Recently, I came across the following quote:
“I am an invisible man.... I am a man of substance, of flesh and bone, fiber and liquids - and I might even be said to possess a mind. I am invisible, understand, simply because people refuse to see me. ~Ralph Ellison, The Invisible Man”
This made me ponder. Whose fault is it? Is it the fault of the man that he couldn’t let the world around him see his true genius? Or is it the mistake of the people around him who refuse to acknowledge this truth? And if such is the case that he is invisible, what should his next course of action be? Should he accept his fate of invisibility and take satisfaction in the fact that he is on a whole different (and better) level that his peers? Or should he fight to gain their attention and prove to these people that he is in fact a living breathing man – worthy of their regard and respect?
Or should he just part ways with them and go his own way – far away from the demeaning group of people who made him feel invisible?
Great questions. I don't think we can hold it against the world for not acknowledging the truth. The world doesn't owe anything to anyone. Staying invisible is a choice we make, consciously or otherwise. It takes some amount of time and effort to break out of it and not be invisible anymore, if it mattered to The Invisible Man.
ReplyDeleteQuite a retrospection..! I remember a quote (probably by Frost) stating that the world owes nothing to anybody since it was here first.. However, in case the man tried and still failed to prove his "worth" simple because people around him didn't want to see him.. what then???
ReplyDeleteVery thought provoking, indeed. It's all a matter of choice. All that happens in our life is based on what choices we make. The same goes for the invisible man. I feel it's not important to prove your worth, rather it's more important to believe in what your worth is. Somehow I feel how much ever you try to prove your worth, if the world chooses to be oblivious to it, it will be. Again a point of choice. So, we can choose to not be affected, if we know what our worth is. Sure, we should always put up a foot and let the people around know that we are worthwhile, but in the end it's going to be their choice to agree with us or not. And yet again, we can choose if we want to mull over it, or let it go.
ReplyDeleteI really liked this piece of writing. keep posting!