking a step in the right direction, and is discovered by the Brotherhood after giving this speech. Eventually he diverges from this direction and returns from the light once he joins the Brotherhood.
The moment that has provided the most significant “bewilderment” to the Invisible Man is the moment in which Dr. Bledsoe completely shatters the Invisible Man’s image of him in Chapter Six. Upon expelling the Invisible Man from college, Dr. Bledsoe informs him of the true nature of his power in society. He states that the Invisible Man “…doesn’t know the difference between the way things are and the way things are supposed to be (pg 142),” shedding light on his blindness to the realities of society. Bledsoe also informs the Invisible Man that he “doesn’t exist” because the people in power tell him what to think (pg 143). Up until this point in the novel the Invisible Man had chosen to believe that if he worked hard and conformed to the white power he would find success, however, Dr. Bledsoe states that the only way to gain power as an African American is by “acting the nigger” and deceiving both the whites and members of his own race. The Invisible Man’s reaction to this revelation proves to be the exact kind of bewilderment Plato describes in the “Allegory of the Cave”. His bodily eye goes into the light as he looks into Dr. Bledsoe’s eyes and sees his sincerity (the truth), while his mind’s eye goes into the light as he begins to understand the disgusting truth that lies within Dr. Bledsoe’s words (pgs 143-144). Upon this enlightenment, the Invisible Man is internally conflicted between accepting this new truth and reverting back to the darkness in which he and other members of his race had always lived. Even though the Invisible Man chooses to disregard this revelation as he prepares to travel up to New York, the very truths that he discovers in this moment continue to confront him as the novel progresses, tempting him to realize and accept his invisibility.
The moment I think that provided the Invisible Man with the most significant bewilderment was when he was put on “trial” by Brother Wrestrum, accusing him of “using the Brotherhood movement to advance his own selfish interests,” (400). In the Invisible Man’s eyes, he did nothing wrong by doing the interview with the reporter and was punished for doing his job of promoting the Brotherhood. Wrestrum even pointed out that the Invisible Man “works in the dark.,” playing more with the idea of the cave and light verse dark. This is a moment of the Invisible Man going out of the light because he has been evicted from Harlem and into a less prominent role, even though he keeps a positive outlook on the situation. Because of his positive attitude, I would say the Invisible Man is affecting his mind’s eye, because his soul has become a better person and he grew from the experience. This is important overall because after the Invisible Man is banished from Harlem he realizes that not everyone is his friend or on his side. Even though he is helping the brotherhood they will not hesitate to “cut [him] down.”
-Morgan Trachtman
I think one of the most 'bewildering' moments the Invisible Man has is at the party where he is first acquainted with the brotherhood. Even though one would think he has entered the real world and can see the metaphorical sun of truth, the Invisible Man is being led back into the darkened cave of shadows. He is picked up in a taxi with Brother Jack and brought to the Hotel Chthonian, where he meets many white people belonging to The Brotherhood. They offer him something to drink and ask him if he would like to become a part of their organization as "the new Booker T. Washington" (298). He is stunned by their offer, but accepts and parties the night away, drinking copious amounts and dancing with a white girl as the vet predicted.
The Invisible Man believes that the Brotherhood is his ticket to success and that these white people are different from Norton and Bledsoe; this is him being lead into darkness (and into another circle) by whites. He trusts them and is willing to accept the new identity they assign to him, but he cannot see that the Brotherhood only wants him for his speaking prowess and as a symbol of his race. This blinding of his inner eye is evident when Emma says "But shouldn't he be a little blacker?" and he doesn't immediately realize something is wrong. He is also physically blinded because he's drinking and therefore can not see as well as he usually would be able to. This is a very important section because he came very close to finding his identity after the factory accident and will perhaps discover it through another difficult trial as this one will surely be.
