Characters
The Narrator
The unnamed narrator in Ralph Ellison’s Invisible Man is not only the storyteller but is also the protagonist, whose journey through a racially charged America serves as the novel’s central lens. As the novel is a bildungsroman, events and narratives are told from a first-person perspective. However, despite being the central figure, the narrator’s identity remains unclear throughout the novel, notably with his name never disclosed. Whether it be the names given to him in the hospital or within the Brotherhood, or even the location of his college, all specifics remain unspecified. Consequently, the narrator exists solely as a voice, lacking a tangible presence, thus accentuating his characterization as an “invisible man.”
The novel, right from the beginning, highlights the narrator’s struggle for self-definition and identity in a society defined by prejudice and prescribed narratives. Early in the novel, the narrator appears naive, readily conforming to expectations imposed by authority figures. This naivety often leads to misinterpretations of key events in the story, prompting readers to gauge what Ellison’s true intentions are beyond the narrator’s perspective. The author employs dramatic irony to reveal elements overlooked by the narrator. For instance, following the “battle royal” event in Chapter 1, the narrator gratefully accepts the scholarship from the insensitive white men without passing judgment on their behavior. However, the readers understand how abhorrently racist they are, a fact not fully grasped by the narrator. While the narrator’s reliability may be questioned in such instances, Ellison ensures that readers perceive the extent of the narrator’s obliviousness. However, once he is expelled by Dr Bledsoe and realizes that his letters of recommendation are misleading, it marks the narrator’s first significant disillusionment.
The Brotherhood represents another attempt to find meaning and belonging. Initially drawn to their ideals of equality, the narrator soon recognizes their manipulation. They exploit his experiences and attempt to mold him into a stereotypical “Negro” figure, highlighting the organization’s internalized racism and hypocrisy. This experience further complicates the narrator’s search for identity, forcing him to grapple with the limitations of both conforming to existing structures and embracing radical solutions.
Throughout the narrative, the narrator meets diverse characters in Harlem who offer alternative perspectives on black identity and liberation. He observes Mary’s activism and experiences the resilience of the community despite facing constant social and economic inequalities. His encounter with Ras the Exhorter exposes him to the concept of black separatism, offering a potential path toward self-determination but ultimately proving to be too extreme for the narrator’s evolving worldview. While each of them tries to define what being black is, the narrator’s innocence leads him to try and satisfy all these expectations. However, as the novel progresses, he realizes the extent to which his social roles prevent him from discovering his individual identity. In an act of rebellion, he assumes a mask of invisibility when he disguises himself, leading to people thinking that he is Rinehart.
The novel concludes with the narrator acknowledging his “invisibility” not as a passive state but as a complex consequence of societal power dynamics. He recognizes the limitations of seeking acceptance and validation within existing structures and the ongoing struggle for black liberation. However, he also realizes that while being invisible helps him escape others’ attempts at defining him, it also stops him from defining himself. His journey is not a linear progression toward a definitive answer but rather a testament to the constant negotiation between conforming, rebelling, and, ultimately, striving for self-determination. Through the narrator’s character, Ellison compels the reader to engage critically with issues of race, identity, and the ongoing pursuit of agency in a racially charged world.
Brother Jack
Brother Jack, the charismatic leader of the Brotherhood, embodies the complexities and contradictions of revolutionary movements. While initially appearing as a champion of social justice and a potential guide for the unnamed narrator, he ultimately reveals himself as a power-hungry figure with a limited understanding of the individual struggles of black people. Brother Jack is first introduced as a powerful orator, captivating the narrator with his historical and theoretical knowledge. He offers the narrator purpose and belonging within the structured framework of the Brotherhood. This initial appeal stems from Brother Jack’s ability to articulate a clear vision of racial liberation, contrasting sharply with the narrator’s disorienting experiences in the white world. Furthermore, Brother Jack appears to be a stark contrast to the narrator’s previous encounters with authority figures, particularly Dr Bledsoe and Norton. He initially presents himself as someone who genuinely understands the struggles of black people and offers a path toward dismantling the oppressive system. His charismatic leadership and unwavering commitment to the cause inspire hope in the disillusioned narrator.
However, as the novel progresses, the narrator witnesses the limitations of Brother Jack’s leadership. His unwavering commitment to the Brotherhood’s ideology blinds him to the lived experiences of its members. As he tells the narrator, “We do not shape our policies to the mistaken and infantile notions of the man in the street. Our job is not to ask them what they think but to tell them!” The falling out of his glass eye serves as a powerful symbol of this one-eyed perspective, signifying his inability to see the full picture, particularly the personal struggles and complexities faced by black people.
