Invisibility To Stereotypes In Invisible Man By Ralph Ellison

African Americans are viewed by different perspectives of many races because they are different. Men, Women, and Children are often being discriminated against due to the color of their skin. In the novel Invisible Man, Ralph Ellison sets a tone of the narrator who feels like he has become “invisible” because of his race. The novel gives insight of what it feels like to be an invisible to stereotypes. Invisible Man shows how being an African American man is a disadvantage to society, and viewed as a sexualized toy for white women that is identified anything that is less than a man. African Americans are defined by society due to the color of their skin. Society discriminates them because of how different they are. In this quote, it states"Africans …show more content…
In this quote, it states "Ralph Ellison's use of invisibility as a metaphor extends beyond the issue of race, Morel says: "He wasn't simply making the point that whites don't see blacks and blacks don't see whites because of the color line; he was saying that individuals don't see individuals for any host of reasons" (Strauss). The usage of invisibility is used during the topic of racism throughout the book because it has set a standard for the reader. In this quote, it states "But what you did not say, Mr. Rosenblatt," Ellison told me with polite Southern severity, "is that the novel itself is a social document. That the Invisible Man writes a story at all makes a social statement."(Rosenblatt). It makes a social statement about the modern issues of gender equality and racism. The meaning behind invisible man is that the ideas of others is built into a collection of stereotypes rather than an actual, individual person. "Farce aside, there's a serious moral dimension to the idea of a human being no one can see. For thousands of years invisibility has embodied (disembodied?) a unique contradiction, warning us of the consequences of unaccountable power while raising our awareness of those among us who are made to feel powerless" (Strauss). The stereotypes also set a standard for African Americans as animals, less dominant, and more of a low class family. "Though the unqualified assertion of individuality is at the moment a favorite notion of literary people, it is also a vapid one, for the unfortunate fact remains that to define one's individuality is to stumble over social fences that do not allow one "infinite possibilities” (Howe). As an individual protagonist in the book, when he becomes invisible, he becomes alone. Invisible Man tells the story of a man who becomes invisible to the world of