The most significant bewildering moment that the invisible man goes through is his encounter with the waiter. At this moment the invisible man is departing with the light and entering the cave because he is forcing himself to resist the temptation of enjoying the southern breakfast he is given. Within this section, there is this sense of confusing and resistances that our main character deals with. The invisible man wants to distort the vision of those around him by making it seem as though he is more northern than southern. However, the problem is not necessarily with him, but the fact that this southern identity is forced upon him by the waiter rather than giving him to chance to order for himself and symbolically allow him to find and express his true identity. In some ways, this is a good change for the invisible man nevertheless; he is still being “forced” to find this alternate identity that is not his own. This can be compared to the power that Bledsoe and his grandfather have over his identity throughout the text. The invisible man leaves the lights because he is unable to find his own identity and becomes a mirror image of the southern community. The invisible man states, “It was an act of discipline, a sign of change that was coming over me and which would return to college a more experienced man. (157)” Through this claim, the invisible man is ultimately rejecting his identity. This sign of change that he is referring to is the change that the north has imposed on him. The eye that is blinded in the case of the invisible man is his inner eye. He is simply unable to see his true identity which is symbolically his inner eye that allows him to see within himself rather than abiding to the forced identity which is pushed on him by the waiter pushes on him and the people he encounter such as Bledsoe. This moment is important because it shows not only the confusion that the invisible man deals with but also this idea of self identity. The invisible man is surrounded by those who want him to be a certain way to fit into society however, the invisible man is blinded by this obligation to conform to this society that he has just entered, which does not allow him to find his own identity. By trying to resist the temptation of the southern breakfast that is offered to him by the waiter he is molding himself in a shadow of “northern black” and therefore he like the men in the “Allegory of The Cave” is shackled and chained by this obligation to fit to cultural aspects of NY. Thus, the invisible man is leaving the light because he allowing himself to become the mirror image of a northern black by resisting this meal.
Kelly Childress
I found the moment that brought about the most bewilderment for the Invisible Man occurred throughout chapter 18. Living in a society where there is a clear distinction between races, the Invisible Man was used to the hatred and constantly feeling inferior the white race. Going along with the idea of circles, the Inivisible Man received yet another letter, this one telling him to “not go too fast” and remember his race, and the little importance that holds. This really set him back, after questioning Brother Tarp if there was anyone who didn’t like him. It wasn’t until Brother Westrum pointed out his feelings towards the Invisible Man and accused him of accused him using the Brotherhood for the wrong reasons. “It’s right here in black and white. He’s trying to give people the idea that he’s the whole Brotherhood movement.” (400) When I was reading this chapter, I felt bad for the Invisible Man in a way. His response actually seemed sincere, and somewhat caught off guard, “I’m doing nothing of that sort. I tried to get the editor to interview Brother Tod Cliftion, you know that. Since you know so little about what I’m doing, why not tell the brothers what you’re up to.” Although we’ve seen the Invisible Man stand up for himself and speak up in prior chapters, I felt like he really showed his true emotions and didn’t necessarily hold anything back. Brother Westrum, a black man himself, held power over the IM, but throughout that part, I think the IM held his own, and didn’t let others walk all over him, that being the reason why this caused the most bewilderment in my opinion.
-Kalyn Fowler
The moment in the text that has provided the most bewilderment to Invisible Man is the meeting with Mr. Emerson. Starting on page 190 in Invisible Man Emerson reveals what Dr. Bledsoe’s letter actually says. After Invisible Man reads the letter, his eyes are described on page 191 as being sandy as though the fluids had suddenly dried. On page 193 Invisible Man sees the sun as being very bright now. This symbolizes Invisible Man finally coming into the light. He has been in the “dark cave” only seeing shadows of what is really happening in the world. He was blinded by Dr. Bledsoe and college. The college symbolizes the cave that he was finally brought out of when he realizes the letters were only meant to hurt him and he was never to return to college. This affects the mind’s eye. Socrates mentions that in order to truly see things for what they are one must turn around into the light (using your bodily eye) as well as the normal mind’s eye. It is clear that Invisible Man only sees with his mind’s eye because in order to see fully he must return to the “cave” and see the atrocities that others stuck in the “cave” cannot see because they have not seen reality, only darkness and shadows. The importance of this is the fact that it shows that Invisible Man is trapped in a circle of only seeing with the mind’s eye and not the bodily eye. He has to go back to the cave and truly see the reality behind the shadows in midst of the terrors of the cave, but he cannot do this if he is consistently being brought up into the light, never truly seeing the evil motives behind people’s actions. This is apparent in the eviction scene. He is almost brought back down to the cave seeing the terrible life of the old couple, but he is then lifted back up into the light by Brother Jack. This prevents him from turning around himself and truly seeing the real evil of discrimination.
