Throughout the text of Invisible Man we see that the narrator continues to oscilate between his own reality and the reality of society. Plato would perhaps say that he's traveling between real truth and false truth. This text complicates the idea of society because there are two socities within the text, African American society and White society. There are, of course, multiple socities within these larger socities as well - complicating this overall question. However, according to Plato's allegory, which society that we have seen within the pages of our novel is the one more responsible for keeping the Invisible Man within the cave and constricting his vision? Has the Invisible Man broken free from this bondage and loosed the chain attached to the cave wall? Has he not started to exit at all? Does he think that he has? How does our role as readers in this text further this question.
As you answer, make sure that your response is your own. Do not submit something similar to a previous post or it will not be considered for credit. Come up with an argument and prove it.
Other reminders about homework and tasks to complete can be found two posts below in the A-day discussion board. There's also a link to the Plato text there too.
23 comments:
justin mitchell
According to Plato's Allegory it is the Brotherhood that keeps the invisible man inside of the "cave". The Brotherhood has taken the invisible man's passion and individuality, sending him to brother Hambro who holds the truths that "society" deems correct. The Brotherhood use their literature and ideals like that of the shadows on the wall of the cave, teaching the invisble man what to believe in. The invisible man has seen a glimpse of the light, however he is too blinded by the light, not able to yet adjust from being kept in darkness for so long. Scenes like that of the night of the party where he questions if "he is a man or a natural resouce" as well as the accusations of brother Westrum, revealing what the invisible man could become should he stay with the Brotherhood represent the light that Plato speaks of.Due to his unadjusted sight of the light, the invisible man has not been able to begin his ascent from the cave. He cannot yet recognize the light that illuminates before him. Not yet being able to comprehend the light the invisible man believes that he has made his ascent and knows the truths of everything. The Brotherhood has shown him the "truth" inside the darkness of the cave and it is all he knows. As readers we are responsible for seeing the darkness while inside of the light, returning to the cave with our omnicient knowledge to see for ourselves what the invisible man is not able to see.
The White Society has kept the Invisible Man in the cave for so long. All his life he has been naïve to the white society and believing that “white is right”. He’s been oblivious to what they’re really trying to do. When the Invisible Man gives his speech at the convention, the crowd loves it because it was spoken from the heart and was emotional. Brotherhood critics disliked the Invisible Man’s speech because it was too emotional and decided to send him to Hambro to teach him about the science of the Brotherhood. With this, the white society is trying to make the Invisible Man inhuman by stealing his emotions – making him into a machine or robot. The Brotherhood is constricting the Invisible Man’s vision into believing that they’re doing what’s best for African Americans, when really they’re just using the Invisible Man to further their own personal goals by making him into the “next Booker T. Washington”. Just as what Plato says about societal truth. The Invisible Man has not broken free from the white society. Events keep “boomeranging” in his life since he hasn’t completely escaped from his naivety. Instances like the Battle Royal reappear where he’s blind and receives prizes like a college scholarship or induction into the Brotherhood. It’s a cycle that keeps on turning in the Invisible Man’s life. The Invisible Man has, however, started to see the light and catch on to the true nature of the white society. He asks questions about their true nature when he sees the Old Couple getting evicted and calls the officer out for thinking he’s above G-d because he wouldn’t let the couple have one last prayer. Another time is when he’s with the Brotherhood and Emma doesn’t agree with the Invisible Man being the speech giver because he’s “not black enough”. The Invisible Man then asks, “What am I? A man or a natural resource?” He recognizes what she says, but he never gives the question an answer, which shows how he’s still in the cave but is starting to exit a little. He believes he is starting to come out of the cave and be a true individual, but the white society is still holding him down. He thinks he’s doing what he wants in the Brotherhood, but it’s just what the white society is allowing him to do. He is still naïve. Plato states that our truth is what society says and that’s all that the Invisible Man has known – the white societies’ truth. The reader’s job is to recognize that the societies truth is not the real truth and even if it makes the person appear crazy, they're the one with the real knowledge and truth while the others are clouded by societies reality.
In general, it is the white society within Invisible Man that is responsible for limiting his sight. More specifically, it is the black and white members of white society that claim to be helping the Invisible Man, but are in fact hurting him. This group would include Bledsoe, who, even though he is black acts as part of white society, as well as the Brotherhood, who claims to be pushing for a unified society but then restricts action and individuality, both necessary parts of achieving their stated goals. This group may be founded upon good intentions, but they distort these good intentions by suspending them as unattainable goals above the Invisible Man. The Invisible Man has always questioned whether these goals are actually within reach, but has always failed to answer these questions, blindly accepting the “vessels, statues, and figures” placed in front of him by his oppressors. His oppressors have always taught him to passively accept white society as what he should strive to, and until his encounter with Ras the Exhorter, he never really questioned the merit of this doctrine. But even after meeting Ras, his true chain-loosening experience did not occur until he saw Brother Clifton being shot. This moment finally compels him to action, as he “took a few steps forward, walking blindly” just as someone stepping out of the cave and into the light would do. His escapades in the sun here and at Brother Clifton’s funeral don’t last long and are broken up by periods in the dark of the subway and in the Brotherhood committee meeting. In Chapter 22, he asks many more questions, a step in the right direction, and he begins to think individually, another positive sign. He has made a few exploratory journeys into the light and has returned to the Brotherhood as a lunatic, just as Plato describes. While the transformation is not yet complete, it is clear that the Invisible Man has tasted the truth and is about to devour it in full.
