A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man Blog

Stephen's journey to discover who he is as a person changes drastically throughout the novel.  At one point, he is throwing himself to religion, in essence giving himself up to the Lord and ideals that the church present to him.  This act of submission is a result of the troubled home life that Stephen has had to endure, and predictably he turns to the only stable figure in his life that has offered guidance and protection since his days at Clongowes.  In contrast, he struggles to become independent when the debacle at his home begins; his families' ever-increasing financial burdens, the lack of his father's social status, all point to Stephen to trying to separate himself from the mess.

I don't believe that Stephen has displayed any type of evil characteristics; in fact, I would argue that his sentimental mentality and passive nature reflect a unique, intuitive young boy who exhibits many characteristics that put him ahead of his years.  He contemplates everything, critiques the slightest event, and I think it all amounts to a mature demeanor that encompasses the type of human being Stephen is developing in to.  He is on the receiving end of all the bullying in school, which is a result of his quiet, conservative nature.  Stephen isn't one to be taken lightly, however, because I believe he possesses the ability to read people very well.  His encounter with the prostitute is one such example.  Stephen is attempting to escape from the harsh realm of society that surrounds him, yet when he is confronted with a means of escape his first reaction is hesitant.  This, I believe, is because of his over-analytical nature, and contributes greatly to his distinct ability to judge the world around him and make conscious decisions about how the world processes.

Invisible Man Blog

Slavery is such a taboo subject that of course one could say humankind is evil.  The amount of labor and egregious acts blacks were forced to partake in during that time are indisputably horrible things that one person did another.  In Invisible Man, the narrator participates in some activities that would shock today's Average Joe.  For example, the Battle Royale was an event created entirely to humiliate the blacks, and is representative of how the white man was repressive.

However, this novel gives the black man more power and authority than previously given.  The narrator's strong influence through his verbal word creates a following and an image in the city of Harlem that gains him the attention of the civil rights group the Brotherhood.  The Brotherhood is an interesting entity, because I think that while they intend to pursue the interests of the black community, they tend to become sidetracked and misguided when attempting to present their message.  When Clifton is shot dead after his performance on the street with the Sambo dolls, the Brotherhood disapproves of the narrator's speech commemorating him at his funeral.  This entices me to think that the Brotherhood only backs the political views that help them as a party, and not the ones of the individual.  They are a deceiving, manipulating, and unreliable group, and their actions prove to me that they are on the evil part of mankind.

The narrator, on the other hand, is the total opposite.  He always tried to make the best of the situation he is put in, at most times to no avail.