The Narrators Metamorphosis in Ralph Ellisons Invisible...

The Narrators Metamorphosis in Ralph Ellisons Invisible Man A mere glance at the title of Ralph Ellisons book, Invisible Man, stimulates questions such as, Who is this man? and, more importantly, Why is this man invisible? The anonymous narrator of Ellisons novel begins by assuring the reader that he is, in fact, a real person and is not invisible in the Hollywood sense of the term, but, rather, invisible simply because people refuse to see him for who he really is (3). The actions of both blacks and whites toward the anonymous narrator of the novel during his search for identity lead him to this conclusion. The narrator begins the story of his realization of his invisibility at the end of his high school days, as an†¦show more content†¦The narrators poor childhood relations with the white race bring him into adulthood with preconceived notions that eventually lead to the realization of his invisibility. The narrator continues his arguably successful path in college until a point toward the end of his junior year. While taking Mr. Norton, one of the white trustees, out for a drive in the area of the college, Mr. Norton asks the narrator to stop the car so he can talk with Jim Trueblood, the infamous black man who had gained sympathy from whites, but enmity from blacks because he got his daughter pregnant. Mr. Norton begins to feel sick from the heat of the sun, so the narrator takes him to Golden Day, a home for black veterans. Neither destination shows the best of the black race, but in stopping at Truebloods home, the narrator simply obeys Mr. Norton, taking him where he so desires. Then, when Mr. Norton feels sick, the narrator takes him where he can, which just so happens to be Golden Day. Though the narrator does what he deems proper, Dr. Bledsoe, president of the narrators college, expels the narrator because he, as president, concerns himself too greatly with his own position and possesses no concern for the people of his own race. He explains to the narrator before expelling him, This is a power set-up, son, and Im at the controls (142). Dr. Bledsoe acts not on behalf of the black race or the school, but on his own behalf, to maintain his own position. Shortly thereafter, heShow MoreRelatedThemes and Styles of Ralph Ellison3336 Words   |  14 PagesEnglish IV 16 November 2005 The Themes and Styles of Ralph Ellison Ralph Ellison has proven himself through his novel The Invisible Man to be the leading black author of the twentieth century. Although he had written many short stories and essays collected in the book Shadow and Act, The Invisible Man is his only novel. With this one novel, Ellison earned himself the 1953 National Book Award and acclaim by the African American community for so accurately portraying the struggles a black AmericanRead MoreEssay on The Invisible Mans Identity2066 Words   |  9 PagesUpon opening Ralph Waldo Ellison’s book The â€Å"Invisible Man†, one will discover the shocking story of an unnamed African American and his lifelong struggle to find a place in the world. Recognizing the truth within this fiction leads one to a fork in its reality; One road stating the narrators isolation is a product of his own actions, the other naming the discriminatory views of the society as the perpetrating force infringing upon his freedom. Constantly revolving a round his own self-destruction