Rebirth in Invisible Man

Thoughout Ralph Ellison's Invisible Man, the narrator struggles with his identity. His inner turmoil is caused by a lack of freedom that he experiences as he is constantly controlled by outside forces.

In the middle of the novel the narrator goes through a period of rebirth after his explosion in the paint factory. This rebirth readies him to be manipulated and controlled by more forces, and instead of a natural birth, it is a mechanical one. A birth powered by electricity, representing the power that the forces in his life use to manipulate others. The explosion which causes his symbolic death happens because the pressure builds up, literally and symbolically, as the "needle on one of the gauges swinging madly, like a beacon gone out of control" (229). The pressure that weighs down on the narrator from the expectations and constant control of others causes him to explode. He wakes up in a hospital, with a doctor staring at him. He is referred to as an infant, with infant eyes as he recounts the experience. While he undergoes the procedure and he slips in and out of consciousness he mentions Beethoven's fifth symphony. The rhythmic beat of the song that he discusses almost sounds like a heartbeat. The song is even described to mean "fate knocking on the door", his rebirth. Next, the narrator is in a state of confusion about his identity, he thinks he is Brer Rabbit, a character from a children's story, and he confuses the machine as his mother, "mother, who was my mother? Mother, the one who screams when you suffer- but who?... But the scream came from the machine. A machine my mother?...Clearly, I was out of my head" (240). This machine-like birth demonstrates how society mechanized individuals, using them for specific purposes. Before the rebirth the narrator even describes himself as "We the machines inside the machines". Mechanizing his birth demonstrates that he is a product of unnatural means. He is only a part to be used in society, not meant to stand out. After his rebirth he is the perfect clean slate to be recruited by the brotherhood, needing a mentor in his state of infancy. 

Born again, the narrator is an infant susceptible to the control and manipulation of others. "he'll experience no major conflict of motives, and what is even better, society will suffer no traumata on his account". Perfect for him

to fall under the control of the brotherhood and not question society's authority and utter control. When he gives his first speech at the elderly couple's eviction, he picks up various objects from the ground that are aged objects about children. Baby's boots, a grandchild's postcard, and more are thrown onto the street as the narrator himself is going through his childhood. In this state of youth, the Brotherhood lures him in and teaches him, gives him a place to belong. They tell him that the old have fallen outside of history and convince him that he is their future. His rebirth carved the path for this to be able to happen. 

My college rant... Why not?

My little rant on the conflict caused by high tuition rates. 

The college process is a grueling one, and the past few months have been filled with stressful applications, an extraordinary amount of essays, and a lesson in patience. And ironically enough, result of this rollercoaster of emotions is another rollercoaster of emotions. 

After the utter euphoria that came with receiving a college acceptance, reality kicked in as I stared at the cruel, mocking numbers on my computer screen. Apparently, going to college costs a lot of money. With parents who dont believe in college funds and don't want me to take out student loans, all that's left for me to do is hope for the best. When discussing my future, I've heard from almost every adult in my life that I must "be practical", and that I don't yet understand what a burden it is to have to pay back thousands of dollars in loans. While I do see their point, and I do concede that their experience may lead them to be wise in this area, I simply cannot let go of my dreams. In a society where money is valued above all other things, some people can't comprehend why I would choose a tremendous amount of debt over  attending a school for practically nothing AND stay closer to home. 

But dreams are called dreams for a reason, they haunt us in the best way possible, and I feel passionate about achieving what I've worked for. The costs of attending the school I want to attend do not outweigh the higher level of education that I would receive compared to going to a local school. Even if I have to go through massive culture shock, be distanced from family and friends, and eat ramen noodles for the rest of my life, I would still rather go to the university I desire. Perhaps I see it differently because I'm not going to college to earn a degree in order to score a high paying job. I'm truly passionate about my education, I'm thirsty to learn and apply my knowledge somewhere where it counts, and this to me is more valuable than the money in my pocket. We only live on this earth for a limited number of days, and so many people live for green little printed sheets of paper. People surround their careers around it, make decisions by it, even kill for it. Maybe I'm still young and naive (granted, I've never had a job), but I'd like to believe that my life is going to be about more than superficial aspects such as money. I hope I'll be following my dreams, living in a way that makes an impact in the world, taking advantage of every moment I have on this earth and living it to the fullest.  

