Invisible

        For this semester, I have chosen to read Invisible Man because the idea of being "invisible" really intrigues me. Being invisible is an interesting way to classify people because, despite how much we may think ourselves or some one else invisible, we never truly are. The only time that something comes even moderately close to invisible is when it is dead. Yet, even then the fact that it is not present makes it not a contender for the term "invisible" because to be invisible, there has to be presence. One can not be invisible unless they are tangibly present.
        I found it interesting that in the prologue the narrator explores both the pros and cons of being invisible. The idea that some one who is seemingly invisible can leave their mark on society without being held entirely accountable seems like a catalyst for trouble. I feel as if the narrator is going to perhaps abuse his "invisibility" and possibly do some damage. I am very interested to see what exactly he chooses to do with the knowledge that others fail to see him as three-dimensional. I also have a feeling that I am going to have a hard time blaming the narrator for whatever action he does. Every action, every reaction is the result of something that has happened to us in the past, no matter how miniscule.
        When you go through life feeling as if you are invisible to society you are essentially going through life with the idea in mind that man's greatest sense, sight, is lost on you. We rely so much on our sense of sight, more so than any other sense. In fact, optometrists say that sight contributes 85% of our total knowledge and that our eyes use up to 65% of the pathways to our brain. Our eyes play a central role in how we classify things and how we form our opinions. To not use our eyes means to take away the greater part of our ability to regard things as real and of a substantial worth. If people do not see you then your importance to them instantly drops because the sense in which they primarily rely on when it comes to evaluating others is not being utilized.
        In a way, I think we all feel invisible sometimes and to varying degrees. Some of us may want to be noticed by certain people while others may feel like they don't receive the credit they deserve. It's in human nature to strive for what is just out of our reach, pursue what is so blatantly in front of us yet so impossibly distant. With all of our wants comes exclusion and often times the disappointment of not being able to have it all, which may leave us feeling even more ostracized. None of us are immune to feeling like we are invisible at some point or another, it is something we cannot entirely control. However, what we can control is how we choose to view our surroundings and those who surround us. Vision can mean so much in both a literal and metaphorical sense; what we see not only educates us about our surroundings but shapes our perceptions and enables us to grow mentally.
        An anonymous writer once said "We are limited, not by our abilities, but by our vision." To regard people as invisible only lessons the viewer's understanding of knowledge they could have. And while our vision can play tricks on us and cause us to judge before we understand, it is still far better to acknowledge than to disregard.

- Shelby H.