Ralph Waldo Ellison’s novel, Invisible Man, depicts the struggle of a young African American man as he navigates his way on the winding path of life in the bustling chaos of New York City’s Harlem. One theme in particular, appears frequently in this work of literature: the man in the machine, the powerful symbolic representation of black labor and discrimination provoked manipulation. Furthermore, this is an exceedingly compelling concept that rears its head even in modern society, at times hailing the bitter reminiscence of prior segregation and petty rancor to the malevolent minds of society. The author depicts Invisible Man as a metaphorical man in the machine, reflecting his character’s absence from society’s perception, and establishes his protagonist as a true invisible man through this thematic obstacle.
The first truly important occurrence, is present when, post college expulsion, “Ellison 's invisible and unnamed protagonist” (Eddy-Sanders) procures employment at a paint factory in New York. After trying his new employees hand at a few mundane tasks, the head supervisor, Mr. Kimbro, sends Invisible Man to the boiler room to work beneath the elderly Lucius Brockway’s direction, a …show more content…
First is Trueblood’s dream, in which he is being pulled into the clock as the ubiquitous stereotypes drag him back into time, attempting to solidify his role in the incest lechery of his race. Next in sequence is the Negro bank that Mary has in her home. This cast-iron figure represents the manner in which African-Americans toil for the whites, taking orders in exchange for meager wages and humiliation. The final symbol of principal significance is the black Sambo dolls sold by Brother Clifton, that like the bank, exemplify the puppeteering of the blacks by their Caucasian
The first truly important occurrence, is present when, post college expulsion, “Ellison 's invisible and unnamed protagonist” (Eddy-Sanders) procures employment at a paint factory in New York. After trying his new employees hand at a few mundane tasks, the head supervisor, Mr. Kimbro, sends Invisible Man to the boiler room to work beneath the elderly Lucius Brockway’s direction, a …show more content…
First is Trueblood’s dream, in which he is being pulled into the clock as the ubiquitous stereotypes drag him back into time, attempting to solidify his role in the incest lechery of his race. Next in sequence is the Negro bank that Mary has in her home. This cast-iron figure represents the manner in which African-Americans toil for the whites, taking orders in exchange for meager wages and humiliation. The final symbol of principal significance is the black Sambo dolls sold by Brother Clifton, that like the bank, exemplify the puppeteering of the blacks by their Caucasian