~Andrew Kelly
As in Plato's "Allegory of the Cave", the novel, Invisible Man, has a society that restricts the vision of those in it, especially the central character. The society that has continually held Invisible Man in the darkness (away from the light and thus away from the truth that will allow him to see his true self, identity, and purpose) has not just been the men of the Brotherhood or the people of white society, but rather those in white society who can "see". Their ability to see the reflection of the light, which is essentially the real truth, allows them to see the colors of people's skins rather than the true identity and good that can come out of any person, regardless of race. In other words, these people are viewing the reflection of the real truth, so all they know is the fake truth. They put people in society in categories based on these reflections and knowledge of the fake truth, which is judgement by the color of one's skin. Their ability to "see" is their flaw that has come out of the restrictions of society. However, if one person is able to break from the social "norms" to not see the color of someone's skin (and thus, judge how that person should be treated), they will be blinded by the light of truth and will never be able to see the color of skin of the person. Everyone will be equal in his or her mind. Until this happens, this "seeing" society will convince people of their rightful place, just like Invisible Man has been convinced that he must go through whites (and depend on whites) to succeed.
Despite Invisible Man being originally chained to the wall of the dark (and the fake truth) he has begun to break free to find himself, and the light that comes with it, allowing him to start to widen his scope. This is seen heavily in Chapter twenty-two where Invisible Man grows angry at the Brotherhood, who, through their ability to see the color of people's skins, have judged that the African-American society needs a white leader if they want success (Brother Jack), so then their ideas should not be self produced but produced by the Brotherhood itself. With this being said, the Invisible Man is still heavily chained to the dark (the fake truth that he needs whites to be something) because he still listens to the fake truth of the Brotherhood and the demeaning remarks of white society, like the woman who yells at him for putting the coin bank (the stereotypes of black society) in the trash because those seeing the reflection of the fake truth believe black stereotypes cannot be thrown away--but he thinks it is all the real truth. Invisible Man is somewhat aware that he's changing to reach his identity, but the path and identity that he is reaching for is the fake truth--a fake identity that is just built off of stereotypes and molded by the "seeing" whites. As readers, we are able to see the progress and lack of progress of the Invisible Man as this novel moves forward. Therefore, it helps us understand the path to the light of truth that Plato had outlined--(1) complete disregard and inability to know the truth, (2) understanding the beginning of truth, (3) visualizing the truth and yourself, (4) fake truth, (5) the real truth--and how much farther Invisible Man has to go.
White society is keeping the Invisible Man in the cave according to Plato. White society such as the Brotherhood is keeping the Invisible Man from seeing the truth. The Invisible Man only knows what the Brotherhood tells him. He does not know what they do in secret. He can only see distorted shadows just as Plato states in “The Allegory of the Cave.” African American society is trying to help make the Invisible Man see the truth. His grandfather, the vet, and even the Yam Man try to help him come to the realization that white society is “keeping him running” and keeping him from the light. The exception is Bledsoe, but even though he is black he conforms to white society. It is white society’s idea to keep the African Americans running, unable to attain their goals and dreams. The Invisible Man has broken free and started to exit the cave. He has seen the truth in the dark, but has not yet seen the truth in the light. He is coming out of the cave unconsciously. He does not know that he is coming into the light and about to find his true identity. As readers we are able to see that society in blinding the Invisible Man even if he cannot. Both texts show us that the Invisible Man is not crazy in the Prologue; he has just seen the light. We cannot fully understand him because we are still in the dark.
Although during most of the novel the Invisible Man believes that it is his responsibility to escape his black identity, truly he is limited and trapped because of white society. In “Allegory of the Cave”, Plato claims that society manufactures and defines the truth in order to keep the power. This happens similarly in the Invisible Man, as the narrator is “like one of these African sculptures, distorted in the interest of design” (440). White society has defined African American culture in general to be inferior and idiotic, and perpetuates this notion by creating stereotypes, as evident with the piggy bank. These beliefs blind the Invisible Man and trap him in white society’s cave where they “keep him running” (33) and take advantage. The Invisible Man thinks he is inferior and needs to escape his black identity (so he continues fighting in the Battle Royal or stays with the Brotherhood), when in fact he needs to escape white society’s definitions of black identity. He hasn’t recognized the power and importance that black society holds and in other words he has “blinded himself from the truth” (192). However, the Invisible Man has taken the first steps to loosening white society’s chain on his neck by questioning motives. For example, when Emma criticizes him, he questions if he is a “man or a natural resource” (303). But, the Invisible man hasn’t taken a full conscious step into the truth; he hasn’t made a change to stop his continuous failure as a result of white society. The Invisible Man believes he has figured it all out at the end of his Brotherhood speech in the dark; he believes he is “someone new’ (353). Truly, the Invisible Man has only gotten to the mouth of the cave. He is still subject to white society’s definitions, as he still draws all of his power in the form of leadership and oratory, from white society. This is reinforced by the reader’s perspective; the readers know from the prologue that the Invisible Man has neither endured the process of the truth nor determined the true culprit of his demise, white society.
