The theme of identity seemed to be a focal point in Invisible Man, it was rather clean cut and obvious that throughout the story different identities are placed on the narrator. The choice whether or not he chooses to accept them is not always his. The narrator in Invisible Man is often confused and not fully understanding of what is happening but as readers we always know that nothing good will come from his given identity. On the opposite end of the spectrum Gunnar in The White Boy Shuffle is painfully self aware of the identities that are placed on him and often makes witty remarks that relate the the given identity. The difference in how the 2 characters accept their given identities allows the reader to understand more about the thought process of both the character and the author.
The identity of the narrator in Invisible man seems to have been beaten to death but the core concept is that as the plot continues and the narrator evolves as a person many different INCORRECT identities are placed on him. Several examples include a boxer in the first chapter, an educated college man and a union worker all in the span of 1 chapter, and then of course the direct “new identity” that is given to the narrator by the brotherhood. With each new identity that is placed on the narrator it seems that he becomes more confused. With only brief moments of clarity such as the real purpose of the letters and the final chapter, the narrator spends the most time attempting to fit into a mold which he is the complete wrong size.
Gunnar in The White Boy Shuffle also has identities placed on him throughout the book but unlike the narrator it seems that he has more moments of clarity and understanding than confusion to the new identity. For example when Gunnar is called a “cool funny black guy” he understands what it means and takes it stride, Gunnar continues to joke about the idea of colorblindness and makes “uncomfortable” comparisons between race “colorblindness” and the medical condition of colorblindness. As the novel continues Gunnar begins to care less and less about what he means to other people and rather what he is to himself. It may be argued that Gunnar cares far too little about what he is to other people, but his independence and ideals create the identity that he accepts as his own.
The difference in how each character chooses to accept the identities that are placed on them shows what type of person they are and what the author is trying to show my placing the identity on the character. Gunnar the tone of the novel is conveyed very well with the humorous approach to the identity while the serious tone and conclusions on race made in Invisible Man show how identity helps define not only a character but also the novel as a whole.
I think it is an interesting comparison to look at the importance of identity in each of these two books. However, I do think that identity is very important in The White Boy Shuffle as well. Beyond the "cool funny black guy" title, Gunnar is the basketball star, a street poet, a gang member, a public icon, a friend, and a husband. While he doesn't seem to struggle with accepting these identities like the narrator in invisible man does, he still isn't always happy with what they mean to other people. Unlike The Narrator, he doesn't seem to want a "good" place in The System, but rather to be his own person. He is uncomfortable with the responsibility and duty to others that some of his perceived identities place on him.
ReplyDeleteI think that it is interesting to look at identity in these two novels, you made some good observations. The different moods of the novels affect how the reader sees each character's identity, which is important to consider when comparing the two novels.
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