The invisible man is a very thoughtful character who strives to understand his race and racial conflict. Throughout the book the protagonist goes through many life changing events that W.E.B. DuBois would describe as double consciousness. DuBois’ best definition of double consciousness is shown in a quote from The Souls of Black Folk: “…Double-consciousness, this sense of always looking at one’s self through the eyes of others… One ever feels his two-ness, an American, a Negro; two souls, two thoughts, two unreconciled strivings; two warring ideals in one dark body…The history of the American Negro is the history of this strife- this longing to attain self-conscious manhood, to merge his double self into a better and truer self”. The invisible
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After attending many rallies and giving speeches the invisible man becomes well known. “My name spread like smoke in an airless room. I was kept moving all over the place. Speeches here, there, everywhere…”(Ellison 380). Despite the invisible man’s new found fame it is key to note that he is dealing with double consciousness with two sides of his life. His old self and new self. “(I was) becoming aware that there were two of me: the old self that slept a few hours a night and dreamed sometimes of my grandfather and Bledsoe… and the new public self that spoke for the Brotherhood and was becoming so much more important that the other that I seemed to run a foot race against myself.” (Ellison 380). Although the invisible man enjoys his fame in Harlem he still draws on much of his experience living as his old self in the south. At times the Invisible man struggles and feels as if he is putting on an act: “I almost laughed into the phone when I heard the director of Men’s House address me with profound respect…I am what they think I am” (Ellison 379). Overall, his new identity makes him less invisible, more famous, and more respected. The vision to become a great race man seemed to close to attainable. That is, until the protagonist was accused with charges and sent
After attending many rallies and giving speeches the invisible man becomes well known. “My name spread like smoke in an airless room. I was kept moving all over the place. Speeches here, there, everywhere…”(Ellison 380). Despite the invisible man’s new found fame it is key to note that he is dealing with double consciousness with two sides of his life. His old self and new self. “(I was) becoming aware that there were two of me: the old self that slept a few hours a night and dreamed sometimes of my grandfather and Bledsoe… and the new public self that spoke for the Brotherhood and was becoming so much more important that the other that I seemed to run a foot race against myself.” (Ellison 380). Although the invisible man enjoys his fame in Harlem he still draws on much of his experience living as his old self in the south. At times the Invisible man struggles and feels as if he is putting on an act: “I almost laughed into the phone when I heard the director of Men’s House address me with profound respect…I am what they think I am” (Ellison 379). Overall, his new identity makes him less invisible, more famous, and more respected. The vision to become a great race man seemed to close to attainable. That is, until the protagonist was accused with charges and sent