Enlightened or still hidden?

From the very start of this novel the question that's intrigued me the most has always been whether Ellison wishes to portray his character at the end of the book as having come to an enlightened state, and if so what that means about the identity of the other characters in the story. What I mean by this is that in the prologue it's clear that the narrator has reached a point in his life where he feels he has recognized his invisibility and has come to realize he can use this perception of invisibility to his advantage. Clearly after the novel has run its course the narrator himself feels as though he's reached a point in his life at where he has come to a great realization which other people have not, and thus is enlightened past them. My question, however, is whether this is really the message that Ellison wants to send to his readers, or if perhaps he's just toying with us and that he feels that the narrator is no less disillusioned than he was at the beginning of the book. In a book that is so dense and has so much symbolism and so many questions about identity it seems like there could be many different ways to interpret what Ellison wants to say on the matter through his creation of various characters.

My best example of a character who's identity can be looked at in different ways is Doctor Bledsoe. The president of the university certainly provides a character worth looking at and considering what his character might say about what Ellison thinks invisibility and identity mean. For instance we first see Bledsoe in action,  when he completely transforms himself into a mask of concern for Mr. Norton, "As we approached a mirror Dr. Bledsoe stopped and composed his angry face like a sculptor, making it a bland mask" (102). It immediately struck me that Bledsoe could be considered someone who has come to terms with his invisibility and now uses it to further himself in life. He recognizes that by acting a certain role he can appear to be a certain type of man, when in reality he is hiding a huge part of his personality. What this does for him is that he can use this notion to manipulate men who he wants to underestimate him, such as  Mr. Norton. For me this was the first instance of what I thought the narrator would refer to as having invisibility and using it. Clearly he's at least succeeding with his mask of deception as noted by his powerful position and wealth. 

Since it's clear that Bledsoe is privy to an understanding of his identity that others are not, the next question to ask is whether Ellison means for Bledsoe to be viewed as an individual who is enlightened, or is Bledsoe really still very disillusioned. Perhaps he is truly happy with his position in life and feels that what he wants in life is simply to have power. An alternative option, however, is that Bledsoe is trapped by his identity and the fact that he has to pretend for such a large portion of his life to be a different person. Perhaps he's not enlightened at all. Both cases could be made and supported.

Another interesting example of a character who could be perceived as both enlightened or trapped is the veteran that the narrator encounters in the Golden Day, and then again as he's boarding his train. On both occasions the vet imparts a wealth of information and advice upon the narrator. For instance, "He has eyes and ears and a good distended African nose, but he fails to understand the facts of life [...] He's invisible, a walking personification of the Negative, the most perfect achievement of your dreams sir!" (94). In many ways it feels as though we're talking to a version of the narrator we see in the prologue. This is someone clearly feels as though he understands things that both of them do not. He is enlightened to "the facts of life" where the Narrator is still clueless. Still we wonder if this is really a man who can be considered to be enlightened and wise in the ways of the world. For all his wisdom he's still locked up in an insane asylum, and Bledsoe can have control of him by making a phone call. On the other hand, however, he does seem much more at peace and in control of himself than the narrator certainly. This suggests that perhaps the vet is in fact enlightened and more aware than others. Bledsoe and the Vet represent two opposite sides of the spectrum. The Vet understands what invisibility means and seems at peace with himself. Bledsoe, however, understands it and uses it for his own devices. The question I've been asking myself is this: Are either of these men to be considered enlightened, and if so what does that say about Ellison's perception of identity and invisibility?