We rely, in this world, on the visual aspects of humanity as a means of learning who we are. This, Ralph Ellison argues convincingly, is a dangerous habit. 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 intolerance and cultural blindness. Searching for a context in which to know himself, he exists in a very peculiar state. "I am an invisible man," he says in his prologue. "When they approach me they see only my surroundings, themselves, or figments of their imagination--indeed, everything and anything except me." But this is hard-won self-knowledge, earned over the course of many years.
As the book gets started, the narrator is expelled from his Southern Negro college for inadvertently showing a white trustee the reality of black life in the south, including an incestuous farmer and a rural whorehouse. The college director chastises him: "Why, the dumbest black bastard in the cotton patch knows that the only way to please a white man is to tell him a lie! What kind of an education are you getting around here?" Mystified, the narrator moves north to New York City, where the truth, at least as he perceives it, is dealt another blow when he learns that his former headmaster's recommendation letters are, in fact, letters of condemnation.
What ensues is a search for what truth actually is, which proves to be supremely elusive. The narrator becomes a spokesman for a mixed-race band of social activists called "The Brotherhood" and believes he is fighting for equality. Once again, he realizes he's been duped into believing what he thought was the truth, when in fact it is only another variation. Of the Brothers, he eventually discerns: "They were blind, bat blind, moving only by the echoed sounds of their voices. And because they were blind they would destroy themselves.... Here I thought they accepted me because they felt that color made no difference, when in reality it made no difference because they didn't see either color or men."
Invisible Man is certainly a book about race in America, and sadly enough, few of the problems it chronicles have disappeared even now. But Ellison's first novel transcends such a narrow definition. It's also a book about the human race stumbling down the path to identity, challenged and successful to varying degrees. None of us can ever be sure of the truth beyond ourselves, and possibly not even there. The world is a tricky place, and no one knows this better than the invisible man, who leaves us with these chilling, provocative words: "And it is this which frightens me: Who knows but that, on the lower frequencies, I speak for you?" --Melanie Rehak
Ralph Ellison is one of the very writers who actually
deserved the National Book Award for his jaw-dropping
critique of what it means to be a black man in society.
It's the story of a nameless, faceless protagonist and
his effort to escape the harshness of double consciousness,
urban realism, poverty and racism in order to truly exist
as a man in society. A very well-written book that fifty
years after it was first written still resonates today.
Sadly, this was Ellison's one and only book. It's too
bad that he was unable to complete his second book or
any other work. Still, it's one of the most important
black books written and deserves its place in the literary
canon. Highly recommended for the serious reader.
Rarely do I find I book I hate so much that I am compelled to rip it, burn it, or in some way mutilate beyond recognition, but Invisible Man certainly qualified as just such a book.
Some authors deem it necessary to write a story for the sole purpose of conveying a moral (as opposed to writing the story for the joy of it). This is the point of essays, in my opinion, and should not be applied to novels. Ralph Ellison had a very good point - we must stop the prejudice against black people in America - but he made it so glaringly obvious that any vestige of story in his work was obliterated.
This book was impossibly surreal. It made no sense. It was strange and bizarre and rambling. I was forced to read it by my English teacher, who is also a Vonnegut fan, and couldn't believe the utter lack of interesting, believable plot.
I was also very sad that this book was so long. If a book is going to be bad, why can't it also be short? I do not understand.
I read this book, took notes on this book, and wrote a ten-page paper on this book, and failed to get anything out of it other than, "God, I'm never reading THAT again!" It still seems to be immensely popular and on the lists of Best Novels of All Time, though, and sometimes I wonder if people like the idea of it better than the actual painful process of getting through the book.
This is the worst book I have EVER read, and I would never read it again unless I was paid a large quantity of money.
Ralph Ellison in the introduction to The Invisible Man on page XXII states the intention of the book as "dealing with the sheer rhetorical challenge involved in communicating across our barriers of race and religion, class, color, and region..." along with an intention "to reveal the human complexity which stereotypes are intended to conceal." The Invisible Man's greatness as a book comes from Ellison effective appeal to ethos and pathos using a variety of analogies, double meanings dealing with connotation and denotation, diction, and syntax to convey the inferiority of blacks as an invisible race during the early 1900's. The book is an absolute "must read."