The society in the novel that has been most responsible for constricting the Invisible Man's "vision" and keeping him trapped in the ideological cave has been the brotherhood. The Invisible Man initially felt that he was breaking away from his chain and and seeing the light by joining the brotherhood because it provided him with a feeling of belonging. Brother Jack conveyed to the invisible man that he had the power to sway the opinions of many people through his speech and that he could use this to ultimately help the people. The IM also thought that in doing so, he would discover the truths that he has been searching for. As the IM's time with the brotherhood has progressed he has begun to see and ponder the possibility that he is not discovering the truths about his individuality but rather has been progressively losing it. This is the type of thing that Plato may have referred to as the false truth. The brotherhood has been using the IM's oral talent to manipulate masses of people for the brotherhood's own benefit rather than to actually help the people. With this taken into the account, the invisible man is still chained in the figurative cave and though he thinks he sees the light, he is still believing what the shadow tells him.
Both the white society and the Brotherhood have kept the Invisible Man from seeing the truth. Throughout the Invisible Man he has been shaded from the truth, or the light as Plato refers to it in his allegory. Other than his grandfather's haunting advice, he has not come to realize that there is a truth out there that is something different than what the white folks are making him see. Brother Jack picked the Invisible Man to hire because he felt that he had impeccable speech skills that were desperately needed for the organization in order to channel public emotion. After the Invisible Man's first speech, he was criticized because many of the brothers felt that it was too emotional, too human. The Brotherhood is an organization based on science which they felt the Invisible Man's speech lacked. In the novel, readers see that there are many members of society that have assured the Invisible Man that they are helping him when really they are pulling him down and manipulating him because of his naivety. The Invisible Man begins to see the light when he sees the negative impact that the whites have on the black people of Harlem, most evidently observed as he watched the eviction of an old couple. Towards the end of the book we see the Invisible Man beginning to question his role in the Brotherhood organization and the pureness of the group's goals or intentions. He has discovered the cruelness of society and of those around him such as Bledsoe, Brother Jack and Brother Westrum. This discovery, along with the unanswered questions the Invisible Man poses shows readers that although he is beginning to see the truth, he has not fully realized the impact of this truth. In Plato's "Allegory of the Cave" he states that society is the one that creates and defines what the truth is. If society is only allowing the Invisible Man to see their version of the truth, they are distorting his vision so that he is not able to see any other varieties of the truth. His discovery of the truth allows him to begin to exit the cave but because of his failure to truly realize how this truth affects him he will remain in the cave. AS the Invisible Man begins to see the truth he does not take action to keep himself from falling prey to the white society's manipulation of his emotions, identity and overall thinking. He continues to think of himself as inferior to the blacks around him and feels that he needs to get rid of his black identity. This issue "boomerangs" throughout the novel because no matter what he does he is unable to rid himself of his true identity. The Invisible Man has been told all of his life that the white people are superior to him and therefore it would be in his best interest to do what they say. He has not been exposed to any other way of thinking so the desire to please the whites will always follow him no matter how much he wants to hate those who hurt him. Throughout his life he has not been able to think for himself. He has become a robot or a machine to the white society and the Brotherhood. They only need him so that they can further themselves. As readers we are to understand that society’s truth is not the real truth. Plato also calls us to recognize that seeing the truth along with its period of blindness is better than never having seen the truth at all.
~Meagan
In the metaphor that Plato proposes with the two societies it may seem at first that the puppeteers, that cast the shadows on the wall in front of the prisoners and shape their views, are the ones holding back the prisoners. However I believe that it is the other prisoners who don’t believe the prisoner who has seen the Sun, that are truly holding him back. Their disbelief and inability to understand this new knowledge that the prisoner is trying to pass on shows that true knowledge of how things are can only be learned through experience and not through talking. In the other prisoner’s eyes, the lone prisoner is stupid and crazy because they cannot grasp the ideas he is talking about. The puppeteers have warped their minds and their ignorance holds them and anyone like them back. This is like the Invisible Man because he is trying to find the real truth. He has loosened his chains and seen that there is a fire and puppeteers and understands that the world he used to know was all manipulated but he hasn’t made it out of the cave to see the Sun (and the real truth) yet. He is being held back by not the white society but the black society like the Brotherhood. He has yet to form his own true opinion but has continually conformed to what society says is true. First he was a model student and passive African American and then he became the spokesperson for the Brotherhood. But neither of those identities are truly his own because of his conformity. IN both of those situations IM conformed to what a fellow African American has told him is true (first his grandfather and then the Brotherhood). This shows that all though it may look like white society is running the show and manipulating IM’s views, it is actually the black society. Our role as readers furthers this point because we see IM in the prologue living alone in another imitation of true light. This shows that after discovering the truth he no longer wants to be controlled by either society, white or black.
