The Transition from Submission to Resistance
Christiana Tan
Although an evolution is generally characterized by a gradual, linear progression, not all transformations follow such a path. This is apparent through the transition of the invisible man from an attitude of submission to a state of resistance, with its ultimate purpose being the attainment of freedom and independence. Throughout the novel, crucial moments occur that guide the narrator towards this evolution, however, his naivety renders him unable to truly recognize that society perceives him as invisible, and thus negatively affects his ability to reach a state of independence. This ‘blindness’ ultimately results in his evolution following a circuitous, yet not necessarily digressive, path that affirms that “the end was in the beginning” (Ellison 508).
The speech of the grandfather that was introduced in Chapter 1 can be designated as the initial crucial moment that initiated the narrator’s evolution. His insistence to “agree ‘em to death” is a concept that continuously haunts the author throughout the novel, and is thus representative of the planting of a theoretical ‘seed’ from which the narrator’s defiance would sprout and grow; however, this progression would be relatively slow, seeing as the narrator’s continued belief that society could recognize him, rather than consider him invisible, maintains his initial hesitance to accept his grandfather’s words for a major portion of the novel.
Another critical point in time that affected the evolution of the invisible man is the battle royal scene, during which he continuously develops tactics in order to avoid physical altercations as much as possible, whereas his opponents indiscriminately participate in the fighting, and thus contribute in perpetuating a superior-inferior complex by conforming to the prevalent stereotype and expectations of the white men. Although the narrator’s efforts to end the violence seems to be mainly driven by his desire to prove himself to the white men by delivering his speech, his resistance to fight opposes the objectives of the white men by refusing to fully comply. The irony of this unknowingly and unintentionally subversive act, in which the promotion of submission can actually be interpreted as defiance, indicates the potential for the beginnings of a foundation on which true acts of rebellion against the hierarchy of racism can be based upon. However, it is apparent that, even after being forced into this cruel form of entertainment, the narrator remains unaware of his own potential and insignificance to these men, a blindness which is symbolized by the blindfold he wears during the fight.
It is not until the introduction of the Brotherhood that narrator’s active involvement in fighting oppression by the white man is truly recognized. Although joining this organization would seem like a truly pivotal moment in his transition from submission to resistance through which he could finally achieve independence, the events that unfold during his membership indicate otherwise. This is apparent in Chapter 22, when the committee refuses to accept the narrator’s practice of “personal responsibility,” seeing as acknowledgement of responsibility to anyone other then the Brotherhood would imply that the narrator possessed independent power and authority, which an invisible man should not hold. The loss of Jack’s fake eye during this argument just reaffirms the Brotherhood’s perspective of the narrator as an invisible man by symbolizing the actual inability to see him as well as the limited vision of the Brotherhood.
Chapter 24 through to the epilogue includes the introduction of Rinehart as well as the riots in Harlem, both of which certainly affect the narrator’s evolution. Rinehart’s ever-changing identity makes him a symbol of opportunity and possibility, as well as the exploitation of those possibilities. His chaotic power challenges the narrator’s understanding of an orderly world. This challenging of his understanding continues throughout the riots, during which the narrator once again loses his identity by engaging in the destruction of the place he tried so hard to save.
It is not until the narrator falls into the manhole that he reaches the conclusion of his evolution. There, as he contemplates his grandfather’s words, the narrator burns the contents of his briefcase, thereby ridding himself of the past and of all of the organizations that manipulated and defined him. There, in the darkness from which he originated, the narrator finally gained his own independence by ending his evolution at the point from which his transition began.
This independence is apparent in the novel’s epilogue, in which the narrator expresses his desire for action, influenced by none other than himself due to his isolation, by stating:
“The hibernation is over. I must shake off the old skin and come up for breath. There's a stench in the air, which, from this distance underground, might be the smell either of death or of spring -- I hope of spring” (Ellison 508).
Questions:
- Is the resistance of a group of people against their own oppression a possibility without independence of the individual?
- Although Rinehart is a contradiction of the narrator by representing a seemingly endless number of identities, these definitions of him are constantly changing, therefore, he, like the invisible man, has no constant individuality. Can his lack of consistent identification be interpreted as invisibility as well?
- Many of the female characters encountered in this novel either play a nurturing role or a sexualized role, thus conforming to the typical stereotypes of woman being defined as either a mother or a sex-object. Is this female invisibility merely meant to compliment the lack of recognition of the narrator as an individual that can exceed beyond stereotypes, or is it meant as independent, feminist commentary?
