The Invisible Man A Mask For All Seasons

A detailed Summary of The Invisible Man A Mask For All Seasons

As readers of "The Invisible Man," we can all see some part of ourselves reflected in Ellison's character. Throughout the novel, the Invisible man searches for his identity, and for what he can believe in. He goes through many steps, and at each point in his journey, he seems to be wearing a different 'mask.' Each mask carries with it a different persona and set of beliefs with it that all serve to shape the character. These are masks that many of us have also put on at one time or another, too. Within the Invisible Man, we can see ourselves. Hopefully, we can also learn from him, and see the faults within him, and maybe ourselves.

The Invisible Man starts out the book by illustrating his acceptance of society's lies when he was young. "All my life I had been looking for something, and everywhere I turned someone tried to tell me what it was. I accepted their answers too, though they were often . . . self-contradictory. I was naive." (15) Here the Invisible Man accepts the masks others have given to him of submissiveness and expected "black behavior," thus becoming the hopeful, innocent boy at the beginning of the novel. As Invisible Man recounts his degrading experience with the white town leaders, he remembers that hi

Next, the Invisible Man changes his mask to one of a hard worker. This mask, handed to Invisible Man by parents and teachers, dictates that because the Invisible Man is black he should do whatever a white person tells him to do. That Invisible Man has accepted this mask is indicated by Invisible Man's servile attitude towards Norton. After Bledsoe censures the Invisible Man for taking Norton to the Quarters and the Golden Day, the Invisible Man resolves to do everything that Norton wishes; a clear submissiveness to the will of the trustee. His illusion that, if he works hard, he is sure to succeed is very well imprinted in his brain. Even Norton admits the Invisible Man has a certain machine-like obedience to him in the following dialogue between Norton and the Invisible Man. "'Will you need me this evening sir?' 'No, I won't be needing the machine.' 'I could drive you to the station, sir.'" (108) The Invisible Man here seems like a puppy dog eager to play fetch with his master, and even Norton seems to be a little frustrated at the Invisible Man's subservience. Brockway also comments on Invisible Man's status and his own when he says, "We the machines inside the machine." (217) The Invisible Man's unconditional obedience to others is indeed unnaturally machine-like.

Finally, when the Invisible Man discovers his invisibility, he takes off his masks and his true self. The Invisible Man expresses his frustration at Ras' men being unable to understand his position. "I was invisible, and hanging would not bring me to visibility, even to their eyes." (559) The Invisible Man is invisible to not only white people, but to blacks as well. He now knows who he is, but that does little to help his standing among Ras' men, and it may make him even more invisible. As a member of the Brotherhood, people would listen to him, even though he was often told what to say. Now, however, no one is telling him what to say, but no one is listening to him, either. In the conclusion of the novel, Invisible Man describes how he can finally be himself, and, although he may not be anymore successful as himself, at least he knows now who he is. "I'm shaking off the old skin and I'll leave

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Approximate Word count = 1468
Approximate Pages = 6 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: English