Allison S.
Plato’s allegory states that society is a cave in which people are held, where they are given not the full truth but shadows of it, the truth that society gives them. But who is the society? The simple answer is that White society is responsible for the Invisible Man being trapped within the cave, but upon looking deeper it can be seen that it is not only White individuals that make up the White society which traps him. This can be seen in Dr. Bledsoe, who blatantly held the Invisible Man down, dooming his efforts to find work purposefully, working with the White people against the African Americans despite he himself being one. The Brotherhood can be compared to Bledsoe as well. Though they have offered him a high position and claim to fight for unity between Blacks and Whites, there is still the ever-present undertone of the Brotherhood using Black people to work against the Black society, as Ras the Exhorter said to the Invisible Man. Though he experienced some brief clarity when he gave his first eviction speech, as if he had just turned and started toward the light of day, he was dragged back into the darkness by the Brotherhood as they exploited him for his talents and for his blackness, using him as a symbol to further their goals.
The Invisible Man has not achieved his freedom from the cave yet. He has loosened the chains a bit at times, notably when he was on his own and not affected by the rest of White society (and I say rest because the Invisible Man is still a part of it). The first steps to individuality lie in questioning the things one sees and experiences; though the Invisible Man has begun to do so, such as with Emma’s statement, “Shouldn’t he be blacker?” questioning is only the first step. The Invisible Man has not yet succeeded in following his own questions to their logical conclusions, and finding out that there is more to all of it than he knows. He must answer these questions of his before he can truly begin to understand that there is more the truth than the shadows White society has shown him. Beyond that, he must learn to listen to the words of those who have ventured into the sunlight and seen the whole truth, such as the vet and Ras the Exhorter.
However, in Chapter 22, the Invisible Man takes his first steps into the light. Tod Clifton’s death and funeral represent something of a breaking point in him and he truly begins to follow those questions to their conclusions and begin to see things as they are. He returns to the darkness of the Brotherhood however, but when he does the White society there considers him mad because of the things he saw in the sun, just as Plato’s allegory predicts they would. As readers we go on this journey with the Invisible Man, having been shown the light in the prologue and not understanding it, having been stuck in the cave with the rest of the society and considering him mad. As the novel progresses we are introduced to the light bit by bit, though having a slightly more comprehensive understanding of the truth than our narrator due to our previous experience in the prologue. We are breaking free into the sunlight right alongside the Invisible Man, and are given the advantage of seeing the truth of his situation slightly before he himself manages to do so.
In the Invisible Man, white society keeps the invisible man in the darkness. They keep him in the cave and convince him of their truth when really their truth isn’t the truth at all; it’s a lie. The boomerang is symbolic of white society in the novel and shows how white society runs in a continuous cycle. No matter how far you throw it, it will always come back around. I believe the invisible man is starting to loosen the chain on the cave wall and unconsciously notice that white society is keeping him in the dark. We can see this because he begins to question the “truth” or the views of the brotherhood. When Emma makes a remark about the color of his skin to Brother Jack he says to himself, “What was I, a man or a natural resource?” He begins to question the values and goals of the brotherhood, but he never answers his own questions. He does not or cannot internalize this; therefore he has not yet reached the truth. I do not believe the Invisible Man has realized that he has started to exit the cave ever so slightly. I think he has convinced himself that since he is following white society, they will in return respect him and help him succeed in life. He still has not interpreted his “grandfather’s curse” correctly. He still interprets things very literally and cannot find the underlying meaning or motives to many situations, such as the brotherhood. He is still blind and has not yet reached the state of “crazy” that he was in the prologue. As readers, it is our job to notice truth within all the lies. We must be able to distinguish the darkness from the light even if it is blinding. We use these clues to find the greater truth that Ellison has left for us to discover within the text.
-Corrie Butterfield
Throughout the text, the Invisible Man faces many obstacles, however the one obstacle that he has struggled with the most is trying to overcome the power that white society holds over him. As paralleled in Plato's "Allegory of the Cave", a society that strives for power over an individual will go to great lengths to ensure that individual of that society's righteousness and truth, an example of which can be seen in the Invisible Man's relationship with the whites in the story.
While at the college, even though the college is meant to be for black advancement and education, whites still hold the funding and authority over powerful leaders at the school, and can manipulate them to teach the students whatever they want. With the idolization of the Founder, the whites created what Plato would call the reality of the cave, and reality created out of ignorance of the truth. The Invisible Man is led to believe that the Founder is a god-like figure, while the reader knows this is not true, as the reader is in what Plato would call the light. The role that the reader plays in relation to the Founder is extremely significant, as through passages such as Homer Barbee's speech, we see flaws in white society's struggle to control the Invisible Man.
