Sarah Smith, Liz Corti, Will Parkinson

Invisibility and Blindness in Society

DirectionsClick on the links in the squares and use the

evidence provided to draw conclusions as to how society makes people “invisible” and in what ways people are considered “blind

The links on the black squares provide examples of invisibility, the white squares concern blindness, and the red squares are about how society can prevent these two issues.

After completing at least 2 white squares, 2 red square and 2 black squares, click on “Finish” to draw your conclusions. You must complete all squares with exclamation points before clicking “Finish.”

1 2 3 4! 5

6 7 8 9! 10

11 12! 13 14! 15

Finish

As seen in Society

Miscelleneous

Invisible Man

Existentialism and socialism

Supplementary material

Back to directions

1. Invisibility as seen in society

Watch the CNN news clip from 5 days after Hurricane Katrina.

Who was made invisible and why?

Who was made invisible and why?Many Katrina Survivors trapped in New

Orleans were powerless, trapped in the city against their will, and were not given urgent attention by the government.

Due to insufficient supplies and delayed attention, some sources suggest that the recovery effort may have discriminated according to race or socioeconomic background, as the part of New Orleans that was hit the hardest was largely African American.

2. Blindness: A Visual Representation

View the poverty posters by clicking the movie below and consider the key question at the conclusion of the movie.

How do statistics affect the identity of each individual portrayed? How does this relate to blindness?

How do the posters relate to blindness?Although these posters create awareness of the

issue of poverty as a whole, they do not create an identity for the impoverished people they portray.

These posters group the entire impoverished population into a statistic, much like the entire African American race was grouped together in Invisible Man.

Although these posters are meant to create awareness of a societal issue, they are labeling the people they portray as impoverished instead of realizing that they have an alternate identity.

3. Invisibility according to Invisible Man

Type the answer here.

4. Blindness in existentialism and socialism

“The Harlot’s House” by Oscar Wilde, is about a party in the wealthy harlot’s house. It is told from the point of view of a passerby. Read the following two stanzas from the end of the poem:

Then, turning to my love, I said,'The dead are dancing with the dead,The dust is whirling with the dust.’

But she--she heard the violin,And left my side, and entered in:Love passed into the house of lust.

What did the wealthy partiers take away from the narrator? Were they aware of this?

How can they be considered blind?

How can they be considered blind?The wealthy partiers took away the narrator’s

“love” when she was drawn into the house. This conveys Wilde’s socialist view that the

wealthy are not only living an immoral lifestyle, but they are also unconsciously taking away from the rest of society.

According to Wilde’s socialistic beliefs as conveyed in this poem, the carefree lifestyle of the rich and the barrier drawn between them and the lower classes causes them to become blind.

5. Invisibility in Supplementary Material

Listen to the clip from “What did I do (to be so Black and Blue)?” by Louis Armstrong.

Who was made invisible and why?

Who was made invisible and why?Louis Armstrong is speaking for the entire

African American race when he talks about his feelings of isolation and being “black and blue.”

His song says that his only major fallacy that is causing his invisibility is his skin.

6. Blindness as seen in society

Listen to the NPR clip from March 2008 entitled “US Election: Iraq’s View.”

To whom are the Iraqis blind? What factors are causing this blindness?

What factors are causing this blindness?The major cultural differences between the

Iraqis and the Americans as well as the ensuing war have led the two cultures to grow apart from each other, thus causing blindness

Instead of recognizing each candidate’s distinct identity, the Iraqis that spoke in the broadcast have placed all American politicians into a single category.

7. Invisibility: A Visual Representation

Make an estimate of how many Iraqis have died in the War in Iraq from 2003-2008. Click for the answer.

How many Americans do you think are aware of this number?

Who has been made invisible and why?

Who has been made invisible and why?The Iraqis have been made invisible.We as a culture have not been exposed

much to the Iraqis’ point of view on the war, which has allowed many war victims to become invisible.

8. Blindness according to Invisible Man

Type the answer here.

9. Invisibility in existentialism and socialism

Famous existentialist Jean-Paul Sartre said the following about existence:

What does Sartre mean by “you can never touch [existence]?”

