Ralph Ellison and Invisible Man

Ralph Ellison I am an invisible man. No, I am not a spook like those who haunted Edgar Allan Poe; nor am I one of your Hollywood- movie ectoplasms. I am a man of substance, of flesh and bone, fiber and liquids—and I might even be said to possess a mind. I am invisible, understand, simply because people refuse to see me. I am an invisible man. No, I am not a spook like those who haunted Edgar Allan Poe; nor am I one of your Hollywood- movie ectoplasms. I am a man of substance, of flesh and bone, fiber and liquids—and I might even be said to possess a mind. I am invisible, understand, simply because people refuse to see me. - from the Prologue to Invisible Man - from the Prologue to Invisible Man

Central Question of the Novel “How can one person make a difference when all of the avenues to power are occupied by the duplicitous?” “How can one person make a difference when all of the avenues to power are occupied by the duplicitous?” No matter where the narrator tries to pursue success and autonomy in an authentic manner, he finds the road ahead of him blocked by those who have decided to collude against those below. His initial solution, to hide in a basement and steal power from the electric company, fails to solve the problem, so he ultimately decides to come forth and pursue change. No matter where the narrator tries to pursue success and autonomy in an authentic manner, he finds the road ahead of him blocked by those who have decided to collude against those below. His initial solution, to hide in a basement and steal power from the electric company, fails to solve the problem, so he ultimately decides to come forth and pursue change.

Ellison’s Bio ( ) b. in OK frontier b. in OK frontier Named for Ralph Waldo Emerson Named for Ralph Waldo Emerson Attended Tuskegee Institute in Alabama Attended Tuskegee Institute in Alabama 1930s: Harlem Renaissance (corresponded with the Jazz Age) 1930s: Harlem Renaissance (corresponded with the Jazz Age) 1945: began writing 1945: began writing 7 years total to complete 7 years total to complete Won the national book award Won the national book award Ellison’s first and only novel Ellison’s first and only novel Novel was immensely popular with both whites and blacks Novel was immensely popular with both whites and blacks

Episodic Novel Def: story is told in a series of incidents or events. Def: story is told in a series of incidents or events. The episodes succeed each other, with no particular arrangement The episodes succeed each other, with no particular arrangement Protagonist experiences a string of occurrences and events Protagonist experiences a string of occurrences and events Characterized by a loosely connected string of incidents Characterized by a loosely connected string of incidents Main character has no name: the nature of these experiences and the cumulative effect on him is important Main character has no name: the nature of these experiences and the cumulative effect on him is important

Bildungsroman Novel Def.- a coming of age novel which chronicles a character’s development and maturation over the span of several years Def.- a coming of age novel which chronicles a character’s development and maturation over the span of several years Main character begins as a bright high school student and matures to a man who understands the nature of the world Main character begins as a bright high school student and matures to a man who understands the nature of the world

Universal Novel Novel is a quest to know oneself Novel is a quest to know oneself Struggle for acceptance Struggle for acceptance Although it concerns race, it is really about our desire to succeed and be happy in life Although it concerns race, it is really about our desire to succeed and be happy in life

Ellison as a Symbolist Events are in real settings, but settings always stand for something beyond surface level Events are in real settings, but settings always stand for something beyond surface level North vs. South North vs. South

Existentialism Vs. Naturalism Narrator struggles to find his identity (Existentialism) Narrator struggles to find his identity (Existentialism) This process is impeded by the world he lives in (Naturalism) This process is impeded by the world he lives in (Naturalism)

The Narrator’s Speech Comes from a speech given by Booker T. Washington at the 1895 Atlanta Exposition Comes from a speech given by Booker T. Washington at the 1895 Atlanta Exposition Also known as: Also known as: –The Atlanta Compromise Speech –The “Cast Your Bucket” speech Urged blacks to learn manual labor and soothed the white community’s fears of black rebellion Urged blacks to learn manual labor and soothed the white community’s fears of black rebellion –Assimilation, cooperation

Debate Within the Black Community Booker T. Washington Booker T. Washington Booker T. Washington –Assimilation –Manual Labor –Blacks must learn to live within the racist order of the South W.E.B. DuBois W.E.B. DuBois W.E.B. DuBois –Criticized Washington for what he viewed as giving in and submitting to the white culture –Blacks must resist the racist order of the South

Ralph Ellison and Black Modernism ❑ Invisible Man reflected an experimental attitude, combining social responsibility, writing craft, and technical rigor of narrative, beyond the typical "protest" novel ❑ Inspired by writings of Marx, Hemingway, Langston Hughes, James Baldwin, Richard Wright, and Freud ❑ Inspired by jazz and blues music ❑ His style departed from that of Richard Wright in that his characters were articulate, educated and self-aware

Existentialism and Invisible Man Existentialisms: Existentialisms: Developed throughout the nineteenth (Kierkegaard, Nietzsche) and twentieth (Jean Paul Sartre) centuries Developed throughout the nineteenth (Kierkegaard, Nietzsche) and twentieth (Jean Paul Sartre) centuries Famous existential novelists: Dostoevsky, Kafka, Camus Famous existential novelists: Dostoevsky, Kafka, Camus

A philosophical movement embracing the view that the suffering individual must create meaning in an unknowable, chaotic, and seemingly empty universe.

A philosophy that emphasizes the uniqueness and isolation of the individual experience in a hostile or indifferent universe, regards human existence as unexplainable, and stresses freedom of choice and responsibility for the consequences of one’s acts.

Existentialism is a philosophical movement in which individual human beings are understood as having full responsibility for creating the meanings of their own lives...

Ralph Ellison explains in Shadow and the Act that life is open-ended and ambiguous, and literature must be similarly ambiguous and open-ended. Life does not follow rules or laws; neither should literature.

According to Ellison, Invisible Man makes his final discoveries about himself through the process of telling his story.

Contemporary problems in racial relations are reflected in the following ways: The taboo of white-black romantic relationships is reflected in two ways: the white woman who appears before the “battle royal” as well as the tryst between Sybil and the narrator. The taboo of white-black romantic relationships is reflected in two ways: the white woman who appears before the “battle royal” as well as the tryst between Sybil and the narrator. Black power figures were often seen by other blacks as conspirators with whites. Dr. Bledsoe ultimately reveals himself as this sort of person in two ways: his letters urging the trustees to avoid the narrator and his conversation with the narrator before sending the narrator to New York City. Black power figures were often seen by other blacks as conspirators with whites. Dr. Bledsoe ultimately reveals himself as this sort of person in two ways: his letters urging the trustees to avoid the narrator and his conversation with the narrator before sending the narrator to New York City.