On Names in Invisible Man
Ralph Ellison’s writing, as we’ve seen reading Invisible Man is stoked with symbolism. In discussing his novel, it seems as though every other word is making some sort of reference to a deeper meaning, a deeper message that the reader must uncover. In fact, every other word is not nearly as much of a hyperbole as it may seem on the surface, as one of the most symbolic aspects of Invisible Man is the names of the characters themselves.
The first character to discuss is obviously the narrator and his lack of a name entirely. This is obviously an allusion to his invisibility. He has lost any sense of himself by being pulled around by societies’ whims.
Another obvious connection with a name is Rinehart, whose name we talked about a bit in class. The name “Rinehart” seems like a combination of the words “rind”, like the outside layer of something (usually in the context of fruit), and “heart”. “Rind” has clear connections to the outside, the visible layer that must be peeled back to reveal the true character of the object. “Heart” is obviously what is inside, a character’s true identity. Rinehart, by having his numerous identities to the point where nobody really knows who he is, has combined his “rind” and his “heart”, making his name a perfect representation of his character.
Tod Clifton also has an interesting name. “Tod” means death in old German (and probably in other similar languages), which, morbidly spells out his true meaning in the novel. Tod’s true purpose in the novel is simply to die, to push our narrator off the “cliff” (like “Clifton”) and fall deep into self-reflection. It is through Tod’s death that the narrator is able to find himself, thus Tod’s name is symbolic of that singular purpose.
Similarly, “Mary Rambo” is an allusion to the Virgin Mary in The Bible. She acts as a maternal figure for the narrator, helping him to get back onto his feet and bring himself into the world of New York. The Virgin Mary, as the (western) world’s preeminent mother figure, is a perfect reference for the character. (Though the name “Rambo” also seems like it would be ripe for literary allusion, unfortunately the name and its definition only came into popular consciousness in the 1970s with the release of the Rambo movie franchise, long after Invisible Man’s publish date.)
As you can see, many of the characters in Invisible Man have names that hold a deeper meaning behind them. Perhaps even all of them have hidden references behind them! If you can find some other character name associations, I’d love to see them in the comments. I’m sure that there are a bunch just waiting to be scoped out.
Here’s a list of key characters (made by referencing Spark Notes and Cliffnotes) that might help you to find allusive names. You might need to look at one of those websites to remember who all of these characters are, some of them are not super important, but they have names that seem ripe for analysis:
- Brother Jack
- Ras the Exhorter/Destoryer
- Sybil
- Dr. Bledsoe
- Mr. Norton
- Reverend Homer A. Barbee
- Jim Trueblood
- The Veteran
- Emerson (there’s definitely a lot to get into with this name)
- Lucius Brockway
- Brother Hambro
- Brother Tarp
- Brother Tobitt
- Brother Wrestrum
- Emma
- Supercargo
I really, really love your blog post! It is so interesting and the analysis of these characters’ names is so cool! The symbolism throughout Invisible Man was part of what I enjoyed most about reading this novel. But, I hadn’t realized the details in each of these names before. My favorite analysis here is probably the one about Tod Clifton, and how you describe that Tod’s death is literally what pushes the narrator over this “cliff.” It’s sincerely one of the biggest turning points in the novel, I feel. And the narrator cannot go back or ever be on top of that same cliff again. He has been launched off of it and there is no way to get back up.
ReplyDeleteAlso, thank you for the list of characters! Looking at each of these names is interesting too. One that especially stands out to me is Trueblood. I’m not sure exactly what it means, but in contrast with the narrator who seems to really watch his appearance to the outside world (at the beginning of the novel) and therefore not fully being or expressing his “true” self, it could potentially serve as a reference to how Trueblood was, it seemed, completely honest with Norton and shared his story as it was. He didn’t seem ashamed or like he was trying to hide anything. But, I’m not sure!
An amazing blog post!
I think your analyses of these names are really cool. One name that stood out to me while reading Invisible Man was that of Lucius Brockway. "Lucius" comes from the Latin word for light, which I found fitting since he is largely responsible for the manufacturing of the white paint, but also kind of ironic because he does so, essentially, in the shadows. Also the name Brockway is topographical and originally meant that you live near a brook or stream, which I don't think has much significance in the story, but I thought it was interesting since the paint factory is apparently on Long Island so it is surrounded by water. Also, apparently "Sybil" means prophetess, and I'm not sure what to make of that because the actual character of Sybil very much does not have the air of being prophetic.
ReplyDeleteThis was a really interesting analysis of the deeper meaning in some of the important characters' names, and I think symbolism you pointed out here also says a lot about their purpose in the narrator's story! I especially thought your discussion of Tod Clifton was really interesting, because I think it highlights the parallels between how the narrator comes to understand him in his funeral speech—as a nameless, even anonymous symbol who ultimately lives on only as he is painted in the narratives of those who are still alive—and how he functions as a character in the book as a whole.
ReplyDeleteThis is such an interesting topic I had never thought to consider. Throughout the novel I saw Mary and Rinehart very much as supporting characters. We don't even meet Rinehart. He's just used as a model by the narrator of one possible identity. Tod Clifton, however, I saw as a much more important character which is why this blog post is so interesting. Seeing him as just a "ruse" almost to rile up the narrator is so compelling to me.
ReplyDeleteI actually noticed a pun in Brother Wrestrum's name for the first time this semester, when I said his name aloud and realized it sounds just like "rest room"--which clarifies the narrator's passing reference later to "that outhouse Wrestrum" or something like that, which makes it clear that Ellison has the pun in mind. And of course we have his ironic rendering of Brother Tobitt's name as "Two-bit."
ReplyDelete