Examples Of Marxism In Invisible Man

Mary Anna Benko

Mr. Maloney

AP Language and Composition

5 January 2022

Exploring Underlying Racism in Aspects of Progressive Organizations in Ralph Ellison’s Invisible Man

America is a nation where its foundation was built from racial inequality. For centuries, America has deprived those not belonging to the White race in the pursuit of capitalism. In response to this injustice, socialist organizations developed in order to spread awareness and create social change. Despite these progressive attempts in order to reform society and promote racial equality, these organizations can be rooted in racist ideologies and mannerisms. Ellison’s Invisible Man demonstrates how progressive organizations can be rooted in underlying racism, despite their

In West’s words, “Marxism is inadequate because it fails to probe other spheres of American society where racism plays an integral role-especially the psychological and cultural spheres. Furthermore, Marxist views tend to assume that racism has its roots in the rise of modern capitalism.Yet, it can easily be shown that although racist practices were shaped and appropriated by modern capitalism, racism itself predates capitalism. Its roots lie in the earlier encounters between the civilizations of Europe, Africa, Asia, and Latin America-encounters that occurred long before the rise of modern capitalism” (West 3). With growing socialist ideology, the workplace has become more progressive and accessible to African Americans, however, their identities are minimized to the title of a laborer. Ellison’s Invisible Man looks at racism in progressive organizations as demonstrated in several aspects. For example, the scene in which the Invisible Man is removed from his college is stripping him away from his educational background and preventing him from further progressing in society. The Invisible Man thinks to himself: “How did I come to this? I had kept unswervingly to the path placed before me, had tried to be exactly what I was expected to be, had done exactly what I was expected to do–

Exploitation is dangerous as it ignores inequality for the pursuit of capitalism and wealth, overpowering acts of change. The exploitation of African Americans is present in the origin of the Brotherhood. Brother Jack introduces the party to the Invisible Man: “Here in the Brotherhood was the one place in the country where we were free and given the greatest encouragement to use our abilities, and he was trying to destroy it! No, it wasn’t me he was worrying about becoming too big, it was the Brotherhood. And becoming big was exactly what the Brotherhood wanted. Hadn’t I just received orders to submit ideas for organizing more people? And ‘a white man’s world’ was just what the Brotherhood was against. We were dedicated to building a world of Brotherhood'' (Ellison 391). The Brotherhood is led by the authority of white people. In other words, one black man must suppress others to work his way up, yet he will be stuck under the authority of Brother Jack. The Brotherhood being a socialist political party is similar to that of the socialist Marxist Party. Cornell West speaks about the party: “Furthermore, the disproportionate white middle-class composition of contemporary democratic socialist organizations creates cultural barriers to the participation by peoples of color. Yet this very participation is a vital