Racial Stereotypes In Ralph Ellison's Invisible Man

Definition of self comes from the way you perceive your surroundings, how you categorize yourself, and the characteristics that society imposes onto you. For the narrator in Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison, racial stereotypes impact both his perception of others as well as himself. The Invisible Man journeys from the south to Harlem, but his origins are always a part of his identity. The narrator first notices a connection between the two locations when he buys a yam from the street vendor. The southern-grown vegetable represents the narrator’s hometown and the ideals instilled in him regarding self-worth as an African American. A yam, much like the narrator, comes from distinct regions of African culture and was transported to the United States

as a new crop. The narrator’s identity becomes more distinct when his origin and the yam’s roots are taken out of context and expected to assimilate in a new culture. Homesickness inevitably causes the narrator of Invisible Man to redefine how he portrays himself and deliberately manipulate the northern suppression of African Americans.
Ellison uses the adjectives “sweet” and “hot” to excite the reader’s taste of the yams, however, other definitions suggest that these word choices also relate to the narrator’s appealing, yet deceptive appearance.

“Sweet” is defined as having qualities that are “pleasing and agreeable; delightful” (Webster) and “hot” can be interpreted as “having a strong enthusiasm; eager” (Webster). En route to Harlem, the narrator decides that he wants to represent himself as a responsible, dedicated, and hardworking individual, as to secure a job quickly and to make a positive impression on his employer, despite his race. “When I met the big men to whom my letters were addressed I would put on my best manner. I would speak softly, in my most polished tones, smile agreeably and be most polite; and I would remember that if he should begin a topic of conversation which I found unfamiliar, I would smile and agree” (157). The narrator’s focus lies in “dressing himself up” to play a particular role in society that is vastly different than his southern

personality.
The street vendor in Harlem heightens public appeal of his yams by presenting them as a delicacy just as the narrator changes his individual nature for societal approval. Regardless of how the yams actually taste, the narrator is attracted to them because of their alluring aroma. In the same way, the narrator hopes that his change in character will enhance his presentation and encourage at least one of Dr. Bledsoe’s contacts to seek him out for a position. In essence, the narrator tends to change his appearance according to his present situation. He knows his surroundings and adapts in order to get whatever benefit he desires. The narrator has the ability to outwit those around him.
Determining one quality to describe the narrator’s identity would be inaccurate because he transforms how he acts in public, however, the narrator does reveal, through punctuation and emphasis of the word “freedom,” sarcasm towards the racial barrier of the north.

When the narrator is eating the yam he is “overcome by an intense feeling of freedom- simply because [he] was eating while walking along the street” (264). The dash used in the middle of the sentence emphasizes the narrator’s feelings of how to attain freedom as an African American. “Freedom” is an idea that the narrator believes is relative to race. The Invisible Man is able to feel free “just” by walking down the street and eating at the same time, yet white prestige does not equate freedom with purchasing a yam. Nevertheless, this isolated event adds to the narrator’s perspective of what it means to be in Harlem compared to the

south.
Forced to move to Harlem, the narrator of Invisible Man battles conforming to established black and white beliefs regarding racial rights. The narrator chooses to deceive the people of Harlem by acting in a certain manner until he finds work, his ultimate goal. When the narrator buys his yams he shows his true identity compared to the many types of people that he tries to be. The choice of words to describe the yams are hints towards the narrator’s feelings of the south and north. Regardless of who he must pretend to be, the narrator devises a plan on the train to Harlem to appeal himself to everyone in order to “make it big.” The narrator does not have faith in the Harlem community for fairness and thus he must manipulate the public to think whatever it is that will help him secure a well paying job.