A moment that provided the most bewilderment to the Invisible Man is when Emerson read the letter to I.M. from Mr. Bledsoe. This letter that was supposed to be a recommendation turned out to be a letter against I.M. A sudden tone shift then occurs from the I.M. I.M. is going toward a phase of darkness. He cannot see good in this situation making the contrast between reality vs. fantasy more complex. Now unable to get a good job he has little hope. Mr. Bledsoe has power over I.M. proving he has betrayed his own race, acting like a white man. He is starting to sound more bitter while entering the darkness in a slow process.
This makes I.M. "blind" to the good higher jobs and also blinds him from the fantasy world he was living under. He is starting to slowly see the reality of being a black male that isn't betraying his race.
-Annalies Jobsis
The moment that has provided the most significant bewilderment to the Invisible Man is when he goes to the party of the brotherhood members. Before this he had started to form a contemptment towards white people and defense and pride of his own race. He had begun to understand and accept his true identity. However, the party made him lose everything that he had worked for, and he went back to his old ways of admiring and being controlled by the white people. When he goes to the party, he is surrounded by white men telling him how they loved his speech and loved him. They pull him into a "cave" of darkness and, once again, blinded him to the (discreet) racism that was going around the brohterhood. He was blinded by the idea of "the white man knows everyhting", and "I want to be and act like the white men". In this way he walks away from the and light,the sun, and enters the "den" of darknesss and blindness. According to Plato in "Allegory of a Cave", the Invisible Man has trouble seeing after this event because he had been "unaccustomed to the dark", having come from a "brighter life" of standing up for his own race and not doing what the white men tell him to do. Also, he would explain that the reason that the Invisible Man doesn't notice that he is once again being blinded by the white men is that he has become so emmersed in a fantasy world and so blinded that he isn't capable of understanding the truth. He doesn't realize that even in this "brotherhood" of people who are supposeed to be helping black people, there is still just as much racism as anywhere else. Once you have become accustomed to your environment, it's harder to notice what its flaws are and if it is corrupt. When the Invisible Man goes to the party of the brotherhood, he loses his clear vision, therefore he loses his grip on reality.
A significant moment of bewilderment for the Invisible Man occurred as he began his first speech for the Brotherhood. The moment he stepped into the spotlight he gained a sense of power over the audience and it literally blinded him. Just like in the Allegory of The Cave when the man first stepped into sunlight he was blinded, and had to slowly find his way, the Invisible Man was at a loss for words and had to recover. As he spoke he had the power to evoke the audiences' s emotions and move them into action and this was new to him. Due to him not being able to see the audience there was a certain separation between them which he couldn't even explain just like he couldn't explain what his words really meant.This separation was almost like a curtain; he couldn't see the audience, but they could still hear his message and were moved by it and therefore he exerted power over them. However, by not being able to see the audience, he couldn't see his own power and this exhibits how the power was even greater than him, it was too great to control. While there is seperation between him and the audience due to his power, it also connects them; the Invisible Man realizes that these people who listen to him and respect him are his true supporters, his true family. In this moment the Invisible Man is stepping into the light in two senses: stepping into the spotlight or into power and stepping into the light as in an epiphany-he realizes where he truly belongs and who he belongs too. The spotlight is effecting his physical eyes by literally blinding him, while the power that comes with it is impacting his "mind's eye" which gives him a new outlook on things and leads him to realize his true purpose and his true family: "With your eyes upon me I feel that I have found my true family! My true People" (339). This moment of bewilderment, where the Invisible man could not find his words, they just came to him, is emphasized in order to reveal the impact power has on people and also to emphasize the significants power has in this novel. It exhibits the differences between those with power and those without and how some try to use power for their own personal gain when power should be used as the Invisible Man used it; to aid those with no power.
