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Ralph Ellison Barriers

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The limitation of blacks and the authority imposed by white society is most similar in Ellison and Hughes’ texts. Ellison’s protagonist experiences this limitation in the early stages of the novel as there is a censorship of what the speaker may freely speak of in his public speech. The use of the monologue implied by Ellison is essential, as it fills the audience with past or offstage events. While the protagonist performs his speech, the accidental reference to ‘social equality’ makes “laughter” in the atmosphere to evaporate “smokelike in the sudden stillness”. The adjective ‘smokelike’ implies that the joy and laughter in the atmosphere has evaporated, resulting in this ‘stillness’. Thus, we discover that the mentioning of such term has awakened the listeners to question the speaker’s motives. …show more content…

Further on the man whom questions the speaker befriends and reassures the speaker to know of his place at all time – “We mean to do right by you, but you’ve got to know your place at all time”. In a sense, the white man degrades the speaker as he reminds the protagonist of his limited rights and presents to the protagonist the authorial power he has against him. This presentation of whites being dominating figure is also seen further into play where the protagonist describes the ‘white folks’ as the “authority, the gods, fate circumstances”. By comparing the ‘white folks’ to God, it emphasises the power and ability that the white society may have on the black. In the same way Hughes’ narrative speaks of the limitations and boundaries faced by the black community – “Between me and my dream. Rose until it touched the sky. The wall” This enforcement of ‘the wall’ limits the speaker and creates a sort of obstacle from achieving his

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