Invisible Man

While reading Ellison's "Invisible Man" I noticed that the narrator viewed himself as insignificant (invisible) throughout the story. Although the people around him cannot appreciate his potential the narrator knows that he more complex than he appears and he want to be noticed by those around him. Throughout the story the narrator journey through the difficulties that being African American in a very racist era will present. He quickly comes to understand that he has to play certain roles around certain people and by being around a specific group of people means that he must change his demeanor to suit them. Playing these roles to fit in does not come naturally and he feels trapped. His experiences paint a clear picture of how he is treated and how he is expected to act. When recalling his job experience the reader can better understand what type of subservient role the narrator had to play solely due to the fact that he was black. The narrator tries to find solace by joining a group called The Brotherhood. He hopes that this will ultimately help him overcome the oppression he feels. Sadly his membership in The Brotherhood yields no rewards and he realized that by staying within it he would further shackle himself down and prevent himself from fully achieving fulfillment. He realizes that by striving to be something that other want and he is not he draws from ever becoming his true self and stays in this limbo causing the constant feeling of invisibility in society. Ultimately the narrator understands that only by being proactive and striving to be all he can be can he achieve self-fulfillment. Only then can he make something of himself, when he truly makes an impact on his surrounding.

I believe that Ellison is commenting on every humans desire to be remembered and to feel important. The invisibility that is central to the story actually symbolizes how the narrator feels. As incomplete, unnoticed and overlooked. Ellison also uses this to identify that everyone feels this emptiness but that one can change the situation they are in by being proactive. Then and only then will the invisibility subside.

This is an interesting YouTube video I saw that is user created but draws on Ellison's general idea.