Blindness 5

At the end of the novel, the Invisible Man finally becomes "free of illusions," because for the first time he see himself for who he is, and not who others expect him to be (579). He claims that he is “invisible, not blind,” because he understands how absurd society is and removes himself from it so that it cannot cloud his judgment (586). The Invisible Man also recalls an encounter with Mr. Norton at the subway station. He explains how Mr. Norton acted as though he had never met him before, which emphasizes Mr. Norton’s, along with other members of society's, blindness and absurdity. The fact that Mr. Norton claims that the IM was “his destiny” and does not even recognize him proves that he never saw the IM as an individual, but as another black man who would aid him in attaining a charitable image. After this occurrence, the narrator is even further reminded that he is no longer blinded by his ignorance.