Narrator vs Bledso
Let's take another look at our narrator's college life. Our narrator seems to be a regular guy, albeit a nervous one who doesn't act out. One might think that this college is a way of the country to remove the barrier between blacks and whites, as educating can allow a lot of opportunities. Yet, wright shows that college is one of the most corrupted parts of society, with the core of the corruption being Bledsoe.
Bledsoe is very calculated being with many sides. He knows how to manipulate the system to make him the one in charge, even if it means changing personalities. We see him in the book at one point sucking up to Mr. Norton, making sure that he is treated with the ultimate care, while a second later dropping the n-bomb to the narrator. This flip-flop personality is all Bledsoe plan, knowing what to do to keep himself in power. He knows where he fits in the power charts, where Bledsoe knows that he is a point of power against the narrator but needs to be able to keep Norton happy if he valued his job, stating about how the narrator's actions might even make him lose his job.
Bledsoe obviously does not have the black community in mind. He wears a mask of his identity, showing to the people who are interested in investing in the school about all the benefits and how the school is lifting the black community up when Bledsoe is simply taking advantage of whites who want to invest to show to others that they are "doing something." These people aren't exposed to the harshness and the actual treatment of blacks, to the point where when Norton actually sees what is going on that he grows weary.
Our narrator is not the only character that is invisible in this book. Bledsoe is invisible too, as he isn't true to himself and hides in this persona that he created to the public. His car, his property and all his achievements aren't really his. With Bledsoe, he more or less accepted this fate and he is ok with being this tricker. Yet his actions are not true to himself and eventually, I think Bledsoe is eventually going to run out of luck and everything will fall apart. What do you guys think about Bledsoe? Do you think Bledsoe's luck will run out?
You make some really good points! Bledsoe knows that students like the narrator are eager to learn in the hopes of a better future. He takes advantage of them, exploiting and manipulating them for his own benefit. In addition, Bledsoe is invisible because his true nature and motives are hidden. He also lies to himself, telling himself that he has made it; that he has control over the white trustees. in reality, his platform of power comes from the trustees and is the other way around. I don't believe that the narrator will actually harm or kill Bledsoe, I feel like he's just a symbol of a Black man who doesn't take into account the larger community, and takes advantage of the corrupt education system.
ReplyDeleteWhether or not Bledsoe is able to sustain his position at the top of the college, "really" running things while making the "rich white folks" think that they're in charge, I continue to think in terms of the cost to his soul (his self, his status as a good person, however you want to think about it) in pursuing this Faustian bargain for worldly success. Ellison makes clear how he has to *act* "humble" and self-effacing and meek *all the time* in public, basically pretending to be someone he isn't at all times. We can feel the glee he takes in getting to knock the narrator down a few notches--as he says, he hasn't had to "clip the wings" of a misbehaving student in a while, and we get the sense that he *likes* this part of the job. Why wouldn't he? At least when he's yelling at the narrator, and mocking his stupidity, and boasting about his own power and influence, he's being *honest* for a change.
ReplyDeleteThe idea that Bledsoe is also invisible is very intriguing and it honestly depends on the definition you give. I prefer to say that Bledsoe is more in camouflage as he is trying to blend in. He blends and makes it seem as if he is acting in everyone's best interests, but he actually isn't. In fact, one can make an argument that he is not acting in his best interests as well. As Mr. Mitchell said, the way he is paying for worldly possessions with his soul might not be the best idea. Good blog post!
ReplyDeleteI sure hope he does. Reading about Bledsoe just irritates me. He is so polite in front of the public, but behind the scenes, he treats his own people with little consideration. I think your example of Dr. Norton is a great example. Another one would be the old crazy (sorry i can't recall his name) , whom Dr. Bledsoe shipped out to the mental/psychological institute. If I had the choice, I would have him somehow strip Bledsoe of his powers and possessions and have everyone look down on him. Yes, that's very harsh but that is what he deserves after what he did to the narrator.
ReplyDeleteAnother way bledsoe is invisible or in the system are his achievements. It says he has fancy cars and a white wife. This could imply that he is really susceptible to the flawed societal norms of success and isn't truly free or powerful.
ReplyDeleteThat's true, I didn't even think about this. Bledsoe bases his success on what society shows to be true success, rather than making his own goals and standards.
DeleteI definitely believe that Bledsoe's luck will run out. I think that eventually there will be some point when he messes up and shows his different personalities to the wrong person. I don't think someone can usually keep up this complex of a lie for as long as Bledsoe has so far. I hope that before the end of the book we get to see the Narrator meet up with Bledsoe one last time.
ReplyDeleteEVERYONE's INVISIBLE In the book! Thank you! we're all probably invisible too. Everyone's dead in a hundred years, and even if your name is remembered, it's not like people see you. People don't see einstein, they just see his equations and stuff. I like how you noticed this about bledsoe and this was a good blog post. Bledsoe is so concerned about making sure reality is invisible to white people that he becomes invisible himself.
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