The primary conclusion that the Invisible Man comes to by the end of the novel is that the majority of groups in society do not genuinely want the best for one another. One group spends much of their time trying to convince the other that they are on the same side, when in reality, this is not so. Because of the racial, economic, and other social differences between societal groups, they find that they cannot be honest with one another because their ideas may not be “politically correct.” Therefore, the whites in New York try to convince the blacks that they are working toward the common good of the entire community, when in reality, they are only trying to better themselves.
The Invisible Man also sees the truth in his grandfather’s words that repeatedly resonate in his head. He begins to understand that his grandfather was correct – the blacks serve the whites and “yes them to death,” and as a man who went against the grain in the riots toward the end of the novel, the Invisible Man can be seen as a “traitor” just like his grandfather. The narrator also realizes that the whites do the same to the blacks. In the Brotherhood, the white members constantly told their black “brothers” that they were on their side. They claimed to want equality in society through nonviolence. Though we find out that they were actually trying to produce riots amongst the black members of society, they spent the majority of their time telling the black men that they were working for the common good. This idea could be seen as the white man’s “yes” to the black man.
With all of his experiences throughout the North and South, the Invisible Man has every right to see society the way that he does. He was constantly lied to by Dr. Bledsoe in the South and Brother Jack in the North. It is no wonder that he would feel betrayed by not only the blacks of power, but also the whites who claimed to be on his side. The truth of the matter is that the Invisible Man originally wanted to be a strong black man of power in society who earnestly did want equality for all societal groups. Formerly believing that the rest of his professors and “brothers” wanted the same, his disappointment thoroughly justifies his views of society.
Nice job Stephanie. I like how you clearly broke down and elaborated on each question. I agree with you on the fact the Invisible Man is a traitor just like his grandfather. By yessing the white man they both "lower" themselves and their egos. It's the realization that the Invisible Man comes to at the end of the novel, is what makes the grandfather’s words hard to swallow. He carried on his advice for years, despite what he truly believed was right= traitor yes! I also agree with you on the fact that he wanted to be “a strong black man of power in society who earnestly did want equality for all societal groups.” I think that because he never overcame his naïve subservient nature, this couldn’t become possible. I see a strong black leader being an individual thinker. The Invisible Man did not have the opportunity to reach his full potential in terms of individuality.
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