A classic from the moment it first appeared in 1952, Invisible Man chronicles the travels of its narrator, a young, nameless black man, as he moves through the hellish levels of American tolerance and cultural blindness. Scholars have taken notice of Invisible man ever since its release and continue to scrutinize the novel for good reasons: it is fascinating; it brings forth many interpretations and debates; it questions one’s role in society; it addresses racism, etc. We experience the American racist society during the first half of the 20th century through the eyes of its narrator – an unnamed young Afro-American – who is forced to undertake a journey from his hometown in the south of America to the North in New York City, after he is rusticated from college. His journey comes to metaphorically represent his quest for self-enlightenment, which begins with blind ignorance, moves …show more content…
The protagonist is a very good orator. Upon giving an excellent speech at his high-school graduation, the narrator is invited to deliver the same speech again at a gathering of prominent white citizens. The narrator sees this invitation as an opportunity to reach out his dreams. After a traumatic experience in Battle Royal, when he is finally made to deliver the speech, he incorrectly uses “social equality” instead of “social responsibility” only to earn the wrath of the guests. The Invisible man later on becomes a victim of Dr. Bledsoe’s politics which takes him to the North of New York City where he learns the bitter truth from Mr. Emerson that his letter of introduction is framed to “keep the Nigger boy running”. This comes to stand for the journey that he is later forced to take, first at the hands of Dr. Bledsoe and later on behalf of the Brotherhood, where he is deliberately left hanging with no recourse to better his position in