Group items tagged

This source discusses the dehumanization of IM. Constantly, people use IM for their own benefit, and manipulate him to do their will. He is seen as an asset, even by the Brotherhood, the very organization which is supposed to be fighting invisibility. Over time, his identity is so manipulated and bent to the will of others that by the epilogue, IM has lost track of who he himself is supposed to be.

Discusses direct correlations between quotes from IM and the racist impact they have upon him. As seen in the case of the yams, it is only after IM decides to accept his own culture and past that he can have his own identity. Until then, he is still trying to live white. Also, back to the theme of oppression, the Brotherhood was acting in the name of blacks, yet truly just held IM back, hovering inches from success, in order to ensure that he never gets his fully deserved recognition or rights.

Winther explains that the imagery used in Invisible Man describes the idea of societal imprisonment that IM experiences. For example, the iron chain that he carries around in his briefcase refers not only to the physical enslavement of the Black people but the emotional and mental restrictions but on them by society.

in Invisible Man this struggle toward self-definition is applied to individuals, groups, and the society as a whole. The particular genius of Invisible Man is Ellison's ability to interweave these individual, communal, and national quests into a single, complex vision. However, Ellison does not restrict himself to the concerns of African-Americans because he believes that African-American culture is an inextricable part of American culture. Thus, Invisible Man shows how the struggles of the narrator as an individual and as a representative of an ethnic minority are paralleled by the struggle of the nation to define and redefine itself.

The invisible man was important to the time period because Ellison challenged the way that African AMericans were typically characterized. When Ellison wrote Invisible Man, ther were few other novels that proposed the idea the black people were suffering from their lack of civil rights. He was ahead of his time.

This article talks about the Invisible Man in a more historic and political context, examining different political atmospheres in Harlem and the brotherhood.

"... the Renaissance encouraged literary and artistic works that would reshape notions of blackness in American popular consciousness and counter dominant stereotypes of black inferiority."

This article discusses the Harlem Renaissance in terms of the contribution of women and how they were often overlooked. This article provides additional insight into the culture of the period in which Invisible Man takes place and the role of women. This article provides support for an essay discussing the roles and oppression of gender in Invisible Man.

"Many of the contributions of women and sexual minorities to the Harlem Renaissance were overlooked, minimized, or forgotten in the decades after the movement."

Source which coincides with Ellison's novel-ending accusation, that everyone, regardless of color or gender, oppresses someone else. In this case, IM oppresses women, viewing them as sex objects, rather than as living, breathing, human beings. Although he knows it's hypocritical to protest dehumanization and then to use people for himself, he allows himself to be swept away and to use the women anyway.

In this article, the author tracks the growth of identity of IM from beginning to end, through three questions. The quotes are long, so I won't post them.

goes into detail about the theme of invisibility and connects it to the real world. Relates the apocalyptic ending of the novel to the theme of invisibility, as well as discussing Ellison's literary influences

this discusses the archetypal oppression situation. As one group is oppressed, before trying to liberate themselves, they try to conform to the way of their oppressors because they sub-consciously redefine what it is to be a human. We see examples of this in both Malcolm x and Invisible man.

"The white men menacingly watch as the young men tremble with fear, knowing that in the time they live, a Black man who demonstrates sexual interest in a white woman risks being lynched"

This source provides a detailed look at the battle royal, and this quote highlights the oppression that is evident in the first chapter.

"He accomplishes this by always remaining a man who. He refuses to be put into attributive categories, but subordinates the attributes to himself. He does not say, "I am a Negro, a writer, an American." He says, "I am a man who is a Negro, a writer, an American."

This source provides details on Ralph Ellison's background, and how he uses the writing style of making traits secondary instead of claiming them, which enhances his writing and makes it less self centered.

shows alienation used by Ellison as a strategy in the invisible man, connecting it to slavery, Frederick Douglass, the postwar attitude of the 1940s, and the civil rights movement, all of which can be connected to Malcolm X.

"Oklahoma-a rogue state of sorts, Southern in geography, but not slaveholding-gave mixed messages to the young Ellison"

This source discusses the background of Ralph Ellison, and his upbringing and how it shaped the way he wrote "Invisible Man". The source shows how his childhood and experiences make the novel have themes and topics still relevant today.

This man read Nickel and Dimed and decided to more ambitiously test the situation of the poor by living the experience for a full year, with no money or car. He further sacrificed his lifestyle for the sake of journalism, and accomplished much more than Ehrenreich

It is interesting because Ehrenreich admits herself that the way she is conducting her experiment is somewhat inaccurate due to her possession of a car and emergency funds. This man is more dedicated and his findings are less biased.

I hope that this guy didn't whine about trivial bullshit (pardon my French) the whole time. Reading "Nickel and Dimed" was unbearable because of Ehrenreich's inability to cope with even the slightest change of plans. There was seriously a few paragraphs committed to how she can't handle caffeine and flips out when she has it, followed by her profound distress over having to call Menard's to ask about her possible wage.

Just a bunch of helpful statistical data about women being paid less; even during modern days. Also would have been relatively helpful on the woman essay from her little essay

"Southern blacks considered a move to the north as a step toward economic independence and a better life in a region of the country where they believed they might be treated more fairly."

This article provides historical background for the 1930's time period in which the novel, Invisible Man, takes place. The article provides additional insight into the society dictated position of blacks in American culture and racism throughout the society. This novel puts the book into greater historical context.

Discusses the Brotherhood's effects upon IM. Although supposedly designed to boost visibility and rights of black men, the party really only bends the thoughts, discipline, and lives of its followers to its own gain. Like Bledsoe, the Brotherhood bleeds the black men dry in order to keep them oppressed, while the top Brothers, white brothers, profit and thrive.

The murder of Brother Clifton really helps the narrator develop his maturity. This helps him see the individuals rather than the masses thus finally discovering the corruption of the Brotherhood