I believe that the moment in which the Invisible Man experienced significant bewilderment is in Chapter 6 when Dr. Bledsoe expels him from college. In this moment, Bledsoe separates himself from his race, saying he would sell them out in order to maintain what he perceives as control over whites. He shows this attitude when he says, "The white folk tell everybody what to think-except men like me. I tell them... I'll have every Negro in the country hanging on tree limbs by morning if it means staying where I am" (Ellison 143). The Invisible Man is disillusioned here because, up to this point, he had viewed Bledsoe as an ally and an advocate for his own race. This scene is the catalyst for the Invisible Man's later realization that Bledsoe's intentions were never good at all. In this moment, the Invisible Man probably felt that he was going out of the light because all that he knew and respected was at the college and being expelled was devastating. However, in terms of the overall narrative, this is an instance of the Invisible Man beginning to come into the light because he starts to understand the reality that many authority figures in his life-even black ones-do not truly wish to help him but rather to keep him running in pointless circles. This moment with Bledsoe has an effect on the Invisible Man's inner eye because he does not experience a literal change in vision, but rather a shift in perception of those around him and the circumstances he is in.
The most significant bewilderment to the Invisble man thus far has been the speech given at the eviction starting on page 275. He describes his oratory "as though he was hypnotized" (276) because stepping out into the light for the first time can feel blinding. Upon seeing the old couples' items thrown out on the street, he realizes that they and he share a culture. By previously conforming to the college's teachings, he has convinced himself to stay in the shadows and be told the opposite of what he believes, is actually the only thing that is accepted.
Light casts shadows, and shadows never lie. A person can see the true appearance of an object by looking at its shadow in plain light. When the IM allows his hertitage and emotions to overwhelm him to the point of speaking up, he ultimately steps out of the shadows and into plain light, exposing his true shadow.
The realizaton affects his minds eye, and compares the old womans religion to his schooling when he says that "religion is for the heart, not for the head. 'Blessed are the pure in heart' it says...What about...the clear of eye, the ice-water-visioned who see too clear to miss a lie?(278)".
This is important because it alludes to Plato's point that anyone's mind can be manipulated by what they hear, but what they are taught is what arouses emotions, and stays in their heart. "That is why each of you...must go down to the general underground abode, and get the habit of seeing in the dark. When you have acquired the habit...you will know what the several images are, and what they represent, because you have seen the beautiful and just and good in their truth (Paragraph 63).
The most bewildering moment of the text for the Invisible Man is when he finds out the truth of the letters Bledsoe gave him. The Invisible Man had put so much faith in those letters and trusted Bledsoe only to have his trust taken advantage of. He, the Invisible Man, thought Bledsoe’s letters would provide him with a job to get money to go back to college, when really Bledsoe set him up so he would never come back to college. This moment signifies going into the light. The Invisible Man says, “Twenty-five years seemed to have lapsed between his handing me the letter and my grasping it’s message” (page 191). This shows the Invisible Man was blind to the message at first because he didn’t understand what the letter meant. He was in the cave, being controlled by Bledsoe and when he was finally released he found the truth. Socrates says “And suppose once more, that he is reluctantly dragged up a steep and rugged ascent, and held fast until he is forced into the presence of the sun himself, is he not likely to be pained and irritated?” This represents the Invisible Man being angry at how he was manipulated when he finally realizes the truth, how he was such a fool. This affects the eyes of his soul. He was betrayed by someone he worked to emulate and Bledsoe not only betrays him but lies to the Invisible Man’s face. This gesture tells the Invisible Man he will never be welcomed back to campus again, it’s especially painful seeing how attached the Invisible Man became to that campus. This lets the Invisible Man realize he’s going to be staying for a while so he’ll need a job and get used to New York. It shows that no matter the skin tone and the fact the two of them, Bledsoe and the Invisible Man, need to work together the Invisible Man can’t really trust anyone.
