Racism through Symbolism and its Effect on the Narrator’s Naivety
Entering Chapter 10, the Narrator in Invisible Man seems excited for his first day of work at Liberty Paints, hoping it will allow him for a fresh start in the seemingly progressive and equal New York City. Though, the physical paint mixing in the chapter serves as a metaphor for all-encompassing racial inequalities that still stand. Mr. Kimbro brags that the paint is so opaque that it would take one to crack a rock open to see any glimpses of black through it. By praising the paint’s ability to cover up all blackness, Kimbro is emphasizing that whiteness will always be able to easily overshadow blackness. He also highlights that the paint is “the purest white that can be found. Nobody makes a paint any whiter. This batch right here is heading for a national monument” (202). As many national monuments have key historical figures depicted, Kimbro is showing that the paint company’s white is so perfect that it will exactly match the white people that have founded America: white people who have subjugated Black people and overshadowed them for centuries. These few instances serve as the narrator’s first realization that life might not be as glamorous and equal in the North as he hoped. Throughout the chapter, he realizes more and more that he will face inequities forever, resulting in the physical meltdown he has against Brockway at the end of the chapter.
Ellison seems to intentionally juxtapose these physical symbols of racism through the paint with the presentation of Brockway working underground. Although Brockway is highly skilled - to the point where the company was essentially incapable of running without him when he was sick - he is still pushed to work underground while others get to take all of the recognition for the success of the business. We see this in the fact that the narrator thought Brockway was a janitor when he was sent to him.
Through this juxtaposition, Ellison is trying to convey that the seemingly equal nature of New York, that anyone can succeed and fulfill the American Dream by working hard, is wildly untrue. No matter how talented Brockway is, and how much dedication he has shown to the Liberty Paints company, he is still thrown underground. Brockway is similar to Bledsoe in that they both have the mentality that true equality will never be reached, so they work for themselves and do what is needed to maintain their positions of power. Seeing that Bledsoe is not the only successful Black man that has to perform this way upsets the narrator. Does he have to be cold and selfish like Bledsoe and Brockway if he wants to be as successful as them? Nonetheless, we see the narrator become far less naive in this chapter, and act more like the current narrator who cares mostly about himself.
I never thought about those similarities between Brockster and Bledster. I had been thinking about their differences in the sense that Bledsoe is a very public figure who is insecure and fragile on the inside, whereas Brockway doesn't seem like an important person but is actually important, and he's very secure in his role. Also, Brockway seemed to upset the narrator much more than Bledsoe (before the narrator read the letter, at least). I think that the narrator still buys into each one's image, and thus is annoyed that Brockway can maintain a position of importance despite seeming to contradict the teachings of the college (to look and act distinguished to be one of the "better" black people).
ReplyDeleteI really like your point that "the paint company’s white is so perfect that it will exactly match the white people that have founded America", and I hadn't really thought of it like that. The entire metaphor/allegory really has so many levels, every time you think you've found them all, another three appear. I think another possible one is in the use of dope, an extremely black liquid which seems to make the white paint just that much whiter, despite the narrator's initial skepticism. I think that can be read like how oftentimes people like Brockway and Bledsoe contribute to the whiteness of society just by being present in the system - even though outwardly it may look like they're subverting standards, they're really just fading into the vast Optic White bucket and brightening it's whiteness further.
ReplyDeleteYou did a nice job pointing out a lot of the symbolism in the Liberty Paints scenes, and particularly how it's tied to the portrayal of Mr. Brockway . I think the depiction of Brockway as the "invisible" and uncredited force in the basement that makes everything in the factory work is really interesting in the context of the position we see the narrator in during the prologue. Even though the protagonist we've met in the main story thus far is still somewhat naive and idealistic, and dreams of becoming a "leader of his people" and making an impact on the world, we know that he eventually ends up, much like Brockway, content in finding a role in living "invisibly" underground, focusing his work inwards to suit his own whims and needs.
ReplyDeleteI love your analysis of the Liberty Paints chapter as a metaphor for the founding and continuation of the white-centric America we live in today. In this setting, the factory's black drops in the white paint and Brockway represent how black people were key to the creation and success of America, but they received none of the credit. The narrator's growing confusion and frustration during this chapter exhibits the unrest and agitation caused by oppression and marginalization in America. I had trouble understanding all of the deeper meanings in this chapter, but you did a wonderful job of eloquently explaining the main idea of this section of the book. Great post!
ReplyDelete