Plunging Outside History
We've heard the narrator talk about people who have "plunged outside of history" multiple times - and usually it's not a good thing. He refers to the people of Harlem as being outside of history a few times, like after Clifton is shot ("For they were men outside of historical time, they were untouched..." on 440), and he even refers to Clifton as "betraying" him by dropping out of history (433). What does the narrator mean? How can a person "plunge outside" history, when every single person contributes to trends and historical narratives, make their mark on the world in some way?
One way we can start to pick this apart is by asking who it is that has not plunged outside history. I think it's safe to say that the Narrator believes the Brotherhood is within history. The Brotherhood continually try to make their mark on the world - and they do, for worse. The Narrator, even seeing that the Brotherhood is not what it claims to be, decides rather than leave them (presumably plunge outside of history) he stays and decides to undermine them from within. He believes taking Grandfather's advice is remaining within history and working to turn it around. Others within history are the Bledsoe, Booker T. Washington, maybe Mr. Norton, and I'd guess Ras the Destroyer as well. The founder is an important one as well.
But none of these characters are "good" in the rhetoric of the novel (except maybe Ras). They all seem to be politically and socially active, which I think is an important trait that the Narrator uses to define who is within history, but they are all (excluding perhaps Booker T. Washington and Ras) portrayed to be manipulative, using the Narrator to achieve some personal end, whether it is money and power, political influence, or destiny. Even the founder can be interpreted as an equivocal character - the symbolism of the statue of the founder lifting off/placing on a veil on the eyes, as well as the line about the bird poop ("Why is a bird-soiled statue more commanding than one that is clean?" on 36) demonstrate that the founder is a historical figure with equivocal symbolism. He helps people advance themselves, but keeps them from advancing ("keep this boy running"). He stands as a noble symbol of education, but he is covered in white poop. Certainly the Narrator's experiences with educational institutions imply that he is not a net force of good. So why does the Narrator even now so late in the book want to associate in some way with those who have created the identity crisis which lasts for the majority of the novel? We see his desire to be "part of history" when he runs under the bridge and feels that the birds there have been "waiting for him for an eternity" (533). Then, we see this desire undermined when he, like the founder's statue, gets what he asked for - to have chalky white (!) poop smeared all over him, and in his eyes. The Narrator laughs too. This shows that in some sense, he will not really be satisfied by staying within history (and I am purposefully writing this before I finish the book).
I think what the narrator is really talking about when he says that certain people have "plunged outside of history" is that they have stopped trying to have an influence directly. They are still trying to be, or are, visible. The Vet has stopped - he has accepted his invisibility in order to be more free. He is not free from historical forces, but he is probably more free to do what he wants than the Narrator is. (After all, the Vet can say anything he wants, and the Narrator is not even allowed to think what he wants.) To stay within history is perhaps to be seen, but it is not to see. It is wanting to place yourself in the story but not to read the previous chapter. Maybe plunging outside of history is being the broken cog in the machine.
I am waiting for the Narrator to plunge outside of history himself, to live in the basement and embrace his invisibility. We know it's supposed to end that way and it looks like that's one of the few realizations the Narrator of Chapter 25 has to come to in order to become the Narrator in the prologue. Maybe the Narrator still, deep down, despite his recent acceptance of his invisibility, wants to be visible. Or maybe he doesn't? What do you guys think? Is the Narrator closer to the basement than I thought? Is there something about the meaning of "plunging outside of history" that I missed? Do you think it's tied to the fact that he still has his briefcase? Spoil if you want, I am ready for what can only be an epic explosion of symbolism to finish off this book.
One way we can start to pick this apart is by asking who it is that has not plunged outside history. I think it's safe to say that the Narrator believes the Brotherhood is within history. The Brotherhood continually try to make their mark on the world - and they do, for worse. The Narrator, even seeing that the Brotherhood is not what it claims to be, decides rather than leave them (presumably plunge outside of history) he stays and decides to undermine them from within. He believes taking Grandfather's advice is remaining within history and working to turn it around. Others within history are the Bledsoe, Booker T. Washington, maybe Mr. Norton, and I'd guess Ras the Destroyer as well. The founder is an important one as well.
But none of these characters are "good" in the rhetoric of the novel (except maybe Ras). They all seem to be politically and socially active, which I think is an important trait that the Narrator uses to define who is within history, but they are all (excluding perhaps Booker T. Washington and Ras) portrayed to be manipulative, using the Narrator to achieve some personal end, whether it is money and power, political influence, or destiny. Even the founder can be interpreted as an equivocal character - the symbolism of the statue of the founder lifting off/placing on a veil on the eyes, as well as the line about the bird poop ("Why is a bird-soiled statue more commanding than one that is clean?" on 36) demonstrate that the founder is a historical figure with equivocal symbolism. He helps people advance themselves, but keeps them from advancing ("keep this boy running"). He stands as a noble symbol of education, but he is covered in white poop. Certainly the Narrator's experiences with educational institutions imply that he is not a net force of good. So why does the Narrator even now so late in the book want to associate in some way with those who have created the identity crisis which lasts for the majority of the novel? We see his desire to be "part of history" when he runs under the bridge and feels that the birds there have been "waiting for him for an eternity" (533). Then, we see this desire undermined when he, like the founder's statue, gets what he asked for - to have chalky white (!) poop smeared all over him, and in his eyes. The Narrator laughs too. This shows that in some sense, he will not really be satisfied by staying within history (and I am purposefully writing this before I finish the book).
I think what the narrator is really talking about when he says that certain people have "plunged outside of history" is that they have stopped trying to have an influence directly. They are still trying to be, or are, visible. The Vet has stopped - he has accepted his invisibility in order to be more free. He is not free from historical forces, but he is probably more free to do what he wants than the Narrator is. (After all, the Vet can say anything he wants, and the Narrator is not even allowed to think what he wants.) To stay within history is perhaps to be seen, but it is not to see. It is wanting to place yourself in the story but not to read the previous chapter. Maybe plunging outside of history is being the broken cog in the machine.
I am waiting for the Narrator to plunge outside of history himself, to live in the basement and embrace his invisibility. We know it's supposed to end that way and it looks like that's one of the few realizations the Narrator of Chapter 25 has to come to in order to become the Narrator in the prologue. Maybe the Narrator still, deep down, despite his recent acceptance of his invisibility, wants to be visible. Or maybe he doesn't? What do you guys think? Is the Narrator closer to the basement than I thought? Is there something about the meaning of "plunging outside of history" that I missed? Do you think it's tied to the fact that he still has his briefcase? Spoil if you want, I am ready for what can only be an epic explosion of symbolism to finish off this book.
This is so good xanthe! Ellison uses the phrase "plunge outside of history" a lot, and I could never understand what he meant, so this was really helpful for me. I think you're right that all of the people who the narrator seems to think are "in history" are pretty problematic or depicted as lacking in consciousness. And, in an effort to stay within history, the narrator only allows himself to be "kept running" - blind to the true nature of his situation even if he claims he's undermining the Brotherhood from within. The vet though, who seems to be one of the only people who really has it figure out, seems to be decidedly outside of history. The narrator needs to allow himself to fall outside of history in order to truly "see" like you said.
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