Courage in Ralph Ellison’s Invisible Man
Ralph Ellison’s novel, Invisible Man, has baffled millions since its debut in 1948. It’s descriptive narrative paints a picture that can’t quite be described in any genre. Ellison writes, “I mean to remind you that fictional techniques are not a mere set of objective tools but something much more intimate: a way of feeling, of seeing and expressing one’s sense of life.” (Shadow and Act, p. 205) Through Invisible Man, Ellison suggests a more diverse view of African Americans and Caucasians alike and challenges stereotypes embraced for centuries.
This fits into English 252’s conversation about developing literature. Ellison seems to take all the authors we have studied so far, Wright, Twain, Morrison, Johnson, Stein, Hemingway, Howells, Chesnutt and Crane and blends them all into his written invention. He uses the local color story and vernacular with his character’s speech and actions. He uses cubism in his narrative which seems to always elude his actual point, leaving his objective just beyond the reader’s grasp. He depicts realism and naturalism when he paints the picture of incest in Chapter 2. He also uses Weldon’s strategy of tying songs into the narrative to give …show more content…
Yet, a third of the way through the novel we encounter a turning point. In the eleventh chapter, entitled, “What Is Your Name?” we encounter Ellison’s main character who has just recovered from an accident in a paint factory. When he is finally discharged, he seems to have a revelation. For much of the book the main character has been afraid, fearing his grandfather, white men, and most of all, of what others think of him. But as he steps out of the hospital, he is free of all that. Forgetting his own name and the name of his mother, a metaphor for Jim Crow and his ethnic heritage, has given him the freedom to create his own
Ralph Ellison’s novel, Invisible Man, has baffled millions since its debut in 1948. It’s descriptive narrative paints a picture that can’t quite be described in any genre. Ellison writes, “I mean to remind you that fictional techniques are not a mere set of objective tools but something much more intimate: a way of feeling, of seeing and expressing one’s sense of life.” (Shadow and Act, p. 205) Through Invisible Man, Ellison suggests a more diverse view of African Americans and Caucasians alike and challenges stereotypes embraced for centuries.
This fits into English 252’s conversation about developing literature. Ellison seems to take all the authors we have studied so far, Wright, Twain, Morrison, Johnson, Stein, Hemingway, Howells, Chesnutt and Crane and blends them all into his written invention. He uses the local color story and vernacular with his character’s speech and actions. He uses cubism in his narrative which seems to always elude his actual point, leaving his objective just beyond the reader’s grasp. He depicts realism and naturalism when he paints the picture of incest in Chapter 2. He also uses Weldon’s strategy of tying songs into the narrative to give …show more content…
Yet, a third of the way through the novel we encounter a turning point. In the eleventh chapter, entitled, “What Is Your Name?” we encounter Ellison’s main character who has just recovered from an accident in a paint factory. When he is finally discharged, he seems to have a revelation. For much of the book the main character has been afraid, fearing his grandfather, white men, and most of all, of what others think of him. But as he steps out of the hospital, he is free of all that. Forgetting his own name and the name of his mother, a metaphor for Jim Crow and his ethnic heritage, has given him the freedom to create his own