Power And Violence In Ralph Ellison's Invisible Man

In Ralph Ellison’s Invisible Man, the predominant time women are present is in sexual situations. In these sexual situations power and violence consistently occur at the expense of women. Ellison is depicting our world as a place where women’s primary role is to have sex, and therefore be powerless. At first glance it may seem like women are insignificant in this book and exist for the sole purpose of being dominated by sex. The limited time women appear they are placed disempowering and typically oppressive situations. However, during the time women are present their behaviours and effects prove them to be powerful. When being scrutinized, culturally weakened, and disadvantaged, Ellison depicts women as wielding power to hold their own with men.
In the battle royal a white stripper is brought out to perform for the rich white men and to humiliate the …show more content…
As Trueblood stated “she [was] beatin’ me and scractchin’ and tremblin’ and shakin'’ and cryin’ all at the same time” (59). This description is obviously one of powerlessness. Mattie Lou is attempting to fight back while also utterly terrified. The fact that this was “all at the same time” shows a chaotic nature of the moment. When lacking control people often react ineffectively. Mattie Lou reacted frantically because of her fear. ** Trueblood was “lookin’ straight at Matty Lou’s face” (59). The fact that in Trueblood’s story he specified that he was looking at her “face” and not at ‘her’ suggests his stare was directed toward an object, not a person. To identify her face seems to create a distinction from her body and her. In this objectification she is further dehumanized and therefore supplied with even less power. ** Trueblood is the one retelling this incident, to the Invisible Man and Mr. Norton, and not Mattie Lou. Her voice is taken away once again in the narration of her