ANALYSIS:
In the prologue of Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison, the narrator proclaims he has exactly 1,369 lights in his "hole." His "battle" with Monopolated Light and Power is symbolic of his battle with society to gain identity. The fact that the electric company has the word "Monpolized..." in its name (although spelled incorrectly) is revealing of this symbolism. Like the company controls light, society controls and denies the narrator of an identity. Light symbolizes knowledge, while dark represents blindness. Prior to his revelation of his invisibility, society kept him "running" towards a promised identity, towards invisible equality and greatness. Just as he secretly steals light from the company, the invisible man asserts his existence in secret. Although others are unaware and ignorant of his invisibility, he recognizes the corruption of society and surrounds himself in the truth that he had once been blind to. By surrounding himself with light, he is "confirming (his) reality, giving birth to [his] form"(6). The narrator states that "Without light I am not only invisible, but formless as well; and to be unaware of one's form is to live a death. I myself, after existing some twenty years, did not become alive until I discovered my invisibility"(7). This statement is somewhat of a paradox. It was not until he fully discovered his invisibility in society that he felt truly alive. The narrator surrounds himself in light to assign definitiveness to existence, he may be invisible, but he knows it, recognizes it, saving himself from the darkness of ignorance and futility of ambitions.
QUOTES:
"I sensed vaguely and with a flash of panic that the moment I walked out upon the platform and opened my mouth I'd be someone else. Not just nobody with a manufactured name which might have belonged to anyone, or to no one. But another personality. Few people know me now, but after tonight...how was it? Perhaps simply to be known, to be looked upon by so many people, to be the focal point of so many concentrating eyes, perhaps this was enough to make one different; enough to transform someone into something else; just as by becoming an increasingly larger boy one became one day a man; a man with a deep voice-although my voice had been deep since I was twelve..."(336)
This passage is a commentary on the narrator's search for identity. Prior to discovering his perceived invisibility, the narrator assigns himself a purpose in the Brotherhood. He believes that he will gain an identity by being something to others by connecting to his audience and representing hope to others. He is frightened initially by the prospect of gaining a new identity but later embraces discarding of his past. The narrator compares this change to a boy becoming a man when his voice changes. I think this analogy demonstrates the flaw in the narrator's attempt to gain identity through the brotherhood. I may be wrong, but a voice change doesn't transform a person into an entirely new person. The narrator hopes that in becoming an esteemed figure, he will finally have a purpose and have accomplished something. He hopes that by representing the Brotherhood he will be able to abandon his past and avenge Bledsoe's betrayal.
Reaction:
This book is perhaps the most complex and symbolic work I've ever read. It is incredibly powerful due to its disturbing depiction of the plight of African Americans seeking equality and the heinous treatment during such scenes as the Battle Royal. Ellison's repetitive use of motifs such as blindness and the opposition of black and white is extremely effective in emphasizing the struggle which the narrator faces and the state of society during this time of racial turmoil. Overall I liked the book a lot, but I’m definitely going to have to read it again in a year or so to appreciate the full impact of the novel. I found the book a tad overwhelming and therefore missed a great amount of symbolism just because the novel is so dense, and there’s symbolism in each paragraph.
Saturday, January 26, 2008
Thursday, January 17, 2008
Heart of Darkness: Story of my Life
ANALYSIS:
"This man suffered too much. He hated all this, and somehow he couldn't get away. When I had a chance I begged him to try and leave while there was still time; I offered to go back with him. And he would say yes, and then he would remain; go off on another ivory hunt; disappear for weeks; forget himself amongst these people-forget himself-you know"(95).
This statement made by the the Russian demonstrates Mr. Kurtz's inability to escape the "darkness" within himself. The Russian justifies Mr. Kurtz's actions by portraying him as a victim, an ironic concept considering that the man has heads on stakes surrounding his house. I found this quote interesting primarily because it slightly contrasts the excerpt from The Things They Carried. Mary Anne says "I feel close to myself...I know exactly who I am"(111). In this passage from Heart of Darkness, however, the Russian describes that Kurtz has forgotten himself. Throughout the novel the concept of discovering one's own "inner darkness" is a predominate motif. The Russian is blinded by his devotion to Kurtz, holding onto his inspiring talks of love with Kurtz, excusing his actions with his immense sorrow and supposed loss of self. Mary Anne embraces her transformation because it makes her feel more alive, while there is definitely an aspect of self loathing in Kurtz. I believe that deep down Kurtz hated who he had become("...he hated all this...") but was so engulfed in his own evil and obsession that his hatred was not recognized as that of himself, but was realized in his savagery and apparent lack of morality. He cannot escape his lust for ivory, the driving force in the emergence of his inner darkness. While I understand the Russian's claim that Kurtz forgot himself, I think it's more accurate to say he discovered a part of himself that had never before been realized. Mary Anne, despite her highly fashionable necklace of human tongues, justifies her actions by saying they aren't "bad." Heads on stakes surrounding his house makes sense to Kurtz, it isn't "bad," it's a reasonable choice of decoration(just like figurines of Poe and fake beating hearts). I think that Kurtz has forgotten himself in the sense that he has denounced the guidelines of morality in society and embraced the darkness that has always existed.
QUOTE:
"She was sure. I heard her weeping; she had hidden her face in her hands. It seemed to me that the house would collapse before I could escape, that the heavens would fall upon my head. But nothing happened. The heavens do not fall for such a trifle. Would they have fallen, I wonder, if I had rendered Kurtz that justice which was his due? Hadn't he said he wanted only justice? But I couldn't. I could not tell her. It would have been too dark-too dark altogether" (131).
