In 1847, Charlotte Brontë published Jane Eyre, which exemplifies how literature can convey a certain message and ignite a social reformation for women. Over 100 years later, Ralph Ellison published Invisible Man, which utilizes that same literary technique to help emphasize the societal pressures set upon blacks in American society in the 1930s and 1940s. Both literary works remain reputable novels currently as both follow a similar narrative and writing structure, utilize similar motifs, convey a certain theme, and exemplify the social unrest of the contemporary time period. Jane Eyre and Invisible Man are both “coming-of-age” novels that exemplify how adversity can lead one to search for and discover their individuality and personal identity.
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First off, the motif of color is a recurring theme throughout the novel, and is most notable when the narrator finds a job in the paint factory, Liberty Paints. The narrator delineates the predominately white paint with a hint of black in it in order for it to be sent out. While mixing the paints together, Ellison cleverly dictates how after settling upon the surface, the black paint drops “spread suddenly to the edges” (Ellison 200). This vivid metaphor comparing the paint drops with that of blacks in American society cleverly follows up on the theme that blacks are seen as substandard to whites in American culture in the 1930s, even north of the Mason-Dixon, where blacks were usually treated more fairly than in the Deep South. Ellison often utilizes color, usually black and white, in order to emphasize the segregation and separation of blacks in order further visualize the cruel treatment of blacks in American culture in the 1930s, even in New York where blacks were allegedly supposed to be treated more fairly than in the Deep South. In comparison, Jane Eyre also employs color as a motif, but in its case, the predominant color utilized is red or different shadings of red. In the red room incident, Jane describes her emotions and overall mood through her vivid and colorful description of the chamber at Gateshead. The multitude of colorings of red include crimson, mahogany, pink, and several others, all which help to symbolize Jane’s growing anger, passion, and fear (Brontë 12-14). The utilization of color in both novels provide the reader with a more highly descriptive analysis and observation on what the narrator is dealing with and how that narrator feels about the situations that arise (Hoeveler and Jadwin 75). Color as a symbol and motif is a widely accepted example by
First off, the motif of color is a recurring theme throughout the novel, and is most notable when the narrator finds a job in the paint factory, Liberty Paints. The narrator delineates the predominately white paint with a hint of black in it in order for it to be sent out. While mixing the paints together, Ellison cleverly dictates how after settling upon the surface, the black paint drops “spread suddenly to the edges” (Ellison 200). This vivid metaphor comparing the paint drops with that of blacks in American society cleverly follows up on the theme that blacks are seen as substandard to whites in American culture in the 1930s, even north of the Mason-Dixon, where blacks were usually treated more fairly than in the Deep South. Ellison often utilizes color, usually black and white, in order to emphasize the segregation and separation of blacks in order further visualize the cruel treatment of blacks in American culture in the 1930s, even in New York where blacks were allegedly supposed to be treated more fairly than in the Deep South. In comparison, Jane Eyre also employs color as a motif, but in its case, the predominant color utilized is red or different shadings of red. In the red room incident, Jane describes her emotions and overall mood through her vivid and colorful description of the chamber at Gateshead. The multitude of colorings of red include crimson, mahogany, pink, and several others, all which help to symbolize Jane’s growing anger, passion, and fear (Brontë 12-14). The utilization of color in both novels provide the reader with a more highly descriptive analysis and observation on what the narrator is dealing with and how that narrator feels about the situations that arise (Hoeveler and Jadwin 75). Color as a symbol and motif is a widely accepted example by