Blindness The Invisible Man By Ralph Ellison - 1413 Words

The motif of blindness is found all throughout literature. The purpose of blindness allows a character or reader to see beyond what other characters can see. The two types of blindness are if a character is figuratively blind where the character refuses to see certain things others can see or physically blind where they have a physical trait that prevents them from seeing the reality of things. The motif of blindness is found in works of literature such as The Kite Runner. In the novel, Assef is blinded in one eye by Sohrab. This symbolizes how Assef is blind to the pain that he caused to Sohrab. Even Though Assef remains a racist for the remainder of his life, at the end he realizes that the one who blinded him is the only one that knows†¦show more content†¦The white cloth symbolizes the vulnerability of the black youths. There are blind to what is going on around them as well as they are blind to the idea now that the white men now have power over the black youths. As soo n as the cloth is put on the Narrator, the Narrator feels â€Å"a sudden fit of blind terror† (21). This terror that the Narrator experiences are the uncertainty of what is going to occur and the invisibility that the white men are inflicting pain on the black youths for entertainment. The Battle Royal scene establishes how that the black youths are â€Å"blind† to the manipulation of the white men. The events such as being forced to look at a naked woman dancing to then being blindfolded to fight establishes the theme that blindness is a result of how people want others to be seen. When the Narrator arrives at the state college, the Narrator passes by a statue of the Founder with a veil over his â€Å"empty eyes† (36). The Narrator describes the eyes of the Founder this way because they look upon the world that does not exist. While studying the statue, the Narrator wonders â€Å"whether the veil is really being lifted, or lowered more firmly in place† (36). If the veil is being lowered to cover the eyes of the Founder, then the person lowering the veil is blinding the man. Throughout the book, the Narrator as well as other students at the college value the Founder’s help of the â€Å"poor, ignorant people out of mire and darkness† (99). If the man handingShow MoreRelatedInvisibility in Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison Essay958 Words   |  4 Pagesunseen by anyone. In popular media, the hero is also often portrayed as being invisible, going behind the enemys back to complete his or her mission. In Ralph Ellisons Invisible Man, this v iew of invisibility is reversed; rather than being invisible and getting noticed, a man is in plain sight of everyone- however, due to a slew of stereotypes and prejudices, nobody recognizes what he accomplishes. 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