ENGLISH LITERATURE (CBSE/UGC NET)

Detailed explanation-1: -While the novel almost always portrays blindness in a negative light, it treats invisibility much more ambiguously. Invisibility can bring disempowerment, but it can also bring freedom and mobility. Indeed, it is the freedom the narrator derives from his anonymity that enables him to tell his story.

Detailed explanation-2: -Ellison’s narrator explains that the outcome of this is a phenomenon he calls “invisibility”-the idea that he is simply “not seen” by his oppressors. Ellison implies that if racists really saw their victims, they would not act the way they do.

Detailed explanation-3: -When the narrator finally removes his metaphorical blindfold and stops seeing his reflection in the eyes of others, he becomes Rinehart and regains his sense of self. By disguising himself as Rinehart, the narrator uses his invisibility to his advantage.

Detailed explanation-4: -The metaphors of invisibility and blindness allow for an examination of the effects of racism on the victim and the perpetrator. Because the narrator is black, whites refuse to see him as an actual, three-dimensional person; hence, he portrays himself as invisible and describes them as blind.