Themes of Invisible Man

A detailed Summary of Themes of Invisible Man

1) Balancing social and personal responsibility

The central problem the narrator encounters throughout his life deals with the balance between social and personal responsibility. The public and private self of a black man come into continual conflict. Most often, the personal nature of the man is forced to give up his morals and or family values in order to present himself in better light to the white society. Trueblood said, "But what I don't understand is how I done the worse thing a man can do in his own family and 'stead of things gittin' bad, they got better. The nigguhs up at the school don't like me, but the white folks treats me fine" (68).

Sometimes the split between the two halves is not even visible to the Invisible Man. Racist stereotypes and other people's schemes confound his attempts to know himself. "Here within this quiet greenness I possessed the only identity I had ever known, and I was losing" (99).

On the other hand, Dr. Bledsoe's personality is revealed in the open at a school assembly as he gives a "swift glance carrying a threat for all" (115). He is subordinate to t

In the first chapter, the Invisible man is submissive to white charity in this demeaning manner. After the battle royal, he is presented with a scholarship and told to "take this prize and keep it well...some day it will be filled with important papers that will help shape the destiny of your people" (32). This show's how blacks were thought of as only products of whites' deeds.

This dream continues and grows into a desire to move forward, to move to New York. "New York! That's not a place, it's a dream. When I was your age it was Chicago. Now all the little black boys run away to New York. Out of the fire and into the melting pot" (152).

The ideology of the 'model black citizen' is present ever since the Invisible Man's grandfather speaks at his deathbed. Even the college that he attends that its followers shun the heritage of black Southern folk culture. It demands that its followers try not to be too black. They should break completely with their pasts and assume new identities.

he white guests out of necessity but exerts his authority brutally over all of the blacks at the school. He will later say, "I've made my place in it and I'll have

Some common words found in the essay are:
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Approximate Word count = 784
Approximate Pages = 3 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: English

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