Analogies
Analogies are commonly used to put ideas and perspectives into more commonly known expressions that appeal more widely to pathos and ethos. When exploring the differences in connotation and denotation of the word hole on page 6 in reference to home, Ellison uses an analogy to explain the intended connotation. "And remember, a bear retires to his hole for the winter and lives until spring; then he comes strolling out like the Easter chick breaking from its shell." In addition to using an analogy to explain that the word hole was not intended create same connotation as the word grave does, Ellison uses a simile to explain the analogy. "Like the Easter chick breaking from its shell" is a simile to better explain how the bear strolls out of his hole, which is an analogy to explain that the hole he lives in has a connotation similar to the word home. The use of an analogy and a simile together appeal with more power to pathos than an appeal made by an analogy or a simile alone. The appeal is intended to use the reader's prior emotions and knowledge surrounding the innocence and warmth of a newly born chick and then compare that to hole. This structure is used constantly throughout The Invisible Man. On the same page he uses another simile to explain how the world repeats itself. "...that is how the world moves: Not like an arrow, but a boomerang." (6) The comparison is used to help simplify the concept that world does not travel into new ideas, social norms, or cultural beliefs like an arrow will travel straight into different parts of space. The world will travel into these different parts of space much like a boomerang, having a tendency to return to the origin. Ralph Ellison takes several sentences such as the ones above and compresses the ideas into analogies and similes. Effectively done throughout the book, the technique puts inferiority or invisibility of blacks into simplistic, more understandable terms. The Invisible Man is a work of literary art that is able to make the inexperienced reader realize what the nameless protagonist is experiencing.
Connotations
Analogies and similes are sometimes used by Ralph Ellison to explain some differences in the intended connotation and actual denotation of the word. Another thing that makes The Invisible Man a work of literary art is Ellison's effective use of the connotations of words to appeal to pathos. Ellison uses the analogy of an emerging bear from hibernation in a hole to better explain his connotation of the word hole. Society's connotation of hole is a damp, cold, dark place that may be very similar to grave. Ellison knew that this connotation wouldn't be effective for intent. He also knew that using the word home instead of hole would, because of society's connotation of the word, make it seem as though his character had a warm, friendly place to live that was above all, visible. With the use of an analogy he changes the connotation of the word hole to be just a place to live that is invisible to the world. One of the most common differences between connotation and denotation lies in the actual title and purpose of the book: the invisible man. Denotation suggests that the man cannot be seen or observed. He is a ghost. Ellison's connotation of the word invisible is actually explained on page 3. "I am an invisible man. No, I am not a spook like those who haunted Edgar Allan Poe.... I am a man of substance... and I might even be said to possess a mind. I am invisible, understand, simply because people refuse to see me.... When they approach me they see only my surroundings, themselves...everything and anything except me."
The connotation is a feeling of absence or of being ignored. This specifically appeals to pathos because most people have had the feeling of desire for acknowledgement and the feeling of despair when there is not. With this connotation, Ellison can use the word invisible effectively to appeal to pathos throughout the book. Even without using the word invisible the reader has a certain feeling of being invisible throughout the book and that is what makes the book beautiful. The beauty comes from the reader relating to the protagonist without being told to do so. It lies in the turning of the pages because the reader desires for the protagonist to be recognized and a resolution to present itself. The Invisible Man is a work of literary art because connotation and an appeal to pathos will help the reader develop a new set of "inner eyes" (3) to see the world through.
