I was amazed by Ellison's account of pseudo-modern, urban, racial realities; that Blacks could work seemingly on par with Whites, relax and have intimate relations with them, and still not be accorded basic dignity (respect as individuals). I was surprised, also, by the advantages ascribed to invisible men. I found it alarming that Blacks like the fictional Dr. Bledsoe should credit their success to a facade of subjugation.
The names of the characters struck me. I felt that the protagonist's anonymity was appropriate given his status as an Invisible Man. I also liked the names Trueblood and Bledsoe. The latter was indicative of its owner's ruthlessness (p. 143):
(Bledsoe to the protagonist) "I've made my place in [the white man's world] and I'll have every Negro in the country hanging on tree limbs..if it means staying where I am."
In keeping with the book's expose premise, many characters - in addition to the protagonist - are presented one way and then revealed to be another. Often, there is more than one twist. Dr. Bledsoe, the potent head of the school, behaves humbly when addressing a white trustee (Mr. Norton). However, as the headmaster later reveals, such humility offers a pretense under which power may be secured (p. 142):
"Power doesn't have to show off..I pretend to please the big white folk; and those I control more than they control me. The white folk tell everybody what to think - except men like me."
Mr. Norton, the white trustee, is another amorphous character. He is catered to like a king at the beginning of the book by his chauffeur, the protagonist. Speaking vaguely of fate and duty, he encompasses the role of Great White Father (p. 43):
