Theme Of Betrayal In Invisible Man

Betrayal is something that people can not avoid. Even God, the creator of the universe, could not avoid betrayal from his creations. He was betrayed by Lucifer who wants to become God. Since betrayal plays a huge part in society, writers often write about betrayal in their literature work. Likewise, in “ Invisible Man” the author reveals that the narrator betrayed himself, and also was betrayed by his own people, Dr. Bledsoe. Betraying himself from his own beliefs had ultimately lead to the betrayal from his so- called friends, the Brotherhood. This demonstrates that rooting in other’s belief rather than believing in ourselves could lead to betrayal.
In “ Invisible Man,” the narrator betrayed his own beliefs in front of the people when he

first gives his speech before going to University. He believes in social equality but betrays his belief and says something else that has nothing to do with his own beliefs. As a result of betraying himself, he could not feel safe with his own people and only earns a prize from white people. Like the narrator, Dr. Bledsoe relies on white people’s wealth and power which leads him to betray the narrator in order to protect his reputation. Dr. Bledsoe tells the narrator that he would send a recommendation letter to his friend in New York to give a job for the narrator. But instead of writing a recommendation, he writes that the narrator was declined by their society and hope that they would not accept the narrator. Dr. Bledsoe writes this letter because he does not want to see the narrator again in his school in fear of losing his reputation. Hence, hoping to get praises from others have lead to betrayal.
After the narrator was betrayed by Dr. Bledsoe, he wanders around in New York and is convinced to join the Brotherhood by money. It makes the narrator to leave his own beliefs and follow the Brotherhood’s opinion. He is blinded by other’s idea because he had already betrayed himself and forgotten his own beliefs. Rus, the destroyer, who maintains in his own beliefs tries to convince the narrator that the Brotherhood are only using the narrator. But the narrator could not get away from the Brotherhood since he was lost in their lies. The narrator gives permission to the Brotherhood to betray him by letting go of his believes.
Since he gave away his own beliefs, the narrator is being played by the Brotherhood in every direction. They would asked him to do what they want. They asked him to speech their idea. But they eventually betray him by creating chaos in Harlem among the narrator’s people. It is all caused by the narrator’s betrayal to himself and trying to blend with other’s society and trying to fulfill other’s idea. Rooting in other’s opinion has caused the narrator to betray himself, and be betrayed by others.
Hence, the first mistakes to let got of his own values, the narrator faced inner conflict and outer conflict. Since he betrays himself, who would not take advantage of him? No one cares about him for losing his own values. And he could not care less. To avoid betrayal from ourselves and from others, one must stand firmly in his/ her own beliefs, and stop admiring something that they can not afford. Above all, the author clearly stated in his book “ Invisible Man” that it is hard to avoid betrayal if we lost our own believes and yearn so many things that are out of our reach.