Norton's Truth

In Chapter 2 of Ralph Ellison’s Invisible Man, we meet Mr. Norton, one of the rich trustees the Narrator is responsible showing the campus to. When we are introduced to Norton, he conveys to the Narrator that he is a very involved and concerned partner of the college. Right off the bat he compares himself to the Founder. As we know from the sermon we receive from Barbee later on, the Founder is a highly praised figure, almost godlike. So the fact that Norton would build up such a comparison shows how highly he regard himself. Similarly to this Norton carries the white man’s burden throughout the time he spends with the Narrator. He believes that his contributions are what make the race as a whole successful.

Norton is very interested in seeing the old slave houses as if the college would prevent anyone from having to live in them or be a sharecropper anymore. Immediately Norton is disgusted by the idea of Trueblood’s situation. But as Trueblood describes to him the story in such openness and earnest, Norton somehow seems entranced by the horrifying tale. Instead of getting more appalled, he has the opposite reaction. As if he has just been enlightened by Trueblood’s experience. For Norton it seems as if he is learning everything he needs to know about the black people. This is why the Narrator (and the college) are so worried about the things “people like Trueblood” say. Somehow able to besmirch the entire race in one strange example. After meeting Trueblood and almost rewarding him for his storytelling, Norton suddenly becomes very weak. The meaning of this is very confusing to me. Though the Narrator characterizes the weakness as being heatstroke, it doesn’t really add up. But the real reason for Norton’s reaction could be a couple things. I feel it could represent the details of Trueblood’s story, so strange and disturbing that Norton couldn’t take it. It could also represent the idea that Norton is for the first time seeing that his influence over the college hasn’t seemed to really make an effect on anything. But the idea that he is in fact very ineffective is too much for Norton to handle.

At the Golden Day the Narrator understands that the last thing he wants this white man to see is the realities of the mental patients as well. Though you would think it would be assumed that a person who is “crazy” would not represent a whole race, the idea of that being a possibility is why the Narrator wouldn’t want Norton around.  Following this we get our first glance that Norton doesn’t like being shown or told the realities of the world and his privilege when talking to the Vet.

“Poor Stumblers, neither of you can see the other. To you he is a mark on the score-card of your achievement, a thing and not a man; a child, or even less-- a black amorphous thing. And you, for all your power, are not a man to him, but a God, force--”

Mr. Norton stood abruptly. “Let us go, young man” he said angrily.

“No listen. He believes in you as he believes in the beat of his heart. He believes in that great false wisdom taught slaves and pragmatists alike, that white is right. I can tell you his destiny. He’ll do your bidding, and for that his blindness is his chief asset. He’s your man, your friend. Your man and your destiny”

The Vet's speech angers Norton for reasons that seem unclear. The ideas that the Vets brings up are things doesn't want to hear, the type of thing no black "sane" person would ever say to white man. Norton, though seemingly affected by the words of the Vet, uses his insanity as a way to brush off everything he has been told. Therefore, avoiding at all cost any sense the reality of being someone in his position.

            Norton doesn’t realize the realities of what is going on with things right outside the college or even the college itself. The fact that the reader is never really told anything about the curriculum shows that it isn’t really important to the Narrator’s experience and story. Inside the college there are two types of people that we know of. There are students like the Narrator who aim only to please the white man. The Narrator believes that showing Norton his intelligence, diligence, and respect is what he is supposed to do. It is his job to treat the white man like so as his responsibility. It seems that originally the Narrator believes the white man is his superior and to be successful he must be treated as so. But as for the other types at the school, the Bledsoe types, they believe in something else altogether. Bledsoe aims to serve the white man only as a way to power, while he also undermines him. Bledsoe knows that by pretending to respect white men he can gain power, invisibly, without their knowledge and he becomes to be in the position where he feels he really controls them. Based on these two types that we have met it definitely shows Bledsoe is the more powerful.

Norton comes to the Narrator’s rescue when confronted by Bledsoe. But his reasons for doing so are unclear. Norton would want us to assume the Narrator’s belief, that Norton himself is just helping an innocent young boy. But from what we’ve seen from Norton he doesn’t typically do things that don’t provide for him any benefit to himself. I think his helping the Narrator is another way for Norton to reinforce the kind of white savior goodness that makes him feel better about what he’s seen and experienced with the Narrator during their drive.

            Overall I think Norton’s role in this book is to represent various ideas. Ellison through around many examples that the white man clearly is disillusioned in terms of his power, his effect, and his privilege. I think by showing these examples, Ellison is explaining to the reader that it is almost impossible for a white man like Norton to ever see the Narrator for who he is. Norton and men like him will forever be blinded by because they blinded by themselves. Ellison uses the vet to explain the way that these wealthy white men only see what they want and choose to see. No matter how visible the Narrator makes himself, he will never be able to cure Norton of his blindness towards him and his people.