Kurtz had been many things to many people. A painter, a poet, an inspirational speaker. Yet few recognized the darkness which consumed him. Marlow becomes incredibly cynical by the end of the novel and recognizes how blind society is to the evil that exists in mankind. Despite his revealation, he maintains Kurtz's fiance's perception of Kurtz by saying that his last words were her name. He is incredibly disheartened by her confidence that he speaks the truth, that Kurtz died the man she thought he was. The word trifle in this passage is somewhat of an understatement. Trifle refers to Marlow's continued contribtion to the ignorance of society, allowing his fiance to believe he was the poetic and powerful man she loved, instead of a being of disintegrating humanity. His question as to whether the detrimental truth or a reassuring lie was worse(i.e. which would result in the heavens collapsing upon him) is a question as to whether it is up to him to reveal the darkness of humanity. Kurtz asserts( in his warped mind) that all he ever wanted was justice. Marlow's decides that the truth would just bring the darkness upon he and Kurtz's fiance and that he cannot dissolve the perceptions of Kurtz.
OPINION:
The first time I read this book, I hated it immensely. The second time I understood it, and I actually liked it. While the subject is a bit much for me, the examination of humanity and its conclusion that all humanity possesses evil(which can be brought out by one's surroundings) makes sense to a degree. I'm not saying that heads on stakes are reasonable, just that the idea that one's surroundings can transform and distort an individual's sense morality coincides with the whole tabula rasa concept. It's definitely not one of my favorite books but I think the concept is essential to be familiar with for other works.
"This man suffered too much. He hated all this, and somehow he couldn't get away. When I had a chance I begged him to try and leave while there was still time; I offered to go back with him. And he would say yes, and then he would remain; go off on another ivory hunt; disappear for weeks; forget himself amongst these people-forget himself-you know"(95).
This statement made by the the Russian demonstrates Mr. Kurtz's inability to escape the "darkness" within himself. The Russian justifies Mr. Kurtz's actions by portraying him as a victim, an ironic concept considering that the man has heads on stakes surrounding his house. I found this quote interesting primarily because it slightly contrasts the excerpt from The Things They Carried. Mary Anne says "I feel close to myself...I know exactly who I am"(111). In this passage from Heart of Darkness, however, the Russian describes that Kurtz has forgotten himself. Throughout the novel the concept of discovering one's own "inner darkness" is a predominate motif. The Russian is blinded by his devotion to Kurtz, holding onto his inspiring talks of love with Kurtz, excusing his actions with his immense sorrow and supposed loss of self. Mary Anne embraces her transformation because it makes her feel more alive, while there is definitely an aspect of self loathing in Kurtz. I believe that deep down Kurtz hated who he had become("...he hated all this...") but was so engulfed in his own evil and obsession that his hatred was not recognized as that of himself, but was realized in his savagery and apparent lack of morality. He cannot escape his lust for ivory, the driving force in the emergence of his inner darkness. While I understand the Russian's claim that Kurtz forgot himself, I think it's more accurate to say he discovered a part of himself that had never before been realized. Mary Anne, despite her highly fashionable necklace of human tongues, justifies her actions by saying they aren't "bad." Heads on stakes surrounding his house makes sense to Kurtz, it isn't "bad," it's a reasonable choice of decoration(just like figurines of Poe and fake beating hearts). I think that Kurtz has forgotten himself in the sense that he has denounced the guidelines of morality in society and embraced the darkness that has always existed.
QUOTE:
"She was sure. I heard her weeping; she had hidden her face in her hands. It seemed to me that the house would collapse before I could escape, that the heavens would fall upon my head. But nothing happened. The heavens do not fall for such a trifle. Would they have fallen, I wonder, if I had rendered Kurtz that justice which was his due? Hadn't he said he wanted only justice? But I couldn't. I could not tell her. It would have been too dark-too dark altogether" (131).
Kurtz had been many things to many people. A painter, a poet, an inspirational speaker. Yet few recognized the darkness which consumed him. Marlow becomes incredibly cynical by the end of the novel and recognizes how blind society is to the evil that exists in mankind. Despite his revealation, he maintains Kurtz's fiance's perception of Kurtz by saying that his last words were her name. He is incredibly disheartened by her confidence that he speaks the truth, that Kurtz died the man she thought he was. The word trifle in this passage is somewhat of an understatement. Trifle refers to Marlow's continued contribtion to the ignorance of society, allowing his fiance to believe he was the poetic and powerful man she loved, instead of a being of disintegrating humanity. His question as to whether the detrimental truth or a reassuring lie was worse(i.e. which would result in the heavens collapsing upon him) is a question as to whether it is up to him to reveal the darkness of humanity. Kurtz asserts( in his warped mind) that all he ever wanted was justice. Marlow's decides that the truth would just bring the darkness upon he and Kurtz's fiance and that he cannot dissolve the perceptions of Kurtz.
OPINION:
The first time I read this book, I hated it immensely. The second time I understood it, and I actually liked it. While the subject is a bit much for me, the examination of humanity and its conclusion that all humanity possesses evil(which can be brought out by one's surroundings) makes sense to a degree. I'm not saying that heads on stakes are reasonable, just that the idea that one's surroundings can transform and distort an individual's sense morality coincides with the whole tabula rasa concept. It's definitely not one of my favorite books but I think the concept is essential to be familiar with for other works.
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