Comparison Case

Trista Rich

B1

January 27, 2012

Comparison Essay

While Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison and Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad differ in a variety of ways, there are a quantity of similarities. The main characters searched to find his place is society and while doing so, he came across various experiences from good to bad. These experiences changed their lives forever and made them become responsible men. The two shared common life stories in that they were both sent away, had to leave home, learn through experience and feel blind or invisible. More into depth, though, symbols that were similar were the women and blindness, as well as irony , race and hypocritical themes being used.

In both novels, Marlow in Heart of Darkness and Invisible Man were sent away unwillingly. As they learn what is really happening to them, they find odd things about where they are. They see how people act, such as the man carrying a bucket of water with a hole in it in Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness. With Invisible Man, he thinks it is absurd how black people actually have a place in society, which is new for him. To Marlow, it is a little odd, but it is virtually the opposite because in Africa, there are few white people so the white people are looked at differently. There were black prisoners in control of black prison guards. The two later find out that they are not sure if they will even be able to return home, or be able to go back to how things were. It is like this because Marlow and Invisible Man were taken advantage of by people they thought they could trust. Bledsoe was someone whom Invisible Man wanted to be like, thinking Bledsoe was trying to help him get a job when he really just exiled Invisible Man. With Marlow, he thought the doctor was sending him away for opportunities when the doctor just wanted him gone and to never hear from him again. In both of their cases, being led on and moved unwillingly was best for both of them, causing them to be better and more experienced, yet stronger people. The two characters had not left home like that before, meaning they had not experienced what it was like in the real world.

Women play an important role in the lives of the two men. Invisible Man is often manipulated into having sex with women he does not feel for, yet he always has a female who is there for him. Mary gave him a place to stay with no charge, although he was supposed to pay rent, and would help him get through any problem he faced. The women in Invisible Man's life did one of two things; look out for him or take advantage for him. In Marlow's case, women were more essential than they were in Invisible Man's case. Women in Marlow's society were the symbol of success and status to the men. Marlow often claims women are the "keepers of naive illusions" or the base of economic and social places in society. Overall, women were the way of telling a man's wealth.

Racism often happens in society today, as well as it did in the past which was much worse. Conrad and Ellison give the audience examples that you must read between the lines to catch. The two authors use black and white comparisons throughout the novels to show how much it occurred. Conrad did so when he said that there was white yarn tied around the native laborers necks while they were working, which was new for Marlow. There were far more examples in Invisible Man when in every chapter read, there was a new comparison to black and white. One of the most influential said, was with the Sambo Dolls and how they were black "slave" dolls hung with black, invisible thread that were owned by white people. This meant that the black slaves were under control of the white owners at the time. Although in both novels, the black people were always seen as machinery and material rather than humans trying to make their place in society.

Next came the theme shown numerous times in both novels; hypocrisy and being evil Yes, black people at the time were treated horribly and had no place in society, but even in Africa there were scenes of slavery