Invisible Man and Existentialism

I have been trying to view Invisible Man as an existentialist novel. At first I was confused by how they connected, but as I researched more I found that Kierkegaard's three spheres of life fit perfectly with the novel.
One of the leaders in existentialist ideology, Kierkegaard believed that there were three parts, the aesthetic, the ethical, and the religious, and that as we move through life, we experience these different phases. The aesthetic phase can be a time of intellectual enjoyment and enrichment; the ethical is when one must take responsibility for one's actions, and the religious is when one realizes sinfulness and its social effects. These different parts of human life conflict, at times, and they may be experienced together or separately.
In Invisible Man, Ellison develops these three different aspects of the character chronologically. The Invisible Man's aesthetic phase can be found during his time at the college, when he just wanted to give speeches and be among other intellectuals. During his ethical phase, he has to take responsibility for his actions as he is expelled, looks for a job, and eventually finds out that the letters were not positive at all. The religious phase comes in when he joins the Brotherhood. It is here that he learns the truth that men are not always what they seem to be and that they can, in fact, be cruel. These three aspects of life cause confusion for the Invisible Man, and he runs away and hides in the basement. It is there in the basement that the existentialism in the novel really appears, and his previous experiences lead him to it.

-Erica W.

Opportunity

Within the novel Invisible Man, opportunity is one of the main forces that plays a key part. When the narrator is given an opportunity to achieve something, he takes it and does his best. However, his opportunities are very limited, due to the fact that he was a black man and the times he lived in restricted him. Had he been able to do as he pleased and strive endlessly toward his main goals, such as a higher education, a job, and a family in the Brotherhood. However, he allows all of the things that he has achieved to be sacrificed for more, which he ultimately never achieves. Every time he gains a sense of self identity, it is stripped away and he is again, revisited by invisibility.

Alyssa R.

I am...

I am a liberal feminist. No, I am not a mad revolter still trapped within the Proggresive era; nor am I one of your egotistical flaunts that believe the world revolves around her. I believe in truly egalitarian societies, of equal pay for equal work, no sexism- and I might even be bold enough to demand the obliteration of the glass ceiling that entrap the advancement of women. Like the invisible walls that surround a mime, it is as though I have been barricaded by a deaf crowd with predetermined sexist stereotypes. When they approach me, they see only my painted nails, my long hair, and makeup; never the abilities I possess internally. Indeed, to them, I am merely a second rate citizen.

Jane Eyre and Social Mobility

Throughout the novel, Bronte repeatedly critiques Victorian social hierarchy by using the relationship of Jane and Rochester extensively. As the novel progresses, Jane acquires the position of governess, enabling her to become an intellectual equal to Rochester, yet never his social equal. Numerous times in the novel, Jane fears marrying Rochester due to her origin as an orphan living under a benefactress and her inevitable debt towards Rochester for marrying below his social status as an aristocrat, when he had the opportunity to marry a wealthy woman named Blanche Ingram. Brontë emphasizes the chaos inside Jane’s mind in Chapter 17, “You have nothing to do with the master of Thornfield, further than to receive the salary he gives you for teaching his protégé…He is not of your order: keep to your caste.” These words, cycling through Jane’s head, force her to become even more hesitant to allow Rochester her love, demonstrated by her escape into the residence of Saint John. It would not be unreasonable to state that class prejudice greatly constrained an individual during the Victorian era, allowing almost no social mobility to lower-class individuals.

Things Aren't Always What They Seem

Most of the characters in Jane Eyre judge others based on gender, social class, and level of education.
Mr. Brocklehurst, for example, acts as if he is superior. Although the students must dress and act modestly, his own family dresses extravagantly.  The Ingrams judge Jane based on their previous experiences with governesses.
Despite all that he hears, Mr. Rochester chooses to judge others' character for himself. Twice in the novel, he disguises himself in order to see what others act like without him present. The first time is when he meets Jane after the accident with his horse; he does not disclose the fact that he is Mr. Rochester. He asks Jane what she thinks of Mr. Rochester, but, not having met him before, he does not get much information from her. The second time is when Mr. Rochester pretends to be a fortune-telling gypsy. This time, not only does he trick Jane but Miss Ingram as well. By telling Miss Ingram that Mr. Rochester had no fortune, he discovered that she was not marrying him for love but for his wealth. Again, Mr. Rochester tries to pry into Jane's head by asking her what she thinks of Mr. Rochester. Although she does fall for the disguise at first, Mr. Rochester does not receive very much information from her.
Charlotte Bronte is commenting on the nature of judgment through these passages. The conditions that Mr. Brocklehurst has the students in is eventually discovered, and he must change them. Miss Ingram does not marry Mr. Rochester like she had hoped to initially. Mr. Rochester, although he pays for his previous errors, ends up marrying the one he truly loves, Jane. In this way, Bronte explains that those who see with their own eyes, not using the views given to them by society, are rewarded.

Erica W.

Shine

The poem that relates to my one little word is "The Seven of Pentacles", by Marge Piercy. The Line that is most relevant is "...if the sun shines and you pick off the catepillars..." (Piercy 7). It totally relates to me because I love nature and gardening, anf this is what the poem is all about. It is something that I can compare to, and it even contains my word. Sunshine is something that has deep meaning in my heart, and always will. I will shine, forever and always.

~Alyssa R.

Alice as a Victorian Child

Constricted by the values and restrictions of the Victorian era, Alice maintains an idle and dreamy state to indirectly preserve her childhood. Her creativity is unmatched, and her focus nonexistent. She essentially lives in reverie and eventually gets lost "in a world of her own." Although the transition from reality to Wonderland could be seen as a superficial dream, the extent of her identity loss should truly be recognized as Alice's subconscious self making a drastic effort to find herself.

Victorian morality and values, overly conservative and restrictive, especially for females and children, are not conductive to Alice's unique creativity. She thrives in her imagination where everything is familiar and safe and comfortable and secure. As she probes and treks through the haphazard labyrinth that is Wonderland, she is forced to physically ruminate in that active imagination of hers. As much as this invigorates her, it leads her to make some realizations that don't necessarily reflect an acceptance of Victorian morality, but do indicate growth and maturing.

The difficulty of trying to get out of her own curiosity causes her to lose herself at first but eventually pushes and shoves her enough to step out of the protective bubble of daydreaming and into a self-awareness and assertiveness that is difficult to deal with, but will inevitably help her to "wake-up," get back into reality, and connect to the outside world.


Corey P. T.