Similes In Invisible Man

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Emphasizing the injustice Black people face, Maya Angelou’s famous poem Still I Rise perfectly correlates with Ralph Ellison’s Invisible Man. Both pieces of literature empowers others to analyze the injustices and prejudices colored people had faced in the past. Angelou was an influential woman who eloquently shared her opinions, and inspired others to do the same. In her poem, Angelou’s uses similes and rhetorical questions to bitterly bite back at the white oppressors, just as Ellison paint scenes, where the characters retaliate against Whites.
During the Invisible Man’s odyssey, he takes on different types of jobs, but remains as a speaker for a brotherhood that claims to fight for the freedom of African Americans. Brother Jack scouts the
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At the funeral, the Invisible Man poignantly recalls the event, “He was standing and he fell. He fell and he kneeled. He kneeled and he bled. He bled and he died. He fell in a heap like any man and his blood spilled out like any blood” (456). Ellison’s use of anaphora here strengthens the moment in which the Invisible Man gives his speech. It is a simple phrase, but symbolizes how meaningless African American’s lives are towards White people. Tod Clifton was once apart of the brotherhood, but after learning he was only a puppet in the show, he chose to voice his own opinions without the confirmation of his white leaders. His political stance in society is revealed in Angelou’s confrontation, “You may trod me in the very dirt. But still, like dust, I’ll rise.” Her use of simile makes her appear powerful and indestructible. It is a beautiful image to think about because dust are small particles, but they will always rise like black people. Also, dust particles are usually seen as a nuisance, but in Angelou’s context, it signifies resilience and strength. Clifton is the epitome of a person who was highly regarded, and then suddenly thrown onto the streets to be forgotten. However, he embodies Angelou’s quote, “I am the dream and the hope of the slave. I rise. I rise. I rise.” He knew how dangerous it was to resist a policeman, but wanted to make a statement, and Angelou’s poem is a flawless

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