Throughout Invisible Man, the narrator struggles to find his own place in the world and be seen as who he really is. He strives to be like Frederick Douglass, and build his own name for himself in history. This theme of searching for identity as a part of history is recurrent throughout the entire novel, and in the scenes of Tod Clifton’s death, it is especially significant. The narrator is deeply unnerved by Clifton’s decision to leave the Brotherhood, because to him the Brotherhood is the only thing preventing them both from being invisible and forgotten. But Clifton's death, we see that the Brotherhood, the narrator, and the community all have different versions of what happened, and none of these histories tell the whole truth.
When the narrator first encountered Clifton selling the marionette dolls in the street, he was surprised and confused about why Clifton would want to let go of all the influence and respect he has by the brotherhood. “Only in the Brotherhood,” the narrator thinks, “[can] we make ourselves known, [can] we avoid being empty Sambo dolls”(434). After years just following the path others laid out for him, the narrator thinks the Brotherhood is an opportunity to choose on his own what he wants to do, and make his mark on history. Those outside the Brotherhood are nothing but a “void of faceless faces, of soundless voices, lying outside of history” (439). He views the Brotherhood as his opportunity to be seen for who he really is, instead of being confined to a predetermined script.
But after Clifton dies, it starts to seem like that’s not the real situation. The narrator soon sees that there are several different stories of Clifton’s death, and none seem to be saying the same thing. The Brotherhood considers Clifton a traitor. The police see him as a criminal. And after hearing the narrator’s speech, the people of Harlem see Clifton as a martyr for the black community.
By dying at the hands of the policemen, Clifton seems to reenter history; everyone knows who he is, and after the narrator’s powerful memorial speech, he is now a symbol of the black struggle. But they don’t see the real Clifton. Everyone tells a different story, and even though some might be mostly true, every one of these histories are carefully crafted to achieve a predetermined goal. Contrary to what the narrator believes, rejoining history has made Clifton even less of his own person; instead, a traitor, a martyr, a criminal, his life is still defined by whatever is most convenient to the narrative, and he is even more invisible than before.
This theme of who tells the story and through who's eyes we're seeing things is related throughout the book to blindness and invisibility. I think Clifton's death is really the first time the narrator realizes what he tell us in the prologue about how he is invisible because other people refuse to see him for what he is and only give him an identity as is convenient.
ReplyDeleteI think your point about Clifton's death being extremely significant with respect to the dynamic between the Brotherhood and the narrator is especially important, as we can see the narrator's view heavily change after this event. As you mention, the Brotherhood provides the narrator with an identity and a real purpose in his life, and this strays him away from being invisible to having a real impact on society. Up until Clifton's death, however, the narrator doesn't really know what's happening behind the scenes of the narrator, and blindly follows along doing, for the most part, whatever the Brotherhood orders him to do. After Clifton dies, though, it seems as though even the narrator thinks about this notion that the Brotherhood isn't telling the whole truth, and begins to see the organization in a different light.
ReplyDeleteThe Brotherhood is so incredibly blind. They are mad that I.M. decides to celebrate a martyr because he is a traitor to the Brotherhood. They forget that they are traitors to the people of Harlem and the people do not care much for the Brotherhood anymore. I don't think I quite understand the obsession with being of historical significance. Yes, I believe it is important to make great changes, but think the change is more important than the recognition (but of course recognition should definitely be given where it is due). I still don't understand why Clifton did what he did. There seems to be no valuable outcome from it. However, I can understand him dropping out of the Brotherhood and out of the historical sphere that they are shaping.
ReplyDeleteNice post! I also found it intriguing how the Brotherhood is so blind and wants to ignore the history of oppression, and the narrator finds that ignorance very strange. I think that an epitome of the brotherhood's blindness is seeing Clifton as a traitor. The real dynamic of the brotherhood is shown in their reaction to Clifton's death and the narrator's final speech and ideas. I really liked the connection you made to Douglas and how history made the Clifton seem like even less of a person.
ReplyDeleteThis was a really interesting post. I also thought it was really interesting how much emphasis is placed on how history is completely dependent on the historian and what their agenda is. Clifton is a leader, traitor, martyr, criminal, friend, king, etc. depending on who's talking, but we never find out who he really is. I wonder if he realized his own invisibility and if that was what led him to fall outside of history, much as the narrator will later in the book.
ReplyDeleteI agree that the death of Clifton caused a big change in the narrator and how he saw the world. I thought the conversation he had with the Brotherhood after Clifton's funeral was very eye-opening. While I.M. believed that Clifton's death was important because it was an act of violence against a black man, the Brotherhood didn't care for his death since they viewed Clifton as a traitor for leaving them and selling racist dolls.
ReplyDeleteI think one of the Brotherhood's big flaws is ironically the thing the Narrator cites as one of their powers, that they are a source of history, yet at the same time they have such a blindness to race and the history therein.
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