As the Invisible Man progresses through the novel, the reader watches as he struggles to find his own individual power and break away from the authority of the white society. However, so far in the story, he had been unsuccessful, because even as he slips out from the grasp of the whites in control of the school and the white businessmen and possible employers in Harlem, he joins the brotherhood, many of which are white. Brother Jack, who recruits the invisible man, is white and holds a lot of power in the Brotherhood, and Invisible man is later trained by Brother Hambro, who is also white. The reader, in the light, sees that the Invisible Man is still under control of the whites, and even though he is cautious about the white men in the Brotherhood, he is naive about the power they hold over him.
White society is in almost complete control of the Invisible Man's world, even when he is unaware of the presence. As Plato would explain, white society holds him in the dark, while the reader watches helplessly from the light as the Invisible Man is taught a false reality. The Invisible Man, while striving for his independence, is working in vain, as he will never move unless he is released from the chains that hold him in the darkness of ignorance.
-SarahBelle Selig
The Invisible Man is being kept in the “cave” away from the light by the white men, like Brother Jack, who are members of the Brotherhood. The Invisible Man is locked in a manipulative cycle run by the whites in the Brotherhood, in which he thinks he has found a purpose, when in reality he’s just the white brothers’ pawn. Brother Jack’s initial motive was to overwhelm the Invisible Man with praise which would then make him a compliant “servant” to the Brotherhood, and his method works. Due to this recognition and attention, the Invisible Man feels that he is superior and that he’s found his calling to be an orator. He receives a nice office in Harlem and new living quarters that are material gifts that the Invisible Man feels are given to him as an acknowledgment of his newly bestowed power. Though the Invisible Man thinks that he has broken free from his bondage and found the truth in his calling and destiny to be a speaker, he’s far from it. In retrospect, the whites in the Brotherhood are actually making his chain tighter and reversing any progress he had made in seeking the light. In chapter 22, the Invisible Man says, “I’d forget it and hold on desperately to Brotherhood with all my strength. For to break away would be to plunge… To plunge!” This instance shows how the Invisible Man thinks that the Brotherhood is his only chance to define himself and the whites within the Brotherhood have lead him to believe this false truth. Whites outside of the Brotherhood haven’t made much of an impact on him in Harlem and although he feels like he’s working hand in hand with white Brothers, they are actually just using him for their groups’ own gain. The things he views as successes such as getting attention from a speech or getting appointed as the Harlem spokesman are actually failures. Though he feels that he is succeeding because of these things, the Invisible Man is actually being pushed farther away from the truth. Also as the Brothers force him to visit Hambro and learn about the scientific aspects of the Brotherhood, he’s losing parts of his black identity which is a part of him that holds the key to finding the truth. The Invisible Man isn’t even starting to exit the cave at all and the white men he associates with, such as Brother Jack, are keeping him stuck in the cave while he thinks he’s making strides in reaching the light. Readers can see what the Invisible Man is too naïve to notice; that the white Brothers are manipulating him and that he keeps moving farther from the truth.
In Ralph Ellison’s “Invisible Man”, the Invisible Man is blind to the true nature of society’s power. Although both black and white society hinder his ability to see the truth, it is black society that opens his eyes to the light of the situation. It is his original belief that his lack of power originates from his skin color; however, this is untrue as it is an individual’s task to create his own power. Dr. Bledsoe illustrates this as he openly admits his power over whites and blacks although he is a black man (Ellison, 142). By limiting the parts of the college and its surroundings that white benefactors are able to see on their visits to the college, Bledsoe is able to create an illusion of an uplifted race by hiding the existence of people such as Trueblood. To further uphold this image, any black that strays from Bledsoe’s desires for the college is shunned from it (Both the Vet and the Invisible Man are moved from the mental institution and the college, respectively). One white person that limits the Invisible Mans power is Kimbro. At the Paint factory, the Invisible Man mixes concentrated remover into the paint by mistake, and Kimbro yells at him because the paint becomes whitish grey. The Invisible Man attempts to solve the problem by mixing in the right solution, with no change in the paints color; however, when Kimbro inspects the paint this time, he says the paint is “the way it oughta be” (Ellison, 205). Kimbro does this because it creates an illusion that the Invisible Man’s mistakes hold consequences when nothing really changed. Even with all that the Invisible Man has gone through, he still forgets to head his Grandpa’s warning. This warning is much like the light in Plato’s “The Allegory of the Cave”; even when a person is first exposed to the truth (the light) they reject it due to its foreign nature. Thus as the person who left the cave gradually adjusted to the light of the sun (Plato, 1-2), the Invisible Man must gradually except the truth that he is an individual and his race is not what holds him down. Black society is the light in the allegory because his Grandpa and Bledsoe both fill him in on the true power in society, and white society is the cave because whites such as Kimbro restrict his knowledge of the true workings of the world.