-Adam Brown
In chapter thirteen, the Invisible Man makes a speech concerning the eviction that he witnessed. In this scene, the Invisible Man sees how the white men treat his own people. He witnesses the brutality and the violence that the white people use against African Americans, something that he is not used to. This represents the Invisible Man going into the light, leaving his "cave." In "Allegory of the Cave," Plato describes the "sharp pains" that are felt once one leaves the cave for the first time. This is represented in the novel by the Invisible Man's confusion in his emotions towards the eviction. He states he feels "afraid and angry, repelled and fascinated" (275). Believing that whites are the ideal people shows that the I.M was stuck in the cave. Because his vision was limited he believed that the illusion that whites are perfect was reality. The eviction released him from the cave and allowed him to see the reality of the world. Once the I.M was able to "adjust to the light," he was able to speak up for his people. This is significant because once the I.M was brought back into "the cave" by Brother Jack, his talent for public speaking is greatly improved. He is considered wiser compared to those who have never left "the cave" because of his experience from the outside world. This affect's the I.M's mind's eye because his perception towards the whites is changed, which results from knowledge that he gains from leaving his cave.
The moment of the most significant bewilderment for the Invisible Man was after the hospital scene when he is returning to the Men’s House. By the end of the hospital scene the disillusionment from reading Dr. Bledsoe’s letter has sunk in. Because of that, his return to the Men’s House causes him to realize how much he has changed. In returning to the Men’s House he has the feeling Plato described as being felt by returning to the cave after seeing things as they really are. He shows this by saying, “I now felt the contempt a disillusioned dreamer feels for those still unaware that they dream” (Ellison 256). Noticing how much he no longer fits in, the Invisible Man moves with blurred transitions as if in a dream himself. This is shown especially when emptying the pot over the preachers head, as the actions are all carried out before he fully realizes he made the decision to do so. The disjointed dreamlike pace shows the Invisible Man’s bewilderment upon re-entering the darkness of “the cave”. This affects both his inner and outer eyes as it allows him to see those around him as well as the changes within himself more clearly. The overall importance of this scene is that it shows the Invisible Man the extent of his disillusionment and solidifies the change in him that began upon reading the letter from Bledsoe.
Maggie Redick
Young Emerson's unveiling of the truth behind Bledoe's letter provides the most significant bewilderment to the Invisible Man. The letter exposes his superiors' plan for him, which is basically to keep him away from the institution, but at the same time oblivious of that fact. Before Emerson reveals the letter, the Invisible Man displayed excessive docility, but once he is aware of the reality of his superiors' insidious motives, "he will require to grow accustomed to the sight of the upper world" like the freed prisoner does in Plato's "Allegory of the Cave" when he is brought to the light (294). Just as the prisoner had to accept that the shadows of the people and animals he formerly saw were controlled by the puppeteers now apparent because of the light, the Invisible Man has to accept that what he initially thought were letters of recommendation are actually letters by Bledsoe that prevented him from remaining in the "scholastic family" because of Emerson's unveiling(Ellison 191). Since the Invisible Man is experiencing changes in perceptions through a realization, his mind's eye is being affected.
The overall importance of this scene is that the Invisible Man is finally aware of the fact that his superiors, Bledsoe as well as various white people, are not actually helping him succeed, instead they keep him in the dark, leading him to his failure. This also marks the first instance in which he breaks the cycles he is seen to be in. For example, he displays his first acts of rebellion as he describes the violent things he would do to Bledsoe (Ellison 194).
