Respond Four

What makes a brotherhood ?….

Throughout the novel the  Invisible man as been introduced to  some new and interesting people Some of which are presented anonymously in the sense of driving fear into is morals and belief or used just as reminder  that never to forget you are a black man introduce in a white society .

    This novel is one that soars and magnifies the continuous journey of African American searching to gain success in the privilege and white people’s society.As the narrator carry on his journey, in need of companionship and finding his true identity one can say it is proven that the word invisible is used as a symbolic phrase to paint blacks journey for self -discovery and self recognition as a treacherous  one .

In chapters eighteen the significance of “ The Brotherhood “ was highly explain as brother Tarp who is very compassionate , yet hurt about the unfair treatment he had received for simply saying no to a white man, and given  a unlawful imprisonment of nineteen years expresses to the narrator some useful ways he can use the brotherhood as basically a guide to help free himself of the define traits of being judge due to the blackness of one’s skin .For example the brotherhood “ didn’t they set out to organize us, and help fight our battle and all like “ ( 394).

Ralph  Ellison is using the brotherhood through this novel as a means of revealing how even your own kind can help you receive  the power needed to overthrow the idea that blacks or betraying each other to gain acceptance in a white man world. As the novel reveals how people hide who they are in fear of uncertainty a burden that begin carried for so many years through slavery with the expectation of blacks wanting to be equal can only survive if they hide their true meaning and feelings . As the narrator left Mary’s home to join the brotherhood going in he had high expectations of the changes he can help to make he was highly disappointed after he was kick out the brotherhood after being accused of exploiting the brotherhood by brother Westrum he was offered to be a women’s advocate seeing the ways in which women are being treated .This proves the point brother Tarp was trying show when he said “there are those who do not believe in the brotherhood , they are just in it to use it for their own ends “( 393).    The brotherhood is said to unit black people to seek equality in white society , also one may say the brotherhood is like any organization cares solely for the survive of themselves.

Professor  Allred

Respond three

Fighting the stereotypes and be seen for an actual human being .

    In the invisible man Ralph Ellison itemize the mere fact that true hard work one can regain their true identity if one choose to either become apart of whites expectation or simple learn from their kind how to overcome the unfair treatment thrown upon them . Like Dr. Bledsoe , the narrator is working hard to achieve  a successful repetition within the white race .As shown in today’s black society the word “ invisible “ is stemmed from black people being hidden due to their race , social class , religion and more so gender and ethnicity .

    It is shown  in chapters five where Barbee who deliver an exceptional and passionate  speech was actually blind wore a dark glasses when giving his speech hiding one’s  true identity. One can say there is a contradiction been shown that of which a novel high on true vision and identity will give concerns for  a man who’s physical well being and inability to see as become an questionable factor which throws his speech off.   

Moreover, the narrator as become a threat to his own kind as Dr.Bledsoe became angry at him for taking Mr,Norton to to the old slave quarters which he did as he was told and is highly upset that the narrator is incapable of lying  . As the novel continues to reveal some salient themes such as : lies , memory past and power , a young black man trying and stuggling through all odds to gain self discovery and understand is own identity is seemingly being faced with heartful disappointment believing in the wrong people .One can say it is shown in chapter nine that the narrator had a eye opener which geared  him from being so naive led him to see that even those of your same ethnicity can make you feel more invisible than white probably would .Upon being introduced to Emerson Jr. who bought to is attention that there is also injustice not only from whites towards black but from blacks towards blacks , Ellison uses the simplest yet vivid examples to differentiate the social class present to African Americans and whites whether it be coming from the south to the north as the narrator travel thinking he was given the highest level of recommendations to help him rise above the limitations and expectations thrown upon blacks instead the letter states the complete opposite of what he stand for leaving narrator feeling a sense of revenge and resentment towards Dr. Bledsoe .  

The narrator also  embarks on a journey where he is exposed to betrayal of  a brotherhood who question is sense of belonging .For example , “Proud to resist the pork chops and grits .It was an act of discipline , a sign of the change that was coming over me …..” ( 178) .During this time there was an urgency leading towards blacks using their energy for acceptance to gain economic success other than fighting fire with fighter and the controversial yet unsettling issues against black Americans and social equality .The world is that of possibilities one can truly unfolds and discover things only if you stand for who you are and what you believe in .

KIMIESHA FULLER

PROFESSOR ALLRED

ENGLISH 252

FEBRUARY 10 , 2019

The Invisible Man ( Now You See Me Now You Don’t ).

Through the history of black culture , each individual who is considered black is forced to accept who there are as a person verses  what is given to them in society .Ralph Ellison is a black man who simply expresses the way in which the world for blacks is govern by whites and the remarkable power they have even up to today . He then shares through is experiences how he  felt being around people who undeniable refuses to accept the truth of black people as a individual , and not as a group not subjected to change instead judging others based of their cultural background and with that racial prejudice and true individual  identity played a significant role in his novel .

The protagonist of the novel a black man who is having an nostalgic moment of  omission of guilt for how he once viewed his grandparents who were once enslaved but freed during the time of the civil war , sees himself as an  ‘’Invisible man “ which is an indication used by the author to imply that as a black person in society your true identity is not present instead your are perceived by the perception of others namely whites .For example , “ I suspected that fighting a battle royal might detract from the dignity of my speech , in those pre-invisible days “ ( 18).  This young black intelligent college student who is expected to give a graduation speech is bombarded with expectation to fight amongst his peers and this is a perfect example of the expectations of whites towards black people turning young black educated man into arrogant individuals justified through fighting and brutality living up to the white expectations of how blacks ought to be treated.

The protagonist in Ralph Ellison Invisible Man is a man of confidence and with the knowledge given to him by is grandfather of how blacks were oppressed by whites he was then taught on how to live and act when he is around all that whiteness.  For example , the message given by the grandfather on his deathbed can be conveyed with that of wisdom and of experience “ live with your head in the lion’s mouth . I want you to overcome ‘em with yeses , undermine ‘em with grins , agree ‘em to death and destruction “(16).Racism is yet at the forefront in today’s society even through education blacks have to fight seemingly hard to prove they or worthy of such knowledge and have to be careful on what they say and do  , it is true inequality does still exist and most times black people will not get the recognition they deserve .

With the issue at hand identity and  racial injustices is presented in a way where the narrator in this profound novel incorporates the ways in which African American in the 20th century  then and now are continuously being denounce . Blacks struggles to be their true selves living in a white racist American society . Power and authority dictates how blacks should behave  as an individual and a cultural group in society .Being treated unfairly is not only unjust but blindsights human beings from viewing each other as equal instead as unwanted creatures now where is the justice in that .