Invisible ManRalph Ellison’s

The Context

Ellison wrote Invisible Man over the course of five years—from the late 1940s to the early ’50s. The Harlem Renaissance heavily influenced Ellison.

It’s considered one of the most significant novels of the 20th century

Themes

The novel deals with the ever-present monster of race in America

Ellison was a black man who tried to make a significant point in this book: no matter what a black man achieves in America, he will not be seen as an individual; rather, he will be seen as a member of a monolith.

Themes Essentially, though society claims to

be free, it remains a prison for many.

According to Ellison, race is a mechanism of power. This is not limited to whites.

Central question: How can one person make a difference when all avenues to power are occupied by the duplicitous?

Style Ellison’s writing teems with sound

devices (the musicality of the Harlem Renaissance is one reason): Alliteration and anaphora highlight some

of his most poignant points.

Impressive diction, but not formal.

Uses frenzied tone (driven by syntax) to highlight alienation.

ObjectivesBy the end of this novel, you should be able to: discuss the significance of the title as it relates to the main

theme of the novel analyze the use of rhetorical devices—especially sound

devices—on the tone and meaning of the novel examine the author’s use of metaphor trace the growth of the narrator in the following areas:

release of emotion, acceptance of heritage, awareness of self

explore the author’s use of blindness and light as symbols analyze the author’s attempts at satire identify social, economic, and racial character types

represented by some of the characters offer a close reading of Invisible Man and support all

assertions and interpretations with ASR and authoritative critical knowledge of the novel’s context