The Nameless Narrator

There are many motifs that I have noticed in the beginning pages of Invisible Man. The narrator always seems up to bring up sight and seeing. For example, in the prologue, there is a comment about “inner eyes,” which are “those eyes with which they look through their physical eyes upon reality.” These inner eyes pass judgment upon the narrator, and such judgment results in the narrator’s invisibility. Although the “physical eyes” may literally see the narrator, the inner eyes—or the mind behind those eyes—refuse the narrator’s own presence. However, I find it particularly peculiar that he is “not complaining, nor [is he] protesting either.” Why does he not want to be seen? Shortly after, he says, “it occurred to me that the man had not seen me.” It is almost as if he uses not being seen to his advantage. After beating up the man, he is amused by the fact that he was “mugged by an invisible man!” I think that this incident was a turning point in his own view towards his invisibility, or his “blackness.” Presently, he is accustomed to such invisibility.

The image of “blackness” recurs once again in an important, yet odd scene in the novel. In the song, “…there was blackness” but the black is “bloody.” There is an important contradiction within the song, as the black is red. Since the darkness—or invisibility—is also blood, the invisibility is like a wound for the narrator. This wound has become a part of the lives of African Americans. However, the woman that breaks from the unified voice at the end was distinct from the blackness and invisibility because she loved a white man. In other words, she does not blend in with the fellow African Americans in one unique respect, but this one important distinction results in an attempt to break free from that invisibility. Perhaps, her “freedom” arises from no more darkness.

I also want to consider the significance of his home, better known as his “hole.” His “hole” is underground, so it could possibly be a symbol of hell as it is almost like a “hellhole.” This hell comparison becomes especially pronounced when he describes his place as warm. However, the similarities break down when he seems to like his hole. Maybe, he has simply become part of the hole and can’t recognize the misery around him. Or, perhaps, he thinks that his hole is much better than the prejudiced world above him. Interestingly enough, his residence is below everyone else, just as African Americans were supposedly below the whites in the time period after the Civil War.

Finally, I was also interested by the brutality of the battle royal juxtaposed with the sophistication of his speech. I wonder why the narrator chose to engage in the battle and why he feels the need to submit to the whims of the whites. Does the nameless narrator believe that his submission is actually a form of action? The resulting speech shows that he has the competency and skills of an educated person, but he is still forced to engage in demeaning tasks. Still, the whole scene at the ballroom is still confusing and I’m not sure of its import. To me, the narrator’s submission is frustrating, and I wonder if the “action” he discusses in the first paragraph will become a reality.