Bledsoe is the president of the black college where Invisible Man attends. In the novel, he is a man highly revered by all African-Americans. He is a sophisticated and established black man. During this time period there were very few African American men of his caliber especially in the south. However, he takes advantage of his power and respect through his hypocrisy, betrays, and cruelty. .
By the end of chapter six it is evident that Dr. Bledsoe is a blatant hypocrite. For instance, in chapter four Mr. Norton told Dr. Bledsoe that Invisible Man "was not responsible (103)" for any of the unforeseen events that had taken place during there drive and he should not be punished. Dr. Bledsoe had then agreed to not punish him, but at the end of chapter six Dr. Bledsoe goes against his own words and suspends him for the semester. Another instance of Dr. Bledsoe's hypocrisy is when he tells Invisible Man, "we take these white folks where we want them to go, we show them what we want them to see (102)", in this statement he reveals how he has earned his power and fame through blatant deceit. The white people in charge of the school believe that everything is fine because they are only taken to places in and around the school where Dr. Bledsoe knows they will like what they will see. Also in chapter six, Dr. Bledsoe says to Invisible Man, "boy you"re black and living in the South-did you forget how to lie (139)." This statement again blatantly describes Dr. Bledsoe's hypocrisy. Invisible Man was even shocked to hear Dr. Bledsoe, the man he revered, say "to lie to a trustee (139)." Invisible Man could not believe that this highly respectable person could lie and deceive the way that he did.
Dr. Bledsoe not only betrayed Invisible Man he betrayed all of his own people. Dr. Bledsoe, always speaks of trying to improve the race, yet the only one he cares of is himself. If Dr. Bledsoe really wanted to improve the race, he wouldn't act the way white people wanted him to act.
Dr. ... Dr. Bledsoe was a very evil man that was out to get rid of the narrator. ... Bledsoe outsmarted the narrator and found a way to get rid of him for good. ... This shows how Bledsoe betrayed the narrator, because he knew if he read the letters he would come back from New York and take Bledsoe down. ...
The narrator sees himself emulating the prestigious black president of the college, one Dr. Bledsoe. ... When Dr. Bledsoe hears of this, the president immediately calls him in for a conference. ... Also, Bledsoe's actions shatter the narrator's view of him as a role model. ...
Although most ethnic groups do not like to be thought of as different, they do come to enjoy the benefits that come with being labeled as a minority. Affirmative action is a program initiated to try and bridge the gap between white Americans and the minorities that reside in America. In addition, bi...
Although there are many acting on him, he becomes ambivalent to the two characters, Dr. Bledsoe and his grandfather. ... Dr. Bledsoe, the narrator's college President, has to be one of the most influential characters. ... The narrator, who suspects that Bledsoe is keeping the veil in place to ensure that the students remain in the dark, is unfortunately greatly influenced by him. ...
Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison Essay written by Anonymous Invisible Man is a story told through the eyes of the narrator, a Black man struggling in a White culture. The narrative starts during his college days where he works hard and earns respect from the administration. Dr. Bledsoe, the prominen...
The Invisible Man Ralph Ellison's novel The Invisible Man is a story of a young black man whose name we never learn. He is haunted by his grandfather's last words, "Son after am gone I want you to keep up the good fight. I never told you, but our life is a war and I been a traitor all my born ...
Invisibility is what the main character of Ralph Ellison's Invisible Man called it when others would not recognize or acknowledge him as a person. We first see that the main character is an anxious college student who only wishes to please his superiors and do as they ask. ... When you have it you know it" which is stated by the school's Principal Dr. Bledsoe (Ellison 143). ... This discussion with Bledsoe opens the narrator's eyes to the real world and shows that being right doesn't mean you have power and without power you are nobody and remain invisible In this novel t...
There are many other examples in the book where the reader knows the true characteristics of a character when other characters don't. ... Even Dr. Bledsoe was trying to please high white people although he would never openly admit it. Bledsoe was trying to impress Mr. ...
For being able to investigate the main character's search for identity these different ideologies are examined in order to divide his quest into different developmental stages. ... As he leaves the college the invisible man has not yet grasped Bledsoe's betrayal and thinks that "Dr Bledsoe is right" (123). ... With innocent optimism he moves up to the urban North where he has to discover Bledsoe's phoniness. ... But following the Communist theory "individuals [...] don't count" (236) for the Brotherhood whose leader Brother Jack, described as a very auth...