The light beautifully REFLECTED by the white society in the Brotherhood has kept the Invisible Man unknowingly blind. Members of the Brotherhood made the invisible man feel like he was important. They made him feel like he was worth something. They made him feel like he had a calling. He did have a calling, however it was not a true calling because Brother Jack formed it and molded it together for him. His calling had been sculpted by a white man. Brother Jack sent him to Hambro and told him exactly what to read and what to say in speeches. His "calling" could not be filled with emotion like the Invisible Man wanted it to be. For a while, the Invisible Man's chains were being tightened by the Brotherhood because he was complying with their demands and listening to Brother Jack. Furthermore it frustrates him that he was not invited to the society meeting in chapter twenty. The frustration is seen again in the bar when black "brothers" will not talk to him because he is still a part of the society. His chains are the tighest here because he wanted to be included so badly and felt like he needed the Brotherhood to get back to his work in Harlem. However when he witnesses Brother Clifton's death is when he sees a ray of sunlight. "He'll kill your depression and your dispossession, he lives upon the sunshine of your lordly smile" says Brother Clifton while controlling a black puppet in downtown Harlem moments before his death. The dialogue is ironic because he used to be that doll- powerless and controlled by whites. That is how the Invisible Man has been for quite some time. The Invisible Man has not seen the true sunlight, but rather the fake, ironic "sunshine of their lordly smile." It takes Brother Clifton's death to make him think about exiting the cave because after it, he starts to become a little more individualistic. He plans Clifton's funeral all by himself without a single member of the Brotherhood. Even though as he is making the speech he says to himself "Brother Jack probably won't approve of it at all," he still keeps going. The death of Clifton brings a lot of anger into the Invisible Man's heart and that is where he sees the true sunlight at the end of the cave; but when he goes back to the meeting of the Brotherhood in chapter 22 is when his chains are tightened again. He is sent back to Hamrbo, thinking Clifton died for nothing when in reality, Clifton saw that no matter what whites are always going to have supreme power over blacks. That is the cycle the Invisible Man still can not see because he is with the Brotherhood. Only we can see that cycle as readers, because we know the Brotherhood's true motives.
-Scottie McLeod
By using the references of The Invisible Man and “The Allegory of the Cave”, the reader is able to realize that it is the White Society that chains IM to the “cave”. With his joining of the Brotherhood, he sells his soul to the whites. His body and mind are chained in the chasm of their ideals, as they work him into a puppet; a machine. His ideas, thoughts, and sights are made of their own careful creation: just like the shadows on the wall of the cave. Just as the man in the cave does not know what a real duck is, the IM doesn’t know what true individuality and freedom are. Although he has begun to loosen the chains of his conformity, he is still hesitant to make the full “leap of faith” necessary to break free from the cave wall. He has begun to pick up on certain hints of the Brotherhood’s infidelity to his cause, which are depicted in the scene with Emma and the hatred that exudes from Ras the Exhorter toward the Brotherhood’s actions. He cannot fully recognize that the light holds the truth because the light is a world full of uncertainty and mystery; a realm dangerous for a conformist to wander into. He is comfortable in his darkness, for he has lived in it his entire life. As readers we are able to recognize the dramatic irony within these texts: that although he sees the Brotherhood as righteous, they seek only to use him to advance a cause that demolishes his. He believes that the light is the enemy and that the darkness houses security. Through this, the reader is able to see how deep white society has penetrated his being.
Ralph Ellison’s Invisible Man revolves around the idea of truth and the process of overcoming deceptions and illusions to reach it. In this novel there is a sole society responsible for keeping the Invisible Man away from the truth or the light and within the confinements of the dark cave. According to Plato’s “The Allegory of The Cave” it is white society that has been keeping the Invisible Man in his cave. An example of how this can be proved is the role of the Brotherhood in this novel, an organization that only cares for its own interests and own survival. As a result, no member of this organization is treated like an individual. The Invisible Man has only ever known what the Brotherhood has told him and they constantly give him the faulty impression that they were all fighting for the same cause. In reality they were just using him as a mouthpiece for their own benefit.
Everyone is sacrificed for the cause of the Brotherhoods well being. However, The Invisible Man fights this by putting more of himself and his emotions into his speeches. We also see the Invisible Man fighting for the truth by filling his basement apartment with hundreds of lights, trying to keep out of the darkness. This is in direct relation to what Plato mentions in “The Allegory of The Cave”. It’s like the Invisible Man is trying to come back into the cave to free his friends, or the black society, and to enlighten them. Unfortunately the Brotherhood does not agree with IM on this, they don’t like how dangerously close he is getting to discovering the truth for himself, so they go against him and “kill” him, cutting him off from the Brotherhood and sending his career and credibility down the toilet.
