I realize that maybe I missed the train for blog posts about the similarities/differences between Invisible Man and Native Son, but we just read through one scene in Invisible Man that I feel compelled to explore in a comparative manner. So if you're sick of reading about comparisons between Invisible Man and Native Son, I apologize.
The scene I'm referencing occurs in chapter thirteen, where the narrator is running away from the police after participating in the riot towards the old couple's eviction. To escape, he runs across the rooftops above the old couple's (former) apartment, and he eventually succeeds in evading arrest. As this was happening, I was so strongly reminded of Bigger's final getaway attempt in Book 2, where he, too, decides to use the rooftops as a means of escape from the police. Bigger, however, is not as fortunate as the narrator, and he is caught and taken to the slammer.
I'm not sure what to make of this apparent allusion, but from what of Ellison we've read so far, with his habitual subtle references and double-meanings, I'm going to assume that it is trying to convey something of significance. After the discussion we had in class yesterday, about the potential sinister intents of the mysterious organization the narrator has found himself in, I think one possibility of this allusion's purpose is to foreshadow. Because this scene is analogous to the one shortly preceding Bigger's imprisonment, you could argue that these are the narrator's last moments of freedom, which are over as soon as he meets with the leader of/ agrees to join the organization.
We know from the prologue, however, that the narrator does end up leaving the organization somehow, whereas Bigger does not end up leaving the prison. So either the reference/foreshadowing isn't meant to be exact, the reference is meant to exhibit something else, or the reference doesn't even exist and the situation is entirely coincidental. I really don't have any great hypotheses, so I'd be interested in hearing your thoughts!
Oh, I love this! Bigger ran across the rooftops before he was trapped in jail (on the water tower, before that) and IM runs on the rooftops before... what? He's trapped in the café with Brother Jack? He's trapped in his new apartment, or the penthouse party? Or maybe he's trapped in a sequence of events that, Bigger-like, will lead him jarringly to the next phase of his life, probably involving Ras and a fall from grace leaving him in the basement. Either way, this is a clear, pointed allusion to Native Son that is completely deserving of a post.
ReplyDeleteThe escaping over the roof scene also reminded me of Native Son but I hadn't thought about what that similarity could signal about the following meeting. I think the idea that it shows Bigger is being trapped in his new job is really interesting. I'm not sure if Ellison is trying to reference Native Son but even if he isn't, the act of fleeing still evokes the idea of being trapped and I hadn't thought about the narrator's new job in that way before. Nice post!
ReplyDeleteI love the comparison and like Betsy, I'm curious exactly what he is going to be trapped in. I love her comment that says that the narrator is trapped in a series of events that lead him towards the future him living in a basement. That inevitably leads me to think of Bigger's free will and whether or not he had it and whether or not the IM narrator will have it. I also like the possibility of the narrator being trapped in the organization he just got a job from, because from my perspective it is definitely shady.
ReplyDeleteI don't think its ever too late to make a compassion in this class. Without your post I wouldn't have noticed that they both tried to escape via roof tops, like in assassins creed or something. So far I don't think its necessarily foreshadowing, but it could be a throwback to Native Son. Good eye and wonderful blog post.
ReplyDeleteI really don't think it'll be too late to make comparisons between these two books until they stop appearing. I hadn't noticed that they both tried to escape over the rooftops and I think it is very interesting to think that The Brotherhood is going to trap the narrator in some way. So far it doesn't look to me like the narrator is really trapped by the brotherhood, however the direction the story is going its definitely possible that it could end up that way pretty soon.
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