My conclusion is that if you're truly passionate about something, you sort out your priorities, and make the necessary sacrifices. Life is short, and there's no do-over where we can do all that we miss, so as cheesy as it sounds, follow your heart. 

Sonnet 67

Like as a huntsman after weary chase,
  Seeing the game from him escaped away,
  sits down to rest him in some shady place,
  with panting hounds, beguiled of their prey:
So, after long pursuit and vain assay,
  when I all weary had the chase forsook,
  the gentle deer returned the self-same way,
  thinking to quench her thirst at the next brooke.
There she, beholding me with milder look,
  sought not to fly, but fearless still did bide,
  till I in hand her yet half trembling took,
  and with her own good will her firmly tied.
Strange thing, me seemed, to see a beast so wild,

  so goodly won, with her own will beguiled.

Spenserian sonnets are based on Edmund Spenser's courtship of Elizabeth Boyle. They are written in a very intricate form, with an interlocking rhyme scheme. In sonnet 67, the speaker portrays the pursuit of love as a chase, comparing his adventures to a hunt. This Spenserian sonnet describes the object of his affections as his prey, comparing himself to the effortless hunter who ultimately claims victory by putting forth no effort at all. The intricate rhyme scheme in this sonnet demonstrates how intertwined our actions and efforts are, with one person's circumstances and efforts affecting another's choices.  

In sonnet 67, the first quadrant describes the "weary chase", where the hunter would sit down "with panting hounds, beguiled of their prey". At this point in the sonnet the hunter's chase seems hopeless and full of meaningless effort since the prey continues to escape from him. The prey in the poem is the woman which Spenser is courting, at first showing no interest in his pursuit and escaping from him. The hunter is discouraged from his chase, sitting under the shade to rest after a long, weary journey.  The second quadrant then illustrates how the prey, a deer, returns to where he sits to "quench her thirst". This demonstrates how after the hunter has given up his pursuit and sits down to rest, the deer comes back to him to fulfill its own needs. This compares to a loving pursuit between humans. Spenser is portraying this scene to show that when a person ceases to effortfully pursue someone else, the object of their affections will come to them, realizing how much they themselves care for the pursuer.  The last quadrant depicts a scene where the deer is captured "half trembling" yet "fearless". This image demonstrates the victory that the speaker holds in his chase for the prey, who has walked up to him and given itself over to him. The prey comes to the hunter by its own free will, ironic since this is at a point where the hunter has given up his pursuit. The same victory is seen between Spenser and the woman he courted, Elizabeth Boyle, who later on in life became his wife. Spenser must have ultimately stopped "chasing" her for her to realize how much she cared for him. 

The last couplet in the sonnet reads "strange thing, me seemed, to see a beast so wild/ So goodly won, with her own will beguiled". This demostrates the speaker's victory in his pursuit of the "game from him escaped away" earlier in the poem. The chase was won when the hunter finally ceased his efforts, leading the prey to realize how much it "thirsted" for him. These interlocked situations, a reaction from one action leading to another, are emphasized with Spenser's intricate rhyme scheme. Also, the idea of wanting what one cannot attain is seen clearly throughout the poem, first with the hunter, and then with the prey once it realizes it is no longer being chased, returning to the hands of the hunter. 

Something's Rotten in the State of Denmark

The amount of times that the motif "rotten" appears in Shakespeare's Hamlet is astounding. The word carries an incredible amount of meaning and can be interpreted in a multitude of ways. First of all, all the dead bodies in the play are "rank", dirty, and infested with worms. This can be seen in Polonius's death. As soon as Hamlet stabbed Polonius, his downward spiral began. It was the climax of the play and the next few acts were his undoing. When Hamlet commits this sin he begins to seem more mad, driven by a passionate rage. He jokes about Polonius's body being rotten to Claudius, but I think he could also be hinting at the underlying meaning of the word body. The body of Denmark, the political state itself, is rotting. As soon as Hamlet the "royal judge", the "savior" took the drastic step of murder, all hope was lost, and the political state began to unravel. It was rotten, ruined, and dead. This was demonstrated by the end of the play when almost all of the nobles, except for Horatio, are dead, and Fortinbras takes over. The final scene shows the consequences for Hamlet's actions. Why do Hamlet's actions have such catastrophic results? Hamlet's constant internal struggle between good and evil concluded as soon as he stabbed the fool behind the curtain, and evil wins within him. There is no turning back once he kills Polonius, causing him to commit to the purpose given to him from Hell. Evil won within his heart and took over Denmark. The infection spread rapidly from within and caused the destruction of the whole political state. The "something" rotten in the state of Denmark was definitely Hamlet.