The Invisible Man, having been cut off from the truth once again by the Brotherhood but determined to find the truth, crawls down into his cave to seek enlightenment. Unfortunately we as readers are able to see that although IM himself believes that he has reached the lights, he is not quite there yet. He is still trapped inside of the cave listening to and being guided by the distorted shadows that Plato mentions in “The Allegory of The Cave”. Our role as readers is to recognize that in this case the white society has won. They have succeeded in hiding the truth from the Invisible Man, pulling on his chain, toying with him and driving him to insanity so that even if he does manage to find the light he will not be able to share it with others. Who would ever seek out the truth from a crazy person?
-Grey Meyer
Of the many societies there are, the influence of white society is the one most responsible for keeping the Invisible Man chained and confined within this cave described in “Allegory of the Cave,” and therefore constricting his vision. All of the Invisible Man’s life, he was been led to believe that he is inferior due to the color of his skin as compared to his white counterparts; even around his black peers, he has been betrayed as can be seen with Bledsoe, who is black, but fools him, so he essentially represents white society because he pretends to be a part of it and conforms to it. In relation to “Allegory of the Cave,” the Invisible Man has been chained to a cave and forced to see only the objects the white society has wanted him to see. The Brotherhood is another example of the Invisible Man being confined to this cave because although they advocate the unification of all races, they dilapidate the Invisible Man’s voice and true feelings, as can be seen in them reprimanding him for being so emotional in his speeches. In this way, the Brotherhood resembles white society because they are implanting ideas into the Invisible Man’s head that are foreign to his natural state of sub consciousness; his true inner meanings and thoughts. Like what has happened his entire life, he has looked at the white society and grew up to believe that he was less than them because of the influence they had on his life, henceforth affecting and depredating his reality. He has grown up chained to the cave and seen objects put in front of him without being able to see anything else, so in a way it is a forced reality, although not true in actuality..
The Invisible Man has not broken free of this chain that keeps him attached to the cave wall because he still has not found his true self. However, he is on his way and beginning to come loose and free as he slowly finds himself from the help of other people that may seem minor, but are in fact very important, such as the Yam Man. Small, yet influential characters such as the Yam Man are the light at the end of the cave, the authentic reality although not necessarily the representation of society; they give him bits and pieces of the truth, but the Invisible Man has not yet completely picked up on the pieces of advice his receives. Although the Invisible Man can gradually feel changes happening within him each time he realizes the evils committed in his world, such as the darkness of the Brotherhood, he has not completely protruded from the depth of the cave he is stuck in because he has not fully emerged himself into the reality of his own self; his own society. He still submerges part of himself into the “true” definitions, meanings, and standards of the white society that has been embedded into his mind.
As readers, we are given the opportunity to see things that the character[s] might not be able to see, and due that dramatic irony we can pull from it and learn. In this instance, the reader can begin to understand that the truth that is played before us is not the absolute truth, nor does that make it void of any falseness. Even if we are chained and forced to see only what is put out in front of us, it is up to us to determine what reality is to us. It is up to us that only we ourselves be the truth holders to our eyes and beliefs.
-Kristena A.
In accordance with Plato's Allegory of the Cave, the Invisible Man has been chained up as a prisoner of the dark by "white society." The term white society should not be taken in the literal sense however; not all whites are a part of it, and not all of its members are white. The prime example of this would be Dr. Bledsoe; a black man who has gained a position of power, Bledsoe represents white society through his obsession of power and disregard for his own race. Similar to the shadow puppeteers in Plato's allegory, Bledsoe maintains and expands his power through lying to his students, his fellow blacks, and the white trustees of the school. By getting them to believe in his lies and accept the truth for what he says it is, the doctor is able to retain his control over others. In Chapter 9 of the Invisible Man, the Invisible Man is able to ascertain the truth regarding Bledsoe. Gaining access to the letters of recommendation written for him, the Invisible Man is able to finally glimpse a bit of sunlight. On the verge of intellectual enlightenment, the Invisible Man is pulled back into the cave by the Brotherhood. Led by Brother Jack, the Brotherhood recruits the Invisible Man for his persuasive oratory skill. However, blinded by the light during his speech in the arena, a displeased Brotherhood sends him for training in “the right way” of speaking. Believing himself to be a new man, the Invisible Man has in fact only again barely progressed in his journey out of the cave. Blinded by artificial lights, and not the Sun, the Invisible Man has not achieved intellectual illumination as he believes. Indeed, it is only with light from the Sun can the Invisible Man truly discern the universal truths for which he has been seeking.
The white society and members of the Brotherhood the Invisible Man is surrounded by in Ralph Ellison's novel have continued to keep him from finding the light and real Truth so far in his journey. By continually reinforcing this idea of Black Identity and leading the Invisible Man down the path of conformity, he is still participating in the cycle of his past. Like in Plato's Allegory the Invisible Man's blindness of the truth can be compared with Plato's idea of being "chained in the cave of darkness". By the Brothers creating this idea that the Invisible Man was "perfect" for the job and would play the role they wanted as a Booker T. Washington, he was led in a way that put him farther away from finding himself. The Invisible Man made it a goal to please the Brotherhood instead of working to fight against their ideal Black Identity when they gave him a new name and a new purpose. Yes, at first he stated that he would "continue upon the path of the Founder" and only let them believe he would become what they wanted him to be, yet he eventually did dedicate his time to the goals of the Brotherhood.
