Throughout Invisible Man, the narrator seeks to create his personal identity and get rid of his invisibility. In an attempt to create a name for himself, he willingly sacrifices friendship, his past, and loyalty to the Brotherhood. His ability to give powerful speeches is a unique gift, and can potentially define his identity. He is rewarded a college scholarship after one speech. He also gains recognition in the Brotherhood after giving a speech in Harlem. However, no matter how close he comes to making a name for himself, he is eventually stripped of his accomplishments and demoted to his status of invisibility once again.
Similar attempts of establishing reputations and identities are made by high school students everyday. Many students want to be popular, hangout with the cool kids, and be the talk of the campus. Just like the narrator, they are willing to sacrifice the important things in life to achieve this status of "coolness." A few students may actually be successful in their attempts but it comes at a high cost. Is it really worth sacrificing everything you ever stood for just be noticed by your peers? The legendary UCLA basketball coach, John Wooden, once said, "Your reputation is what people think you are and you have little control over that. Your character is what you really are and that should be your only concern.
By Dane Johnson
This is a really great post, Dane! You brought up a lot of ideas about sacrifice that are relavent to our lives as high schoolers. When I was reading your post, the word that immediately stuckout to me was "sacrifice." Although I am reading Native Son and not Invisible Man, I think that Bigger also sacrifices some really big things in the novel. In the end, he sacrifices the truth about what happened when he killed Mary and Bessie. (I think this sacrifice resulted in Bigger recieving the death penalty.) And as far as college goes, for me, I had to sacrifice my family, home, and money in order to attend college in Virginia. However, I know it will open up so many great opportunities for me. Again, great post! :)
ReplyDelete-Shelby F.
Dane,
ReplyDeleteCharacter seems to be something we are losing sight of in a world focused on products and success. As I am raising my own children, I am trying to balance motivating them to do well and motivating them to be well. Those might be the same thing, but aren't always. Ultimately, I think about the people they hope to become, the character they hope to achieve and see my role as their mother as guidng them to achieve those visions of themselves.
Daney Poo,
ReplyDeleteI read your blog twice it was so amazing. I agree, too many kids today try to do the "in" thing just to be noticed. It is a sad thing to see. I don't know where the problem arises, but it needs to change; no kid should have to relate themselves to practices and methods that aren't their own just to be noticed.
However, to me, it is these kids that I notice the least: the ones doing the "hip" thing, trying the "cool" thing, or talking about the "in" thing. I notice the kids who have a quiet confidence about them, do well in school, see both sides of an argument, meet a broad spectrum of people, and constantly have a smile on their face. These kids make a name for themselves without even trying, not the ones that try too had to fit in. When your fitting in, how do you stand out?!
Respect.
Cameron Tagge
There is so much truth in this post. When kids enter high school, no one really has a concrete identity yet. Over the course of four years, all students set out to find who they truly are and build their own set of morals, but I think that, unfortunately, the desperate goal of being cool causes many to lose their integrity and instead of creating an identity, they mold to one that is completely unoriginal. To answer the question that you posed: no, under no circumstance do I think that it is acceptable to sacrifice anything important for the approval of others, but that also depends on what one finds important I guess. I find it difficult to respect anyone who gives in and blends in so easily to the crowd. But at this point I'm ranting haha. Good post, Dane! I loved how you related the book to our own social pressures.
ReplyDelete-Audrey T.
This is a great post! I completely agree with you and I must say I have been a witness of many kids in high school sacrificing so much just to be noticed. It is as though they feel they must make a name for themselves in high school believing that is what will make their future a successful one. Yet I have learned from my older brothers that reputation in high school is what they like to call a status update on FaceBook; you can post it, people will comment, many may see it but in the end it is pushed to the side as the recent Live Feed comes in.
ReplyDelete-Melissa Mejico
I agree with you boo boo!
ReplyDelete@cameron tagge "when your fitting in, how do you satnd out?"
thats one of the best quotes ive heard!
its always better to be yourself and to be humble, its just easier to gain respect from people rather than making a fool of yourself thinking its what makes you "cool."
-Anthony Flores
Within Invisible Man, opportunity is definitely one of the major aspects that defined the narrator. He was only allowed to achieve as much as he was given, due to the social status that he was born into, and especially because of the fact that he was black. Had he been given more opportunities, he would have achieved more.
ReplyDeleteDane,
ReplyDeleteThe relfection of individual establishment of a self identity is consistent with similar struggles relatable to the reader and alot of us in class. The presentation of your idea parallels human development and creates a resonance of personal understanding. And you're a real nice guy.