Invisible Man

Ellison’s Invisible Man transcends a mere coming-of-age story. It delves into the insidious nature of racism in mid-20th-century America, exploring its pervasive influence on the unnamed narrator’s life. The novel paints a stark picture of how race dictates the narrator’s experiences, distorts his sense of self, and ultimately fuels his search for a meaningful identity. Early on, the “battle royal” episode establishes the brutal and dehumanizing reality of racism. A few black men are blindfolded and made to scramble for a briefcase filled with money on an electrified carpet while white patrons observe with amusement. This grotesque spectacle serves as a microcosm of broader American society, where black people are viewed as commodities to be exploited and controlled rather than people with aspirations and rights. The fight over the electrified carpet reinforces the trope of black-on-black violence, a convenient narrative for white supremacy that deflects attention from the systemic inequalities black people face.

Further highlighting the pervasiveness of racism is the narrator’s expulsion from his Southern college. Despite excelling academically, he is expelled by the college president, Bledsoe, for taking Norton to the black bar, Golden Day. Bledsoe’s actions reveal that education for black men is only valued as long as it adheres to white expectations. The narrator’s expulsion highlights the limitations black people face in a society where even academic success cannot guarantee a level playing field. Bledsoe’s words, “You’re nobody, son. You don’t exist,” foreshadow the narrator’s journey of invisibility, where his individuality is constantly denied based solely on the color of his skin.

The Brotherhood is another example of how a seemingly progressive organization advocating for racial equality can be reductive and ultimately self-serving. Brother Jack, the leader, attempts to erase the narrator’s personal experiences and mold him into a stereotypical representation of black victimhood. Brother Jack's insistence that the narrator use a specific, pre-approved narrative for his speech serves as an example of this "color-blind" approach, which ultimately denies the narrator's agency and reinforces the very limitations the narrator seeks to overcome. The Brotherhood’s expulsion of the narrator further reinforces the notion that even within supposedly progressive spaces, black identity is often confined to a predefined box.

From overt brutality to seemingly benign cultural assimilation, Invisible Man reveals how race permeates every aspect of the narrator’s life in America. The novel underscores the complex ways in which racism operates, limiting opportunities, distorting perception, and forcing the narrator to navigate a world that denies him his humanity. It further exposes the limitations of both blatant and veiled forms of racism, both of which work to maintain a racial hierarchy that renders black lives invisible. In the end, when the narrator hides in his hole, it’s clear that there is no straight answer to the complicated legacies of race, and the only way one can find an authentic relationship with race is to figure it out for oneself, as no one-size-fits-all approach will work.

The novel exposes how individuals and institutions exploit power dynamics to manipulate and control others for personal gain, obstructing the narrator’s search for authentic identity and agency. Dr Bledsoe, the president of the narrator’s Southern college, is an early example of this. Bledsoe wields his authority to orchestrate the grotesque “battle royal” spectacle, manipulating young black men for the amusement of white patrons. Bledsoe, himself a black man, benefits from his position by maintaining the racial hierarchy, even if it means sacrificing the dignity of others. His use of power reinforces the narrative of black inferiority, demonstrating how power dynamics can be manipulated to serve individual agendas at the expense of collective well-being. At the end, it’s evident he is only looking out for himself, despite claims of “uplift” of the black community. Later on, the figure of Rinehart also highlights that blacks can exploit other blacks for their own profit. Thus, the black community itself is also not free from manipulating other black people for aggrandizement of power.

White patrons are another example of how powerful people manipulate others for their own advancement or amusement. While initially presented as a potential benefactor for the college and the black community, Mr Norton’s true intentions become clear as he exploits the vulnerabilities of the people at the brothel for his own gratification. He uses his wealth and social status to manipulate and control those with less power, further perpetuating the cycle of exploitation and highlighting the potential dangers of unchecked power.

The narrator’s experience with the Brotherhood is another major example of how power can distort. By proposing the idea that everything happens within an understandable context of history, the organization tries to impose its philosophy on everyone. Yet, this ideology is flawed—while the Brotherhood initially aims to battle oppression, it becomes evident that figures such as Brother Jack prioritize their authority over any altruistic intentions. Brother Jack attempts to erase the narrator’s individual experiences, forcing him to conform to a predetermined narrative that serves the Brotherhood’s agenda. This manipulation of identity exemplifies how power can be used to silence individual voices and stifle dissent, creating a system of control that reinforces the status quo rather than dismantling it.

The novel can be interpreted as a coming-of-age narrative, where a young black man strives to achieve recognition and validation, but his hopes are dashed by the harsh realities of a racially prejudiced society. It begins with the narrator at an unnamed Southern college, where he dreams of modeling himself after the founder. Despite being a humiliating experience, he has also won the scholarship after the “battle royal” event. This initial success fuels his belief in the possibility of overcoming societal barriers through academic achievement and obedience. His ambition is further nurtured by Dr Bledsoe’s words, “You are coming into a great tradition,” which offer the illusion of a path toward acceptance and success. However, this very scene, with its undercurrent of racial manipulation and exploitation, foreshadows the potential for disillusionment.

The narrator’s expulsion from the college serves as a pivotal moment in his descent into disillusionment. Despite excelling academically, he is expelled for violating racial boundaries. This incident shatters his naive belief in the fair application of merit, revealing the limitations placed on his aspirations due to his race. His journey parallels that of an entire generation of young black individuals who held aspirations of social mobility in a society moving toward equality. The former doctor from the mental institution is a representation of the disappointment that many people in this group feel. Despite gaining recognition in France, the ex-doctor realizes that his race will always stop him from gaining genuine respect. Stripped of his dignity, he relinquishes hope for acknowledgment, eventually becoming just another anonymous inmate in the asylum. His parting words to the narrator are: “Play the game, but don’t believe in it.”

The narrator’s disillusionment reaches its peak with the Brotherhood. While he initially thinks that he is being recognized, he soon realizes that he has no agency. Their focus on self-serving agendas and manipulation destroys his remaining hope for genuine equality and social change. This disillusionment forces him to question the very possibility of achieving his initial ambitions and paves the way for his retreat from seeking external validation.