The Invisible Man Ralph Ellison Character Analysis

In the novel The Invisible Man, Ralph Ellison develops his theme of being blinded by ideologies through the portrayal of Mr. Norton, an incredibly wealthy white man who is a founder and trustee of the Narrator’s college. Mr. Norton, as described by the Narrator, is “a symbol of the Great Traditions” (Ellison 37) who feels it is his destiny to help improve conditions in the African-American community. “...I felt even as a young man that your people were somehow closely connected with my destiny.” (Ellison 41). In reality, Norton is an incredibly narcissistic man who uses his position as a trustee of the black college to hide his underlying racism. While those around him may see Norton as someone who cares very deeply about the African-American

A good example of this takes place during his conversation in the car with the narrator. After being asked what it was that got him involved in the school in the first place, Norton states that it was the feeling that the fates of both he and the African-American community were intertwined, and goes on to add that the Narrator is also his fate. At no point during the conversation does Norton mention anything about the Narrator is going out and taking control of his own fate, and instead claims both the future and any potential success of the Narrator’s as his own. Throughout the majority of the Narrator’s interactions with Mr. Norton, it is made exceedingly obvious that Norton holds himself in very high regard. He boasts of his involvement in the bettering of the black community to prove his position as a progressive-minded member of society. He sees the members of the African-American race as a sort of trophy, instead of actual people, making him a prime example of Ellison’s theme of ideological blindness. This also connects with Ellison’s concept of “invisibility” because the identities of the African-American students are being erased each time Norton takes credit for their