Bledsoe: Mastermind, Uncle Tom, or Both?
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 classmates' opinions on the matter, I can definitively say that I do not in fact respect Bledsoe. While he has achieved a massively impressive feat, the way he has sold out to get there is generally unproductive for the advancement of black people. Bledsoe talks about the students at his school learning to lie to and appease white folks while manipulating them into acting beneficially, but at the end of the day, regardless of what black people are getting out of it, no social change occurs. We can think whatever we want to think, that we're manipulating them, and that we're really the ones in control, but without truly acting their equal, no real advancements are made. The white people are letting Bledsoe obtain what he has because he goes to great lengths to keep them satisfied. He is rewarded in the form of his fancy car and prestige among his other luxuries, but truly his idea of "manipulation" is just a matter of perspective. When his status and possessions are dictated by the way he treats white people, he is still only working for them, just in a less obvious and direct fashion. Not only this, but by creating this image of the model black man, he is raising other generations of African Americans to act the same way as he does. This effectively keeps us at the bottom, no matter how much we try to fool ourselves with this false idea of control (not that Bledsoe cares about the standing of black people, saying that stuff about seeing every other black person hung before giving up what he's got). Bledsoe's wealth isn't real, it's the cumulation of rewards for good behavior from the higher class white people he is constantly appeasing.
Good post. I agree that Bledsoe seems to be harming his community more than helping it, but it is understandable why he may not view it that way. In his eyes, it is almost impossible to change such a system with large amounts of power, and in order to gain power you must lie and manipulate. To some extent, he might actually think that he is setting his students up for success. But there is also the flip view that most of them will not be granted such powerful positions and thus this advice will only harm them in their day to day life.
ReplyDeleteIt is very intriguing to me how in a way, Bledsoe is "kept running" with empty titles that make him feel good and powerful. None of his accomplishments actually do anything to help the black population in the long term. All that is accomplished is white people getting what he wants. At the begging of the book, The Invisible Man is told that he might become a leader of his people, White people want more Bledsoes because they are not a threat to social dynamics (good for white people, bad for black people).
ReplyDeleteI haven't thought too much about how I perceived Bledsoe, but this post made really good points to help shape my opinion. I guess my feelings towards him have always just coincided with what the Narrator thought of him. Looking at manipulation as a matter of perspective is really intriguing, and a sentiment that I agree with. I also agree that Bledsoes personal achievements did nothing to uplift the black race, and that he was not a good representation of how a Black person should look to get ahead or be treated with respect. Your post really made me think. Great job!
ReplyDeleteI thought this was a really well-thought out dive into the morals of someone like Dr. Bledsoe. In particular, I think the dynamic you pointed out of both Dr. Bledsoe and the rich white trustees he tries to appease think that they're the ones on top, but ultimately I agree with you that, given the lengths Bledsoe must go to to gain respect, he's ultimately the one being deceived here. That being said, I think it's understandable that he's proud of knowing how to play the system for his own benefit, and of having sacrificed so much (including often his dignity) to get a seat at the table with rich and powerful people, even he's not a redeemable character.
ReplyDeleteIn an odd way, we might even respect Bledsoe for being so honest and candid about his strategy and the compromises he's had to make. In a novel that's all about consciousness and identity, you can't say Bledsoe is fooling himself. He is fully aware of the compromises he makes, and he claims that he chooses to compromise with his eyes wide open. He says some shocking things about how he's only looking out for himself and all his work on behalf of the "community" is basically bullshit, which will lower him in many readers' estimation, but when he takes off his "mask," he does represent the situation to the narrator with total candor and honesty.
ReplyDeleteBledsoe is especially interesting to consider in comparison to the Vet, who has none of his social prestige, but who can (and does) speak freely and is critical of the system that cranks out Bledsoes. For readers who can hear something of the Prologue-narrator in the Vet and his style, it does seem that the narrator is eventually more inclined to follow his path. (It depends whether we see his current position with the Brotherhood as a "Bledsoe" situation.)
I liked your explanation of the situation "The white people are letting Bledsoe obtain what he has because he goes to great lengths to keep them satisfied", and it's interesting to think about in contrast to how Bledsoe views he got the power. Bledsoe constantly reminds the narrator of all the power he had, and claims he is manipulating the white people so he can get his cars and other material possessions. But is it really him doing the manipulation? or the white people and the system manipulating him into thinking the only way for him to succeed is to backstab other black people who won't go to extreme lengths just to please white people.
ReplyDeleteI agree with your idea that while Bledsoe has obtained plenty of material wealth, his social status is not all that elevated since he is still sucking up to the white men in power, and he is basically being allowed to assume that position on the university instead of it being of his own influence and prestige. I also believe that him thinking he is in control is merely him trying to make himself feel better, as he isn't the one in power at all because at anytime he could be disposed of. He has only made himself useful to the higher ups and that's why he is allowed to stay, he merely mistakes this as power instead of him being used.
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