"We Grow Accustomed to the Dark"

We grow accustomed to the Dark -
When light is put away -
As when the Neighbor holds the Lamp
To witness her Goodbye -

A Moment - We uncertain step
For newness of the night -
Then - fit our Vision to the Dark -
And meet the Road - erect -

And so of larger - Darknesses -
Those Evenings of the Brain -
When not a Moon disclose a sign -
Or Star - come out - within -

The Bravest - grope a little -
And sometimes hit a Tree
Directly in the Forehead -
But as they learn to see -

Either the Darkness alters -
Or something in the sight
Adjusts itself to Midnight -
And Life steps almost straight.

 

            It is speculated that Emily Dickenson suffered from an anxiety disorder called agoraphobia, which is a psychological disorder characterized by someone being unable to interact in society because of an extreme anxiety. This might filled her with panic and rendered her to live a secluded life. She wrote over a thousand poems, many of them reflecting about the deeper thoughts that plagued her during her years as a recluse. In her poem “We Grow Accustomed to the Dark”, Dickenson explores the difficult adaption to a lonely life by comparing her isolation to the darkness.

            In the poem, darkness, the loss of light, is symbolic of the emptiness the speaker feels when she loses her friendships. In the first stanza the speaker says “as when the Neighbor holds the Lamp/ To witness her Goodbye” to highlight the loss of her neighbor’s light in her life (lines 3-4). She attributes the light to the companionship of another person, and the loss of it to darkness. The “goodbye” experienced leaves the speaker feeling empty, without the “lamp” of her neighbor in her life.  The speaker’s eyes adjust to the darkness, allowing them to step “and meet the Road erect” (line 8). This symbolizes the transition into accepting that loneliness. The comparison of one’s eyes adjusting to the dark to the adjustment into isolation makes the process seem more bearable and possible. Perhaps Emily Dickinson was trying to convince herself that she could survive alone, a recluse from the rest of the world. The tone of the poem is gloomy yet almost hopeful in the last stanza as she writes that “Either the Darkness alters-/ Or something in the sight/Adjusts itself to Midnight-/ And Life steps almost straight” (17-20). This demonstrates her ability to cope with her distressing disorder. The adjustment to the lack of light shows how one can become habituated to any circumstance. While at first the lack of light may seem worrisome, eventually the darkness becomes the norm, and life adjusts to the new situation. This analogy compares with Emily Dickinson’s life and supposed disorder. If she was truly unable to leave her household because of her anxiety, then loneliness would have become her new norm,  her life adjusting to the lack of companionship.

            Dickinson uses the contrasting light and darkness throughout the poem to convey the effects of isolation. Light is commonly known to symbolize purity and goodness, enlightenment, and truth. Darkness on the other hand has a gloomier connotation, and is used to symbolize the unknown, evil, and hopeless. Dickenson uses a contrast between the two to explore how vital human relationships are to the soul. They are the lamps, stars, and moons that bring light into our lives. This is significant when examining Emily Dickinson’s life because she suffered a very lonely existence. If she truly did have agoraphobia, then it would explain her anguish at not being able to leave her household and interact with others. We can only hope that she truly became accustomed to the darkness, the loneliness, where she resided.

