Anticipation Questions: Invisible Man

1. Viewing Response: In the photograph by Jeff Wall, the photo is an image of his imagination and mostly based off of Ralph Ellison's book, Invisible man. In the photo I see an African-American man sitting on a chair with his back turned. I believe this was done in purpose since the title of the book is named “Invisible man” which is why maybe as viewers we can’t get a glimpse of his face.In the photograph, something you can not miss is the great number of light bulbs on the ceiling which is unusual because you really don’t go into anyone’s house and see hundreds of light bulbs on the ceiling. I’m curious about why this man has so many light bulbs. Perhaps they mean something to him? Or maybe he collects them? The small room seems to be the man’s home which we could imply that he is not rich and therefore lives in this crowded place. He has a kitchen on the left and in the left corner there appears to be a phonograph which could indicate that the man is a fan of old things such as the record player or just simply that he lived in the 1900’s. I personally find the photograph highly interesting but I’m not sure if I like it. When I look at this photo it makes me feel sort of sad because of the conditions the man lives in but at the same time it’s surprising to me that he has accommodated to these living conditions. It reminds me of the financial struggles of many people around the world.

2.  Listening Response: The song Black and Blue by Louis Armstrong has a gloomy tone. Armstrong sings about rejection and his feelings. In the song, Armstrong sings about race, specifically about being Black. He talks about the mistreatments that being black has caused him and he questions himself about why he had “to be so black and blue”. He tells himself that he wishes he was dead. It’s sad to hear someone say that they wish they were dead because of their skin color and refer it as a “sin”. The song reminds me of our history in the period of racial segregation. About the feelings that African Americans must have felt when they were treated badly just because they were black. Armstrong sends a strong message of the emotional reaction of African Americans towards the hate and rejection of Caucasians for not being just like them. I don’t think that back then the thought of suicide was rare. The song brings up many memories of racial inequality that although people don’t admit it but it still exist till this day. For example, the idea of white privilege. I believe that the song does sort of relate to the photograph by Jeff Wall because the photo could represent the feelings inside of an African American being “white” or bright and warm like the light bulbs. The man in the photo is alone just like in the song where Armstrong sings that he has no friends.

3. Reading Response:  The passage does not resonant to me but I understand the meaning behind the passage. It conveys the message of how people try so hard to be noticed and fit in. This is sad but true. A prime example of this could be seen in schools. Many teenagers want to be accepted to some clique because not many like to feel lonely and unwanted. People do the craziest things to fit in. Sometimes you find yourself doing and saying things you might not want just to be accepted. For example, in gangs, you had to kill someone to join. In today’s society many kids are peer pressured into doing drugs to be accepted or “respected” by others.This is a sad truth in our society we are always seeking for accepting missing the true happiness. I’ve seen the urge to be accepted in many of my friends but I strongly believe that you shouldn't have to try to be liked because you are only putting a facade in front of those you wish to please but it will only make you happy for a while. At the end of the day those that didn’t want to be your friends will not matter in your future. All of this is true however not for all, sometimes there are people who want to know that they are apart of something because they feel like nothing. They feel like any other person in this world in therefore try to seek for answers and acceptance because maybe all their lives they have felt “invisible”.