Diction
Connotation is an effective use of diction, but specific word choice alone, regardless of connotation, can actually be a powerful tool in the author's tool box. Ellison's effectively chooses diction to appeal to pathos and ethos, even without a specific connotation. Diction is another reason The Invisible Man is a master piece of literature because it creates multiple layers of meaning past analogies or connotations. At the beginning of the book the protagonist is taken to give a speech to a group men who have been drinking and smoking cigars. Ellison's choice of diction not only characterizes the men in the room but also appeals to ethos. "I was shocked to see some of the most important men of the town quite tipsy.... bankers, lawyers, judges, doctors, fire chiefs, teachers, merchants. Even one of the more fashionable pastors." (18) The reader probably has a sense of ethics that suggest that such important men should conduct themselves with a higher class, especially the pastor. Ellison could have simply left it at "important men of the town," but by including details such as "bankers, lawyers, judges, doctors, fire chiefs, teachers, merchants...pastors" the reader interprets the text differently. Using the former word choice alone would have left the reader with a detachment from the scene; however using the latter personalizes the text. The reader of the book may be a doctor, know a doctor, or at least know the composure that a doctor should have; therefore, the latter goes against the reader's view of ethics. Thoughts that may go through the readers mind may be, these really were important men, I wonder how less prominent citizens would compose themselves. The diction and detail suggests that the men would pay attention to the speech of the protagonist; however, the mock and laugh at him. The power of detail strengthens the scene and the problem before the protagonist: he is invisible to those that he should at least be visible to. In another instance, Ellison uses the rather her in describing a woman's characteristics. "The hair was... the face heavily... the eyes hollow." (19) Using the rather than her immediately removes any individualism of the female. An appeal is made to pathos because it strengthens the feeling of invisible. It removes any feeling of visibility by making it seem as though she is just an object. This theory is confirmed later in the passage when she stares at the protagonist with "impersonal eyes." (19) These are just a few, but Ellison effectively uses diction to appeal to ethos and pathos throughout the book. With these techniques, The Invisible Man is a great piece of literature that captivates its audience and steers the readers toward deeper understanding of that time.
Syntax
Syntax is the last remaining element that is used by Ellison effectively in The Invisible Man to tie word choice, connotation, analogy, and simile together. It strengthens every technique in the book. It places emphasis where emphasis is needed and it draws attention to specific details. It appeals to pathos and it appeals to ethos. Repetition and parallel syntax are both used extensively throughout the book. In the scene with the woman mentioned before, the protagonist had some thoughts which Ellison conveys through parallel syntax. "I wanted.... To caress her and destroy her, to love her and murder her, to hide from her and yet to stroke..." (19) The parallel syntax and contradicting statements place emphasis on the protagonist's uncertainty. The syntax ties directly back to the protagonist's desire to be visible but yet enjoying his invisibility. This also appeals to pathos by recognizing that the reader has gone through a time where he or she has had contradicting thoughts on a subject. An example of repetition occurs when Ellison gives the important men dialog during the protagonist's speech to them.
"What's that word you say, boy?'
`Social responsibility,' I said.
`What?'
`Social...'
`Louder.'
`...responsibility.'
`More!' `Respon--`
`Repeat!'
`--sibility.'" (31)
If Ellison had only done the repetition once or twice it could have been inferred that the important men where just clarifying; however, repeating four times suggests that the important men were mocking him. The use of repetition appeals to ethos because people commonly listen to what a man has to say without interrupting him. In this case the important men, who really should be listening, mocked him. They questioned his intelligence; therefore, he questioned his visibility, yet yielding more power to the connotation of invisible. Ralph Ellison uses parallel syntax and repetition throughout the book to give the reader understanding of the protagonist's invisibility.
The Invisible Man is an essential book for every individual regardless if he or she has a direct history with the time of segregation and mistreatment of blacks. Unfortunately racism still exists in the world and in order to gain a deeper sense of the struggles of those of different ethnicities it is important to see it from their perspective. It is physically impossible for a Caucasian to be from a different ethnic background and vise versa. Ralph Ellison, however, has used connotations, analogies, diction, and syntax to effectively put individuals in different shoes mentally. The Invisible Man isn't just a story of an invisible protagonist striving to find visibility, but it is also a struggle for the reader. Through Ellison's effective literary techniques, the reader is brought into the text and struggles with the realization that he or she is invisible, but even more importantly, that he or she has treated another as though they were invisible.