After his first speech at a rally organized by the Brotherhood, the Invisible Man realized thgat he had not pleased every brother as his speech did not meet all their "scientific" standards. When the Invisible Man was taking these criticisms and ordered to work for months with Hambro he was focused on pleasing the Brothers instead of expressing his thoughts with the people in his own way. These times show that the Brotherhood was keeping him away from the light of his true identity, although he was not able to recognize this himself. It would seem that he wanted to change this stereotype image of a black man by the way he reacted negatively to the burdens of his past such as his grandfather and the piggy bank, yet he never went down the right path to change these images. By staying with the Brotherhood and enthusiastically following their instructions and work, he was just keeping himself chained in the cave of darkness and conformity, although he had felt he was working closer to the real truth. There are moments when it seems the Invisible Man is breaking his chains, like his reflections after hearing Ras the Exhorter, yet as he continues to participate in the Brotherhoods activities and aspiring to meet their expectations, the Invisible Man will stay in the dark. Our role as readers is to recognize that although the Invisible Man seems to find these short moments of connection with his true identity and the real truth, he has still got a journey ahead of him when remembering how differently he speaks of himself in the Prologue. The Invisible Man will only exit the cave of society when he was found his invisibility.
The Invisible Man has made several transformations since the first chapter. In the beginning he is naïve in the “cave” that Plato describes. He sees the world as white society has taught him to see it; black is something to be ashamed of and not a source of pride. The Invisible Man is blind to his culture and heritage because white society has told him that the best person he can be is the person that acts the most white.
The Invisible Man begins to open his eyes and come into the “light” and truth when he discovers whom Bledsoe really is. The school in the beginning of the novel is very similar to the cave because it is a program that isolates black students from the harshness of white society and builds a façade that the world is more accepting of them than it really is. Bledsoe and Mr. Norton create the illusion that they can be as successful as white people if they act like white people. The Invisible Man believes everything they tell him because he has never really heard otherwise. When he reads Bledsoe’s letter for the first time he is blinded by the truth – similarly to the sun outside of the cave – because Bledsoe is really an enemy of his and his race and the Invisible Man could not see it until the whole truth was in front of him in the letter.
Throughout the novel, the Invisible Man talks about his “rebirth.” There are several occasions where he thinks he sees the whole truth, but then, because it is not fully in front of him, he does not see it. When Bledsoe told him that he was expelling him from the school, the Invisible Man accepted it as he had always accepted things, even though he can feel that it is wrong. It is not until the truth, in the letter, blinds him that he can see the whole truth. Later, he is “reborn” and the brotherhood “discovers” him as a leader in their community. The Brotherhood, like Bledsoe, appear a lot better on the outside than they are in full truth. The Invisible Man cannot see the whole truth, even though he does worry about what the members of the Brotherhood say behind his back, because he is captivated by their outward appearance. The Invisible Man is not as naïve as he was in the beginning of the novel, but in the sense that he still has to be blinded by the whole truth in order to acknowledge it, he still has naïve characteristics and, therefore, he is still blind to the light of the sun outside of the cave.
Amy Grissom
As the invisible man is furthered in his allegiance to the Brotherhood, he can only loosen the chains connected to the false truth of their unclear motives. It is clear that the white society encompasses the invisible man with their views on certain situations by inflicting their knowledge and perspectives, and limiting his freedom to have an opinion. After the invisible man's first speech for the Brotherhood, he did not fully please all of the Brothers with his words. As a result Brother Jack sent him to Brother Hambro to read and learn the specific "scientific" practices of the group. This means that he had to conform to the views of the Brotherhood. It is evident that having a person opinion on an event was not the intentions/purpose for making speeches. Considering that his color is presented as less than that of a white man, it appears that the Brothers don't want the invisible man to inflict his views on the audience. This alludes to the unavoidable question of whether or not the white Brothers in the organization are truly committed to ultimate equality in society, or have an ulterior motive of bettering their self image.
It can be perceived that in "The Allegory of the Cave," Plato inflicts the idea of a cave which society locks us in. The invisible man is ultimately still constricted by the chains which the white society lock him in. However, it is clear that he has progressively become more independent and furthermore attempts to challenge the knowledge instilled in him. He grew up with the fear and responsibility to please the white man, within his grandfathers advice, the invisible man remains naive to the concrete truth that is to refrain from becoming a white mans slave like in the past. Being the reader, it is our responsibility to uphold the idea of hope for the invisible man's quest for freedom of the cave; however since he hasn't completely broken from the chains, we can only represent the dramatic irony which is present throughout the whole novel. In knowing that the truth to his questions lies within the invisible man himself, through the idea of the Over Soul the readers can merely hope for the invisible man on his quest for his true identity.
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