READ The 2011 summer reading assignment is Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison. Winner of the National Book Award in 1953, Invisible Man is told from the perspective of a young, black, nameless narrator, and it guides readers on his journey through racism and betrayal in search of self-identity. More than just a commentary on race and racism, the book examines America's betrayal of its own constitutional ideals, and reveals the impact such a betrayal has on citizens— black and white.

RESPOND

PART 1 (Required): Choose any two (2) of the following questions and write a 1 page response to each. (1) At the time of which Ellison writes, there were (as there are today) competing ideas of how the black race

could best improve its lot. On one side was Booker T. Washington's philosophy of "racial uplift" and humility, given voice by the Founder and by Reverend Barbee in Invisible Man. On another were the militant ideals of Marcus Garvey (fictionalized in Invisible Man as Ras the Exhorter), who spoke loudly for black separatism. Another influential thinker, more militant than Washington but less so than Garvey, was W.E.B. Du Bois who advocated change through “The Talented Tenth”. Research Washington, Du Bois, and Garvey and provide a brief description of each of their philosophies. To whom does the narrator’s philosophy at the end of the novel most resemble and on what do you base your inference?

(2) The question of naming is an important one in Invisible Man and for African-Americans in general in light of our long history of slavery. The narrator is nameless to his readers; he is renamed by the Brotherhood as slaves were renamed by a new master. In refusing to give us either of his names, what kind of statement is the narrator making about his identity? Will he ever acknowledge a real name, and why do you think that?

(3) At the end of the novel, Invisible Man says, "Whence all this passion toward conformity anyway?—diversity is the word. Let man keep his many parts and you'll have no tyrant states. Why, if they follow this conformity business they'll end up by forcing me, an invisible man, to become white, which is not a color but the lack of one....America is woven of many strands; I would recognize them and let it so remain." [p. 577] The debate between the value of diversity versus conformity--or consensus--is still very much alive today. What contribution does the novel make to this cultural debate?

(4) The narrator finally concludes that "Even an invisible man has a socially responsible role to play." [p. 581] This is an important tenet of Ellison's philosophy, for he believed that art should serve democracy. In what way is Invisible Man a novel that deals specifically with the problems and challenges of democracy?

PART 2 (Required): Examine the Jeff Wall photograph printed on the back of this sheet. This is Wall’s interpretation of a well-known scene from Ralph Ellison’s The Invisible Man. Write a one page response to this photograph. What does it depict (literally and figuratively), and how does this image communicate Ellison’s main idea(s)/theme(s)?

Due Dates

(1) Your three responses (one page each) are due on the first day of school. (2) A quiz/test about the book will be given during the first week of class, so be prepared.

If you have any questions over the summer, please feel free to e-mail me at the address below. I will try to check my school e-mail frequently and respond to you as quickly as possible. I look forward to having you in class next year! Have a GREAT summer!

Mrs. Shanna Patton Shanna.Patton@scott.kyschools.us

2011 SUMMER READING ASSIGNMENT

AP English Language and CompositionMrs. Patton

Title: Invisible ManAuthor: Ralph EllisonISBN: 0-679-73276-4

To see a full-color version of this picture, go to http://homepage.mac.com/mseffie/assignments/invisible_man/Wall.html