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Invisibility And Blindness In The Invisible Man

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The Invisible Man
Difficulty in finding one’s true identity is a displeasing reality that is quite common in society. In the novel, Invisible Man, the author Ralph Ellison develops the narrators conflict; a search for his identity, while conveying both invisibility and blindness. The author utilizes the theme of invisibility and the symbol, blindness, as it relates to the narrator’s conflict with the racist time period the novel is set in.
The Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison was written shortly after America’s triumph in World War II. The 1940’s and early 1950’s were also a time immense discrimination against blacks. In the prologue of the novel, the author quickly brings to light the racist time period the narrator is amidst. The author describes …show more content…

Early in the novel the theme of invisibility is directly revealed. In the prologue, the narrator states “I am invisible understand simply because people refuse to see me.” the narrator refers to himself as invisible due to his African American descent. The effects of racism and the expected intolerance of the white society limits his potential success and possibility of achieving his strived goals. The author also uses the symbol of blindness in the novel to provide a much greater meaning. The blindness of the individuality and intelligence of the narrator is clearly exhibited in the “Battle Royal.” At one point, the narrator believed that he was visible to the whites and was given the opportunity to potentially be recognized for his great oration. However, in the midst of the event, the reality soon came to light. During the battle royal the narrator soon realizes that he is a participant of a great brawl. Then the narrator states, “The blindfolds were put on, yet even then I had been going over my speech.” This demonstrates how even in the center of such a hostile environment filled with hysteria, the narrator simply wanted the opportunity to give his speech and be heard for a

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