Norton/Expulsion Discussion Thoughts

This is one of my favorite sections of the book, and I thoroughly enjoyed the discussion on it. One of my favorite quotes from the section was "Then in my mind's eye I see the bronze statue of the college Founder, the cold Father symbol, his hands outstreched in the breathtaking gesture of lifting a veil that flutters in hard, metallic folds above thef ace of the kneeling slave; and I am standing puzzled, unable to decide whether the veil is really being lifted or lowered more firmly in place; whether I am witnessing a revelation or a more efficient blinding". I thought this quote was so perfect for the book because it truly portrays the mysterious nature of the text on whether or not the university is truly good for the narrator or not. This also brings into the prominent theme of perception versus reality. For example, the black men see the statue through both ways; however, white men could only see it in the way that the veil is being lifted because they have not experienced the hardships of slavery. Another quote that I thought was incredibly interesting was when Mr. Norton was unable to see the "ragged river dozing on the seat beneath the shade of a clump of trees". He even claimss, " Oh! No, I can't see it for the trees" This quote truly exemplifies how the trees and the garden that the white men have created are simply symbols of further oppression for the blacks within the university. For example, when the narrator takes Norton to the unfamiliar grounds outside of school he claims, " there were not trees and the air was brilliant". I think that this is so interesting to note that without the trees (a product of the white man) the narrator feels so free and independent. Thus, it seems as though Norton is blinded by his own work in a sense, which further relates to the theme of perception versus reality. The trees can also be taken to a further figurative level in the way that they could represent an allusion to the Garden of Eden. In a sense, Ellison is portraying the loss of innocence and rebirth that Norton seems to under go. For example, "As we carried him toward the Golden Day one of the men stopped suddnely and mr. Norton's head hung down, his white hari dragging in the dust". Dust has the denotation of human remains and thus relates to the transformation that Norton undergoes after talking to true blood and loosing his innocence. Also, white generally has the denotation of purity and innocence. Thus, the fact that it was being dragged in the dust indicates a sense of shedding or transition from one stage to another.