Ralph Ellison Invisible Man

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Invisible Man Analytical Essay

“I am invisible, understand, simply because people refuse to see me” (Ellison 3). Ralph Ellison’s novel Invisible Man the narrator tells his autobiography. He battles with himself about his own self awareness because society is constantly stereotyping him, seeing him as just another black man. The Narrator's invisibility ultimately hinders his chances at freedom. Due to his lack of individual identity, he is mistreated and then becomes more self aware. From the first pages of the novel, there are examples of the narrator's invisibility. In the prologue, the narrator tells a personal anecdote about bumping into a white man who then swore at him. Angry, the narrator assaults the white man and nearly slit his throat. During the commotion, the narrator realizes that the white man does not see him as a man; but as merely another traumatic experience. The narrator is suggesting that the color of his skin is the cause of the white man recognizing the narrator as nothing more than a “walking nightmare” (Ellison 4). This instance is an example of invisibility hindering his freedoms because the white man that the narrator attacked already had a premeditated, stereotypical idea of who the narrator was and how he would act. The white man (and many others) judged him based on the color …show more content…
This fight is known as the “battle royal”. The battle royal shows the way that members of the black community are viewed by the white society. Optimally, they are a origin of vicious entertainment. Worst case scenario, they are unreal. The battle royal allows the white elite to showcase their hostility toward the black men in a “safe” way. White society mistreats these african american men and takes away their individual identity, and their freedoms by treating them like savage
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