I think a moment that exemplified the most bewilderment to the Invisible Man is in chapter 11 when he wakes up in the factory hospital in a whirlwind of confusion. More specifically in the scene,the doctor and nurse are taking IM's seizuring as a joke and making an illusion to African American dancing, "... Get Hot, boy! Get hot!" it was said with a laugh. After seeing the white people act in this way, a way he never expected to receive IM starts to form a deep inner rage and wants to lash out but physically cannot. In the scene the Invisible man is going out of the light and towards his own race and away from the whites, yet into the darkness also because he is closer to his own invisibility from everyone. The scene hurts his minds eyes, because now his existing schema will alter or be changed, of the whites. The overall importance essentially is it shows a new change that will occur in him towards whites. It also shows his journey towards invisibility.
The Invisible Man's encounter with Clifton and his Sambo Dolls has invoked the greatest degree of discombobulation thus far. The Invisible Man literally narrates that "his [Clifton's] eyes looked past me deliberately unseeing. I was paralyzed, looking at him, knowing I wasn't dreaming." (Ellison) Just as Socrates suggested that a man first leaving the allegorical cave would harm their eyes, the Invisible Man feels deep-rooted pain in this shocking image. In this moment the Invisible Man is feeling the allegorical sun's harsh affects on his mind's eye insofar as he is being enlightened, yet receiving knowledge that differs so heavily from his fundamental beliefs that he is absolutely ignorant of how to respond to the scenario. Clifton's willingness to betray his entire race, something he so recently thought to be worth fighting for, reveals to the Invisible Man that Dr. Bledsoe was not simply an anomaly. This, to the Invisible Man, is information so unfathomably different from that which he possessed in his previous, ignorant state that the entire situation is strikingly analogous of Plato's Allegory Of The Cave.
I think the moment that provided the most significant bewilderment to the Invisible Man is when he reads the letter that Bledsoe wrote to Mr. Emerson and finally finds out that Bledsoe wasn't actually trying to help him, but was instead trying to hurt him. He states that "Twenty-five years seemed to have lapsed between his handing me the letter and my grasping its message. I could not believe it, I tried to read it again." (191). This clearly shows that the Invisible Man is in a state of shock as he is coming into the light of knowing from the darkness of ignorance. When one comes from the darkness to the light, their physical eyes begin to hurt. They are confused and need a few minutes for their eyes to adjust to the newfound light before they can do what they want to. This is also true for the Invisible Man, although in a more figurative way. This coming into the light affects his eyes that possess the ability to decipher between reality and fantasy. Before, he was in the darkness of fantasy and ignorance, believing that Bledsoe wrote the 7 letters in an effort to help him on his journey and eventually help him come back to the school. However, when the Invisible Man came into the light of knowledge and reality, he finally saw and understood Bledsoe’s motives to “Hope him to death and keep him running.” (194) This did hurt his eyes that possessed the deciphering ability because for a few moments he didn’t know what to do or where to go, but he soon realized that he needed to find a job and work hard in order to extract his revenge on Bledsoe. The overall importance of this coming into the light is to provide the Invisible Man with the knowledge and power he needs to keep pushing forward and to try to make something of himself in Harlem. If this event did not occur, then the Invisible Man would still be in the darkness and wouldn’t have the same drive to succeed and get revenge against Bledsoe. Not only did this event change the way the Invisible Man saw things, but it also changed him from a man walking blindly and blissfully in the dark to a man walking with awareness and confidence in the light.
Jesus, Gandhi, and Martin Luther King, to name a few of the freethinkers who proposed a new order and a new way of thinking, were all assassinated or executed. Their legacy and a little of the light they saw live on in the world, but the fact remains that many people feel mortally threatened by people who see beyond the status quo. Plato believed that everything in the world was an imperfect copy of a perfect idea and that objects derived their essence and form from this heavenly model. What makes a small tree different from a large bush? A tree is a copy of the perfect “platonic” tree a bush was a copy of the ideal bush ideas predate objects. A carpenter must know what a chair is before he makes one; he must have an idea of the perfect chair in his head, then make a model of it. The captors’ shadow puppets simulate the world, but come nowhere near to its blinding beauty.
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