Hamlet as the moral judge

Throughout the play we have seen him my act as a morally superior Individual, always judging the actions of others. Although he does have his own faults and is very self-aware of those faults as seen in his self pitying soliloquies, the focus is always on what others around him are doing wrong. From the murder of his father to the purity of Ophelia, Hamlet is consumed by his obsession with others sins. His preoccupation with their transgressions and the consequences that they must pay makes him seem like a judge or a priest. For example, he tells Ophelia "get thee to a nunnery", either meaning to go to a convent or a brothel. Either way, he is sentencing her to a consequence for living promiscuously. Even though it is not his place, Hamlet thinks he knows best what should be done. This is similar to the situation with his mother, Gertrude. After her husband's death, she quickly remarried Claudius, angering Hamlet because in his eyes this symbolized betrayal. Hamlet often refers to his mother's "incestuous sheets" and even advises his mother to "go not to [his] uncle's bed" (3.4.160). He tells her what to do and makes her heart heavy with guilt, all because he feels the need to condemn others, even though he is flawed himself. Hamlet was even present while Claudius confessed his sin of murdering the king, ironically acting like a priest who was hearing his confession. However, unlike a priest, Hamlet wants to not only kill Claudius, but he wants to damn him to an eternity in Hell, the opposite of what a priest helps an individual achieve. 

Hamlet constantly references God and heaven, and the play is filled with religious diction, yet his purpose seems to contradict his morals. First of all, his task was bestowed to him by a spirit from below, symbolically meaning Hell. This task is to murder his uncle, sending him to Hell in eternity. This seems like an evil task for someone who holds themself at such a high moral level. Perhaps that is the reason that Hamlet cannot find it within himself to carry out the act. While he does call himself a coward many times, the true reason that holds him back may be his unwillingness to fully abandon his values. To kill Claudius and damn him for an eternity would morally destroy him and go against everything he believes in. In fact, the reason he even wants revenge is because Claudius did the same exact thing. So while Hamlet does act like the moral judge for others, telling them what to do and how to pay for what they've done, he's hypocritical and fighting a moral battle within himself.  The battle between good in evil within him leaves him stagnant, unable to choose a purpose and act purposefully. He distracts himself and pretends that life is simply a game, where you can cleverly play everyone and speak in witty riddles, so that he doesn't have to deal with the fact that he has to make a decision. Whether Hamlet chooses to kill Claudius or not will be his choice of following good or evil, being moral or immoral. 

What does Hamlet really mean?

“To be or not to be” is arguably the most famous Shakespearean line of all time. In this speech Hamlet can be interpreted to be a depressed young man, contemplating ending his tumultuous life, or he can be contemplating the common theme of authenticity versus appearances. Throughout the play there has been a constant question as to whether someone is “is-ing” or “seem-ing”, and everyone seems to be caught up in the latter, secretly plotting against each other. Claudius seems righteous, but in reality is an “incestuous and adulterate beast” (1.5.32), keeping an eye on Hamlet by hiring Rosencrantz and Guildenstern to spy on him. Hamlet’s old friends, easily bought by the promise of thanks fit for “a king’s remembrance” (2.2.26) agree to pretend to be on a social visit; seeming to be something they’re not.  Then the players arrive, who “seem” for a living. Later on, Polonius instructs Ophelia to have a planned encounter with Hamlet where she pretends to be reading, wanting to gauge his reaction and see if he is truly in love with her. Even Hamlet secretly plots his own play within a play, hoping to “catch the conscience of the king” (2.2.617). All the characters secretly plot against each other and seem to be something they’re not, unable to say what they want to say or ask the questions they want to know the answers to.

                In Hamlet’s “to be or not to be” speech he compares the end of all “seeming” to death, not knowing “what dreams may come” afterwards (3.1.66). While this can be interpreted to be a speech full of suicidal thoughts, Hamlet questioning the point of his life, it could also have a second meaning, where Hamlet is wondering what life would consist of if everyone around him dropped appearances and became genuine and honest. After his speech, he even questions Ophelia, “Are you honest?” (3.1.103)-which can mean either modest of truthful. He continues to use the word honest multiple times within their conversation, the meaning of the word depending on the interpretation of the play. If read from the perspective that Hamlet is questioning why everyone lacks authenticity then we can see why he is so torn to be genuine himself. He says that “conscience does make cowards of us all”, meaning that we are all too self- conscious to be forthright with each other (3.1.82). He references to himself as a coward many times in his self-pitying spiral, contemplating his own role in the “is-ing” and “seem-ing” phenomenon.

                Hamlet’s “to be or not to be” speech can be interpreted in many different ways. Although he could be confused about his role in society and lonely, weary of the people who surround him, Hamlet could also mean that he sees the whole other layer that exists under the appearances everyone puts up, wishing to see some truth. And while his speech could just be Hamlet’s way of sorting out all the thoughts in his head, there are many perspectives on what he truly means- I mean, that is the question.