Is it just me or are there different versions of Dr. Bledsoe in "Invisible Man"? In almost every chapter, there is an African American character that resembles Dr. Bledsoe (except for the people at the Golden Day). The first person is Dr. Bledsoe himself (duh). The second is Brock from the Optic White paint factory. Then there is Mary, whom the narrator met in the streets of New York. To me, they resemble Dr. Bledsoe, but again, they're different versions of him.
It's almost like a hierarchy. At the top, you have Dr. Bloesoe. Despite his achievements and a successful career, he is the worst of the worst. He acts formal and polite in front of white people but behind the scenes, he backstabs his own people to maintain his power and reputation. Take for example the incident with Dr. Norton. The incident isn’t the narrator’s fault but he gets blamed and punished for it. Dr. Bledsoe gives hope to the narrator at the possibility of returning to the college, but what happens directly afterward? He tears the narrator’s world apart and left him in New York with no job and no hope.
Below Dr. Bledsoe in the hierarchy and the second version of him is Brock. He is basically a slightly less successful version of Dr. Bledsoe. He doesn’t have the formal education but he learns from years of experience to earn his management role in the factory. In much of the same way as Dr. Bledsoe, Brock is unwilling to give up his power. However, in my opinion, Brock just seems more genuine than Dr. Bledsoe. Brock treats everyone the same way regardless of their race.
Below Brock in the hierarchy is Mary, the old lady. She is the nicest character I have seen so far. She provides the narrator with a place to live and food at no cost. I thought she is the best person that the narrator could sympathize with. However, Mary's Bledsoe like feature is the burden she places on the narrator. While Bledsoe expects the narrator to abide by the social norm rules for African Americans, Mary expects him to be a leader of a Civil rights movement.
That's my take on the 3 versions of Dr. Bledsoe.
Below Dr. Bledsoe in the hierarchy and the second version of him is Brock. He is basically a slightly less successful version of Dr. Bledsoe. He doesn’t have the formal education but he learns from years of experience to earn his management role in the factory. In much of the same way as Dr. Bledsoe, Brock is unwilling to give up his power. However, in my opinion, Brock just seems more genuine than Dr. Bledsoe. Brock treats everyone the same way regardless of their race.
Below Brock in the hierarchy is Mary, the old lady. She is the nicest character I have seen so far. She provides the narrator with a place to live and food at no cost. I thought she is the best person that the narrator could sympathize with. However, Mary's Bledsoe like feature is the burden she places on the narrator. While Bledsoe expects the narrator to abide by the social norm rules for African Americans, Mary expects him to be a leader of a Civil rights movement.
That's my take on the 3 versions of Dr. Bledsoe.
I find this idea of 3 different Bledsoes interesting and I guess I have some additional thoughts. Bledsoe had the thought that he was in control, that he had all of these influential, powerful white people under his control. Likewise, Brock brags to the narrator that without Brock doing his work in the basement, all of the other work in the factory would be useless. Brock suggests that he is the head person of power at the factory, even if his title doesn't indicate that. Even Mary sounds like she has a lot of influence over the black community. Each person is definitely different, yet has power and influence.
ReplyDeleteI really like and agree with this interpretation of elements of these characters. Each shares a few elements with the original Dr. Bledsoe, though each has their own motivations and desires. Brockaway, like Bledsoe, is obsessed with not giving up his own power, but isn't obsessed with concealing his influence from the outside world, just with keeping it. Mary, meanwhile, pushes the narrator in a similar direction as the college intended for, but in a far more genuine and kind way. While she places a burden of expectation onto the narrator, her burden is light: she is completely unconcerned with the narrator getting a job or paying her rent, because she trusts in the narrator to ultimately become a leader.
ReplyDeleteThis was pretty interesting to read. I hadn't thought of Mary as a form of Bledsoe before, but now the more I toy with it in my head it makes a bit more sense. While she doesn't have 2 different personalities, or wants to conform to the social norms, she still has quite a bit of power in her community, and kinda knows it. It might be a bit of a stretch, but I think that it makes sense, that each section of the hierarchy (college, factory, neighborhood) would have its own person in command.
ReplyDeleteI always saw this idea of characters reincarnating into different forms of the grandfather but I hadn't thought about Bledsoe. You make a really good point that parts of Bledsoe do show up in different characters. Do you think that Bled will reincarnate in possibly more people we meet? I believe that Brother Jack will turn out to be a really good example of this. Although he puts on a front of advancement for the 'narrator's people,' he has his own agenda and it will quickly become clear that he does what he does for himself.
ReplyDeleteI really like this idea of the recurring Bledsoe. I never really thought about it, but the narrator does always seem to find himself in a position where people have power over him and are expecting him to do things. Even while in the Golden Day he is confronted by the vet. The whole point of that scene was for it to be backwards, but the same dynamics end up playing out. The vet seems to be able to harness the mob somewhat, and also knows how to get the narrator out of the mess that is the lobby. The fact that he is the only person to be able to do so gives him power over the narrator. And as for expectations, he thinks that the narrator is going to eventually grow up and have the veil lifted from his eyes. This also puts a burden on the narrator, similar to the burdens that the other forms of Bledsoe put upon him. Thus, I believe that the vet is in fact Bledsoe 4.
ReplyDeleteSasha also made this connection between Bledsoe and Mary and I find it intriguing as it never actually occurred to me. Upon further inspection I do notice similarities, and I do think that throughout the book there are similar types of characters which reappear in different forms. I think whats important to take from this, is that the supporting characters are just there as devices to guide the narrator, who's journey is the entire focus of the story. He never really forms a deep connection with any one character, making people like Mary and Bledsoe nothing more than catalysts for progression through his life.
ReplyDelete