The narrator’s disillusionment with Brother Jack reaches its peak when he challenges the Brotherhood’s racist assumptions during a heated exchange. Instead of engaging in a genuine discussion, Brother Jack silences the narrator, revealing his intolerance toward dissent and his desire for unquestioning obedience. This act of betrayal underscores the hypocrisy and authoritarian nature of the Brotherhood, leaving the narrator feeling more isolated and disillusioned. It soon becomes apparent that Jack shares the same racial prejudices as the rest of white American society, and, when the Brotherhood’s focus changes, Jack abandons the black community without looking back.
For many black intellectuals during the 1930s, such as Ellison, the Communist Party held promises akin to the salvation promised by Brother Jack, only to eventually abandon and disregard the African-American struggle as its priorities shifted in the early 1940s. Ellison’s portrayal of the Brotherhood primarily serves as a commentary on the perceived neglect and mistreatment experienced by the black community under communism. Symbolically, Jack, characterized by his red hair, is representative of this sense of betrayal.
Ras
The novel presents Ras the Exhorter (later called Ras the Destroyer) as a radical alternative to the established narratives of race and identity in America. Ras is a powerful figure who seems to embody Ellison’s anxieties about the future of the civil rights battle in America. Ras, which literally means “Prince” in an Ethiopian language, also sounds like “race” and “Ra,” the Egyptian sun god. Ras is an enigmatic figure, advocating for black separatism and igniting both fascination and fear within the narrator and the reader. He appears as a force of nature, captivating Harlem with his passionate oratory and unapologetic stance against white supremacy. He rejects the idea of integration, calling for black people to break free from the “white world” and establish their own independent nation. His fiery pronouncements and symbolic choice of African clothing resonate with the frustrations and desires for self-determination prevalent in the black community.
Furthermore, Ras’s defiance against the established power structures resonates with the disillusioned narrator, who has encountered hypocrisy and manipulation from authority figures throughout his journey. His bold leadership offers a stark contrast to the narrator’s previous experiences, making him a source of intrigue and potential hope for a different path forward. However, Ras’s appeal gradually wears off as his ideology reveals its limitations and troubling aspects. His separatist vision, while initially appearing empowering, ultimately isolates him and alienates others. His rhetoric escalates from passionate exhortation to violent threats, culminating in his self-proclaimed transformation into Ras the Destroyer, leading to a futile armed confrontation with the police. This shift toward violence underscores the potential dangers of extremist ideology. While Ras addresses the real injustices faced by black people, his methods prove counterproductive and ultimately offer no practical solutions. His actions further marginalize the community and reinforce the negative stereotypes held by outsiders.
Despite the flaws in his approach, Ras plays a crucial role in the narrator’s journey. Their encounters force the narrator to confront the complexities of black identity and the lack of easy solutions in the fight for liberation. Witnessing the consequences of Ras’s extremism helps the narrator recognize the limitations of both assimilation and complete separation, prompting him to search for a more nuanced understanding of his place in the world.
Tod Clifton
Tod Clifton embodies the psychological and societal pressures faced by black people in America. Initially presented as a symbol of hope and potential, Tod’s descent into disillusionment and, ultimately, self-destruction, serves as a crucial turning point in the narrator’s journey. Introduced as the charismatic youth leader of the Brotherhood, Tod initially appears as a role model for the narrator. He is intelligent, articulate, and deeply committed to empowering young black people. His passionate speeches and genuine concern for the community inspire the narrator, who sees in Tod a potential alternative to the disillusioning experiences he has encountered.
Further, Tod’s dedication to social justice resonates with the narrator’s own desire to make a positive impact. He appears to represent an individual successfully navigating the complexities of black identity while actively fighting for change within the community. However, Tod’s character undergoes a tragic transformation as he grapples with the hypocrisy and limitations of the Brotherhood. He becomes increasingly disillusioned when he witnesses the organization’s manipulation and internal conflicts. This internal struggle manifests in his erratic behavior, culminating in his impulsive decision to sell Sambo dolls on the street, a blatant mockery of the Brotherhood’s ideals. This act signifies Tod’s complete loss of faith and descent into despair. He chooses to embrace self-destruction rather than continue within a system he perceives as fundamentally flawed and manipulative. His decline serves as a cautionary tale for the narrator, highlighting the potential dangers of disillusionment and the struggle to maintain hope in the face of overwhelming societal pressures.