In Sartre’s opinion, what might cause invisibility?

“…usually existence hides itself. It is there, around us, in us, it is us, you can't say two words without mentioning it, but you can never touch it.” -Sartre

In Sartre’s opinion, what might cause invisibility?Even though you can mention something

that exists, you cannot touch its existence because it dictates how it exists.

Existence hides itself because knowing that something exists does not necessarily mean that its identity is known as well. Identities are often hidden or unacknowledged, which causes invisibility, or a concealed existence.

10. Blindness in supplementary material

Listen to the excerpt from Booker T. Washington’s Atlanta Exposition Address.

What does Washington say needs to be done and why?

What does Washington say needs to be done and why?Washington says that blacks need to be

come “socially responsible,” and contributing to society mainly by taking advantage of the opportunities that they already provided. According to Washington, this was the best way to eventually achieve equality.

By following Washington’s advice, the narrator in Invisible Man only falls deeper into his state of invisibility. This suggests that blindness is caused by not pursuing one’s own quest for identity.

11. Invisibility: what can be done about it

• Read the excerpt from an article advertising the youth organization “Putting a Face on Poverty.”

• How can invisibility be prevented?

Putting a Face on Povertyby Alicia Bondanella

Have you ever had an experience of being invisible in a room full of people? Perhaps you were sitting alone in the lunchroom while others were laughing with their friends. Or you were home alone on Friday night because nobody had included you in his or her plans. Compare your experiences of loneliness and isolation to those of one in six kids who live in poverty in the United States. They are often left out of activities that others enjoy. They can’t afford sports fees or uniforms. Some feel invisible to their teachers who seem to think they will never amount to much. Some are ashamed of their economic situation, so they isolate themselves from others. Too often, people in poverty are invisible to us. We may live in the same neighborhoods, attend the same schools and parishes, but be unaware of each other’s struggles. This Youth Update will help you put a face on poverty in the United States.

How can invisibility be prevented?The article suggests that these children feel

invisible to their teachers and peers due to their economic situation and how it inhibits them in everyday life.

Invisibility can be prevented by eliminating factors that make inequality more apparent.

12. Blindness: What can be done about it

The following is a clip on Jean-Paul Sartre from the BBC series “Human, All Too Human.”

What does Sartre believe is the primary responsibility of the individual?

How does carrying out this responsibility impact blindness?

How does carrying out the individual’s primary responsibility impact blindness?The primary responsibility of the individual

is to establish who they are by making each of their actions count.

Society will be blind to the individual unless he uses each of his actions to make a statement to identify himself and his views in society.

13. Invisibility: What can be done about it

Type the answer here.

14. Blindness: What can be done about it

Clip: “Existentialism – Waking Life Excerpt”

How does the individual go about preventing one’s own invisibility?

How does the individual go about preventing one’s own invisibility?The individual has a personal responsibility

to find his/her own identity. Once one’s identity has been realized, the individual can make effective decisions and make something of himself.

15. Invisibility: What can be done about it

Read the following quotes from The Paris Review’s interview with Ralph Ellison:

How has Ralph Ellison attempted to combat invisibility? What can be done by the rest of society?

How has Ellison attempted to combat invisibility? What can be done by the rest of society?Ellison claimed that he wrote the novel to

contribute to the growth of the culture.He is allowing the public to see society

through the point of view of the invisible man, thus making him less invisible.

Ellison claims that “the individual is a minority,” and by conveying the perspective of the minority, the minority becomes less invisible.

Ellison advises the rest of society to expand their view of humanity.

16. What do you think?Develop your own thesis by filling in the

blanks.

______, ________, and _______ contribute to the “blindness” of society, which causes certain individuals to become invisible and denies them the opportunity to seek ________________. In order to combat this problem, society must ______________________. Back to table

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ThesisCompare your thesis with ours:

Ethnocentrism, egotism, and attachment to past habits contribute to the “blindness” of society, which causes certain individuals to become invisible and denies them the opportunity to seek their own identities. In order to combat this problem, society must sweep away all notions of inequality.