APEngLangper711-12

This literary review of IM praises the plot line, and discusses its relevancy to not only Harlem, but everywhere in the world where a social norm has developed. 

For there is a way for Negro novelists to go at their problems, just as there are Jewish or Italian ways. Mr. Ellison has not adopted a minority tone. If he had done so, he would have failed to establish a true middle-of-consciousness for everyone. In all other parts of the country people live in a kind of vastly standardized cultural prairie, a sort of infinite Middle West, and that means that they don't really live and they don't really do anything. Invisibility touches everyone, and Ellison helps to bring this fact to light.

"Most Americans thus are Invisible." Discusses both the faults of the novel as well as the powerful impact of the novel, and the application of it to all Americans, both past and contemporary. 

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.

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.

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.

Discusses the loss of identity that IM undergoes as he is constantly viewed as a member of a race, rather than as an individual human. The source goes on to mention the stripping away of IM's individuality by the society around him, which refuses to acknowledge his human presence. Like a clown in a circus, no one takes him seriously, he is a means to an end. It ends by discussing how he has for so long allowed others to shape who he is; finally, in his hole, he himself decides to shape his own fate.

I forgot the quotes, but since this is a pdf I can't copy and paste direct quotations. But, it mainly focuses on the leg chain and the effect that Tarp has on IM and his journey and growth.

Ellison's difficulty, one cause of all the cuts, is that matter of self-definition. At a time when many blacks, especially the young, are denying all influences of American culture, Ellison, as always, doggedly affirms his identity as a Negro-American, a product of the blending of both cultures "I don't recognize any white culture," he says. "I recognize no American culture which is not the partial creation of black people. I recognize no American style in literature, in dance, in music, even in assembly-line processes, which does not bear the mark of the American Negro." Unlike Malcolm, he blends American and African. Like Malcolm, however, he sees that black people have a much larger influence on American life than given credit for.

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

"Stereotype threat is a complex psychological phenomenon that occurs only when several related factors coincide. Research evidence shows that for people to be affected by it, they must be high performers-people who care about doing well, rather than people who have dissociated themselves from striving for high achievement" "They found that, after adjusting for initial differences in SAT scores, black students at Stanford University who took a challenging verbal test answered approximately 10 percent fewer questions correctly than whites did-but only if they believed that the test was a measure of their ability. If they were told that the test measured "psychological factors involved in solving verbal problems," the black-white test score difference was eliminated." This article discusses the negative effects stereotyping has on the sub-conscience and different triggers of invisibility.

This article discusses police brutality cases, a reoccurring event in IM and Malcolm X. Often this brutality is a result of discrimination based on race, age sex, etc. 

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 most relevant parts of this article are the introduction and the 60's section. These discuss the struggle of the black population and the impact of leaders like Malcolm X on society. 

This approaches blindness from a bit of a different angle. the author brings up many of the publicly denied theories of scientists that, in their denial, caused severe damage. Similar to in these two books, it was not until people were awakened that improvement occurred. 

This discusses the importance of education in strengthening one's rights and realizing freedom from poverty. This connects to how Malcolm X and IM are increasingly able to exercise rights and control, as they become more educated. 

This discusses Washington's approach to the betterment of his race. Like many of the other approaches, education is a key point; however, unlike many others, Washington's approach lacks the action necessary for great change.

This sums up Douglass's ideology and is useful in explaining his impact on IM, and how his ideology changes as Douglass becomes his new hero.

This highlights some of the ideals of Marcus Garvey. These strongly influenced Malcolm X's views on what his race should do.

This article discusses how while education is important in achieving social mobility and success; however, economic status and ethnicity prevent it from allowing one to completely overcome these obstacles. This relates to how although Malcolm X was a great student, it was highly unlikely he could enter the position of a lawyer.  

This article discusses the course of action the author believes will most successfully mobilize the black community further.  Henry discusses the importance of education and identity in achieving social mobility.

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.