The Invisible Man

A detailed Summary of The Invisible Man

The novel Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison is the story of a black man and his insights into his place in the world as a black man in a racist society. Throughout Invisible Man, the main character, who narrates the novel, comes to a self-realization by means of his encounters with the individuals he meets. The narrator tells the reader of his journey through life; he walks the reader through the treatment he receives while growing up. Many characters in the novel mistreat the narrator because he is black. Many of these encounters can be compared today. In countless ways racism has decreased since the printing of the book in 1952, but there is still much room for improvement.

In Chapter One of the book, the narrator is sent to a hotel for a gathering of the community's white leaders to give a speech. He and a few other boys at the gathering are given instructions to box each other, and afterwards to pick up money off of a rug they find (only too late) is electrified. Also, during his speech the narrator is ignored and laughed at. Before leaving the meeting, the narrator is given a briefcase and told that someday it will hold "important papers that will shape the destiny of his people". The narrator finds later that the br

iefcase contains a scholarship to the college of black youth.

Though there are still racist people in the present day, the conversation that the doctors have in the hospital could never happen today. Since the printing of Invisible Man, laws have been passed which make it illegal to discriminate against anyone based on the color of their skin. If someone is in the hospital and needs help, help will be given. The hospital staff will not stand around and contemplate if the patient is "good enough" for surgery. Today people are less concerned with the color of someone's skin and more concerned with someone's well being and happiness.

In conclusion, race relations have improved since the 1950's. Although the narrator was not totally comfortable with himself in the beginning of his life, by the end of the novel he realizes that being the person everyone else wants him to be. He realizes that although everyone around him may not believe in the things he does, it is better to believe in yourself, and in the person someone has manipulated you to be. Today there are still feelings of hatred towards other races, but people expose themselves more today to new ideas and thoughts compared to a few decades ago. Only through completely open eyes and minds will Americans have the opportunity to see every person for what they have to offer this world, not what they have to hinder.

Another example of race relations found in the novel Invisible Man starts on page 182 when the narrator meets Mr. Emerson, Jr. The narrator delivered the last letter from Dr. Bledsoe to Mr. Emerson, hoping that Mr. Emerson will be able to give him a

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Approximate Word count = 1105
Approximate Pages = 4 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: Novels