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When the narrator brings Mr. Norton to the Golden Day bar, they encounter a number of institutionalized Black war veterans who were once engaged in a variety of professions. One of the veterans, whom Ellison never explicitly names, had been a doctor in the war, and he speaks extensively to Mr. Norton about racial dynamics in the South. His presence early in the novel serves as one of the first critiques of the Founder’s vision and foreshadows the diverse worldviews that the narrator will encounter during his time in New York. Unlike the school’s emphasis on appealing to the values of the white middle class, the Veteran argues that African Americans must forge their own, independent path in order to achieve meaningful progress. Treating the white man as a god or figure to emulate, he suggests, will only ensure the persistence of racial disparities. This attitude hints at the inauthenticity of Mr. Norton’s relationship with the narrator, something that neither of them seems capable of comprehending. For the narrator, the tension that arises as a result of the Veteran’s comments only adds to his sense of uncertainty and guilt.
As the Veteran eventually reveals, his past experiences as a doctor returning home from war inform his perspective on the South’s racial dynamics. Including this backstory in the novel allows Ellison to emphasize that the Veteran’s arguments are rooted in reality while the narrator simply regurgitates the abstract philosophies that his college preaches. The Veteran explains that despite his skilled hands and valuable medical knowledge, a group of white men insisted on violently chasing him out of town as a result of his race. Not even his professional reputation can earn him true respect in his community, and this realization expands his understanding of the prejudices that plague the South. Ironically, those in power deem the Veteran, who is arguably the most aware of his surroundings, “insane.” Since his wisdom poses a challenge to the established social order, institutionalizing him aims to take away his power to enlighten others. The Veteran’s later exchange with the narrator on the train, however, suggests that he still possesses his knowledgeable perspective despite the restrictions placed on it. He correctly predicts a number of events that will befall the narrator once he arrives in New York, including changing his speech and getting involved with a white woman.