Tod’s tragic death in a police shooting becomes a pivotal moment in the narrative. It sparks the Harlem riot, highlighting the simmering frustration and anger within the black community. The narrator’s eulogy for Tod serves as a powerful indictment of the societal forces that contribute to such tragedies. More importantly, Tod’s life and death force the narrator to confront his own disillusionment and search for meaning in a seemingly indifferent world. While Tod’s idealism initially inspires the narrator, his tragic ending forces him to acknowledge the complexities of navigating racial tensions and the necessity of forging his own path toward self-discovery.
Sybil
Sybil, the white wife of Brother Jack, initially embodies the white gaze, a symbol of the power dynamic rooted in societal and racial hierarchies. Her privileged position as the wife of a leader within the Brotherhood creates an inherent imbalance in her interactions with the narrator, a black man. Further, her descent into intoxication and the subsequent revelation of her racist fantasies further complicate her portrayal. Her attraction to the narrator is not the result of a sincere connection but rather of a distorted perception of black masculinity that is the result of societal prejudices.
However, Sybil is not simply a one-dimensional character representing white privilege and racism. Underneath the surface lies a complex person grappling with loneliness and dissatisfaction. Her confession of her troubled past and her yearning for intimacy reveal a layer of vulnerability that challenges the initial image of power and control. Both the narrator and Sybil share a sense of being misunderstood and trapped within societal expectations. However, the narrator ultimately recognizes the limitations and potential dangers of pursuing a relationship based solely on shared experiences of alienation.
Rinehart
Rinehart is not a character in the traditional sense in Invisible Man. He doesn’t physically appear in the novel and exists solely through hearsay and whispers, becoming a mythical figure who embodies various identities and represents a range of interpretations for the protagonist and the reader. He is constantly referenced as a preacher, numbers runner, pimp, and con artist. He effortlessly switches between these roles, showcasing his adaptability and fluidity within social spheres and defying the idea of a singular “black experience.” This shape-shifting ability challenges the narrator’s, and perhaps the reader’s, rigid understanding of identity and the notion of a fixed black persona. Rinehart, through his diverse roles, appears to navigate the complexities of the social world with relative ease. He seems to possess an inherent freedom and agency, defying societal expectations and carving out his own space within the margins. This freedom contrasts sharply with the limitations and constraints experienced by other characters, including the protagonist, who constantly struggle to define themselves in a world determined to categorize them.
However, Rinehart’s fluid existence also raises questions about the ethics of his actions. His alleged role as a pimp introduces a layer of ambiguity and casts doubt on his true motivations. This duality compels the reader to question whether his freedom comes at a cost and whether his methods are truly liberating or perpetuating harmful societal dynamics.
When the narrator is mistaken for Rinehart solely based on his attire, it serves as a pivotal moment in the narrative. It forces the narrator to confront his own invisibility and grapple with the limitations of seeking acceptance and validation within predefined societal structures. He realizes that he too can, like Rinehart, navigate the world in various ways, potentially finding alternative paths to self-definition.
Dr Bledsoe
Dr Bledsoe, the president of the narrator’s Southern college, initially appears as a successful black leader committed to racial advancement, a worthy figure whom the narrator aspires to be. He presents himself as a champion of “uplift,” advocating for black social and economic progress through assimilation into white society. He encourages the protagonist to conform to white expectations, emphasizing how education and respectability are the two keys to achieving equality.
However, Bledsoe’s methods are ultimately self-serving and detrimental. When he learns that the narrator has shown Norton the underbelly of black society, he explodes into rage and expels him. When the narrator threatens to tell Norton about it, Bledsoe mocks the narrator, saying that he doesn’t know the difference between “the way things are and the way they’re supposed to be.” This highlights both Bledsoe’s absolute power as well as the narrator’s naivety. Further, it is revealed later that his supposed letters of recommendation for the narrator are in fact aimed at holding him back. This act reveals the hypocrisy of his supposed commitment to upliftment, showcasing his preference for submissive conformity over independent thought and action. While he may yearn for equality and progress, Bledsoe is ultimately complicit in perpetuating the very system that oppresses black people. His character is steeped in corruption—he only cares about his advancement and not about the black community that he claims to serve.
Dr Bledsoe’s betrayal serves as a critical turning point for the narrator. His disillusionment with Bledsoe’s leadership and the college’s true agenda marks the beginning of his journey toward self-discovery. He realizes that achieving genuine liberation requires questioning established narratives and seeking alternative paths to define himself outside the confines of oppressive expectations.
