Racism in Invisible Man

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Racism is perceived as a very negative aspect of society. When most people think of racism, they see hatred, evil, and ignorance. It has always been around since history has been recorded, and probably before that. There are many different forms of racism, but when one thinks of racism in America, they most certainly think of the struggles that the African-Americans have faced for hundreds of years. American literature has been noted for its sometimes controversial, but outspokenness of issues faced by people and minorities. Ralph Ellison is considered one of these authors after his novel Invisible Man. It was published in 1953, before the Civil Rights Movement really got strong. Ellison confronts the various forms of racism in this novel. His works explores a theme that the American society ignores and oppresses African-Americans. Ellison’s work goes beyond just a book and some text, but it is a deeper cry out from an African-American that battled racism himself. Often, people are truly able to find themselves in tough times. The narrator of the story may not have been able to fully find himself throughout his tribulations, but he has pondered life and thought deeper about his true identity. This actually shows a positive element of racism, though subtle, still positive in the fact that the narrator connects more with his inner self. Many of the people and the institution all embody racism throughout the novel. All of these people help the narrator mature intellectually. The narrator battles racism and his self throughout the novel, and attempts to define himself through the expectations of others.

Racism is simply defined as a belief that race accounts for differences in human character or ability, and that a particular race...

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...cur quite often. The narrator may be becoming more invisible with every encounter, but this is not portrayed as strictly a negative thing. Ellison shows it to lead to freedom in mobility in the case of the narrator. Blindness and invisibility seem to go hand in hand in this novel because when one character goes blind, another seems to go invisible, or more invisible in the case of the narrator. The narrator notices that the people that he comes in contact with do not want to see the harsh reality of racism and how it can affect others, so they avoid confrontation of the truth. This leads to the narrator living a life of the feeling of invisibility. Invisibility and blindness are two key concepts that help better define the theme of racism in this particular novel because they both play a big role in the narrator’s life and the experiences he has during his travels.

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