Elias AAL

      Dr. Bledsoe's character was really interesting to me, a black man who has climbed his way to the top by doing what needed to be done, even at the price of his own dignity. He plays the role of the concerned suck-up to important white people like Norton, and then turns around and acts as if he's above them, controlling them even, when talking to lower status black people like the Narrator. Bledsoe has achieved success, and while one may not respect the way he got it, view him as disingenuous or cowardly, at the end of the day Bledsoe has made a name for himself and constructed his ideal life in a world that should've sought nothing else but to make that impossible for a black man. Something we talked a good amount about in class was whether or not we respected Dr. Bledsoe for doing this. I neglected to say anything, due to the fact that I was currently behind in the reading. Now that I've gained a better understanding, both through reading and through hearing class...

    Chapter One of Invisible Man left a strong initial impression on me. Reading through the elongated and elaborate torture process our main character (I'll be referring to him as Inm for the rest of this post for convenience) experienced in the chapter was at the very least mildly upsetting and at times difficult to read. The idea of being invited to a party and being promised a celebration of your worth, only to find out that you are in fact nothing more than entertainment is incredibly depressing. Inm fell victim to a brutal bait-and-switch, and the most painful part was the fact that he was too blind to realize even by the end of the chapter. Desperate for approval, Inm tolerates countless afflictions one after another, holding out for the reward he was promised. While his acceptance and ignorance of his situation anger me, I am aware that after he steps foot into the building, he has lost all say in what's to come of him over the course of the rest of the night. When he ...