Hickman's Representation Of Identity In Juneteenth

Ralph Ellison’s unfinished novel, Juneteenth, is not only about racism and racial identity like in his previous novel, but it also is the name of a celebration in that represents the end of slavery. The connection Ellison makes between his novel’s title and the celebration is ironic since a senator that goes by the name Sunraider, formerly known as Bliss, has an ideology that sees minorities as a problem people and not real Americans like himself. Ellison’s use of allusions and metaphors leads to the idea that a social identity is not a true identity because it is associated with the misrepresentation of a group and creates false appearances in social situations.
In Juneteenth Ellison’s allusions refer to the protagonist and his experiences

that convert him to an antagonist, from the young boy Bliss into the dubious senator Sunraider. Reverend Hickman, who thought of the boy Bliss as, “the lamb of God” (Ellison, Juneteenth 58), was not approving of Sunraider’s xenophobic behavior at the Congress conference. Reverend Hickman continues to evaluate Sunraider’s behavior through biblical allusions to make the connection that he was once pure, as opposed to his recent public appearances that have corrupted him with power. It is because of his new found identity that Hickman describes Sunraider’s currently misrepresented life as, “the Valley of Dry Bones in Ezekiel’s dream” (Ellison, Juneteeth 120), where the biblical allusion refers to his future, which was once bright, becoming his undoing. Now, Sunraider is a “passive slave” (Ellison, Juneteenth 153) to the white-dominated society, who continues the historical oppression of African-Americans, using their “traditions for his own selfish” (Rice) social appearance against the community that he was once a part of. Historically, there were some African-Americans when in public, would diverge from their actual beliefs. They were seen as traitors to their own race and faced the same repercussions as Sunraider. Therefore, the front he puts when in public is not his true identity, but rather a completely different personality much like Bliss and Sunraider, who are the same person but have opposing beliefs.
Hickman use metaphors to compare Sunraider to his younger days when he was still named, Bliss.

After receiving Hickman's criticism, Sunraider decides to explain the reasons he chose to take on his discriminatory identity, which began with his powerful persuasive technique. Sunraider’s mannerism, which was taught by Hickman himself, was thought highly of and as a child he becomes “intoxicated with his power of persuasion becoming a drunkard” (Williams). By comparing human greed for power to an intoxicated man with little awareness or control over his actions, where he is essentially losing his identity. Hickman is unable to comprehend why he saw the need to throw away his identity asking, “why didn’t you pattern after Abraham Lincoln” (Ellison, Juneteenth 362), aiding African-Americans instead of causing harm to them. The metaphor compares Abraham Lincoln’s similar use of social persuasion to Sunraider’s provocative speech. However, while Abraham Lincoln died as a martyr Sunraider goes down as sore upon society, unknowingly harming the community he attempted to inspire. If Sunraider were to follow in Lincoln’s footsteps he would be unable to progress further due to Lincoln being “the most complicated of all great men” (Ellison, Juneteenth 362), and only those who oppose him could become greater than he. Therefore, in an attempt to become greater than Lincoln he joined those who opposed him, coming close to being revered as, “GOD’S TROMBONE” (Ellison, Juneteenth 49).

Sunraider’s metaphor is a result of his corrupted mind, much like politicians who lust for power and recognition, regardless of the provocative speeches they must make to maintain it. Sunraider suffered one last hallucination concerning the WID DE JOE CAH, a group of African-Americans and their jalopy. The WID DE JOE CAH beat Sunraider, standing as the final trial before going either to heaven or hell, where he is forced to acknowledge and state who he really is and what he has done to deserve getting beat. After a severe and harsh lesson in Sunraider’s final hallucination he acknowledges “that being a ‘true American’ means ‘also somehow black’” (Brucker and Wray), bringing closure to his conflicted identity where he lived according to black culture but was upholding a white man’s appearance.
It is through Ellison’s contradicting characters, Sunraider and Bliss, who are the same person and by having these two distinct characters he presents the idea that social appearance clouds true identity. The comparison Reverend Hickman makes between Lincoln and Sunraider leads to the core reason behind Sunraider’s decision to represent the reactionary southern society, and revealing that his group’s beliefs did not reflect his own. Regardless of Hickman’s good intentions, providing Bliss the persuasive techniques was too much to handle as a child causing him to explore a way to use it. Growing up the only way he seemed to be able to properly use his persuasive skills was in exchange for his true identity, leading to a life of hypocrisy.