literary criticisms
Historical Criticism
Invisible Man is one of the most potent texts written about the reality of racism and the problem of black identity in the United States. It draws upon earlier literary work, especially that of W.E.B. Dubois and Booker T. Washington. In 1901, Booker T. Washington wrote Up from Slavery in which he describes his rise from slavery to freedom and from ignorance to education. In this work he urges blacks to forego the political struggle for equality in favor of hard work. He asserts that with hard work, blacks can gain the trust and support of whites in power, who will in exchange give them political equality. He writes that blacks are not yet ready for the vote or for equality. In 1903, W.E. B. Dubois wrote The Souls of Black Folk, largely to refute the validity of Washingtonian optimism and his legitimacy as a leader of blacks. In a vitally important chapter called "Of Our Spiritual Strivings," Dubois writes of a veil under which blacks are born. He writes that in the United States, blacks are given "no true self-consciousness." He adds that this country "only lets, blacks, see themselves through the revelation of the other world. It is a peculiar sensation, this double-consciousness, this sense of always looking at one's self through the eyes of others, of measuring one's soul by the tape of a world that looks on in amused contempt and pity. One ever feels his, or her, two-ness--an American, a Negro." For Dubois, this double-consciousness both gives blacks a "second sight" and hinders their progress toward a simple access to identity. Blacks can never see themselves directly, but only through the eyes of contemptuous white men who are watching for them to fail or to behave foolishly. Ralph Ellison extends the concepts of DuBois and Washington in his novel. He shows that Washington's optimism is not only futile, but also dangerous, for it leads blacks to serve the interests of their enemies and waste their energy that could be used to uplift their people. He also shows that blacks are more than recipients of double-consciousness; he describes them as invisible to white men who only see them as shadows of themselves or as caricatures and stereotypes.
Another race leader important to an understanding of the novel is Marcus Garvey (1887-1940), an advocate for the expatriation of blacks to Africa with the slogan "Africa for Africans." Ras the Exhorter is Ellison’s advocate, a man similar in ideology and approach to Garvey. The Communist Party (referred to in the novel as the Brotherhood) also plays a very large role in the novel. During the time in which the novel is set, the Communist Party had headquarters all over the United States and had launched a short-lived campaign to recruit blacks and to bring their concerns under the umbrella of class struggle. It eventually betrayed its pledges to blacks and Ellison's novel responds to that betrayal with great force. Third groups who appear peripherally in the novel are the black Muslims, who are repeatedly noticed by the narrator for their common manner of dress and behavior. Since they also offer a similar neglect of individuality, Ellison dismisses their strategy as unsatisfactory as well.
Social or Marxist Theory
Marxism was developed toward the end of the Revolutions of 1848 by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels. The two had goals for the working class to overthrow the bourgeoisie (the upper class). Marx, ironically, was an advocate for justice among the lower class, although he was a professor, which typically was an occupation held by the bourgeoisie. The Marxist history focuses on social class struggle, ethnicity, and race, as well as society’s potent impact over the different groups. “Invisible Man” is a novel that richly exhibits issues between different classes, races, and ethnicities, whether it be through the narrator’s experiences or simple references and statements. For example, the “superiority” of the Caucasian race is seen on when the narrator says that “[Mr. Norton] was the type of white man he[the narrator] feared (Ellison 41).” Though it has decreased tremendously, there has always been some sort of tension between Caucasians and African-Americans. In chapter five, this tension is described when the preacher says, “[B]lack folk and white folk [are] full of fear and hate, wanting to go forward, but each fearful of the other (Ellison 119).” Here, it is clear that tension puts restriction on progress of society as a whole. Tension between races was so bad that people even made assumptions that every one of the opposite race was against them. The elderly African-American woman being evicted claims, “It’s all the white people… against us.” Ras the Exhorter even expressed his disgust for white people when he asked the narrator why he was a part of the brotherhood. While some from different races are able to tolerate each other, some absolutely despise each other. For instance, the narrator was able to cooperate well with Mr. Norton; in fact, Mr. Norton made it appear as though he wanted the narrator to become a part of his fate. In contrast, Dr. Bledsoe had no respect for the narrator. The reader can surely assume this after reading the letter that Dr. Bledsoe wrote in order to discourage employers from hiring the narrator. Invisibility is a significant motif in the novel. The narrator’s invisibility is made clear by the end of the novel because he remain nameless. The reader can see the difference in how different races are seen through the naming of the Caucasian characters. Through several examples, Ellison clearly portrays the differences between races and ethnicities after World War II.
Invisible Man is one of the most potent texts written about the reality of racism and the problem of black identity in the United States. It draws upon earlier literary work, especially that of W.E.B. Dubois and Booker T. Washington. In 1901, Booker T. Washington wrote Up from Slavery in which he describes his rise from slavery to freedom and from ignorance to education. In this work he urges blacks to forego the political struggle for equality in favor of hard work. He asserts that with hard work, blacks can gain the trust and support of whites in power, who will in exchange give them political equality. He writes that blacks are not yet ready for the vote or for equality. In 1903, W.E. B. Dubois wrote The Souls of Black Folk, largely to refute the validity of Washingtonian optimism and his legitimacy as a leader of blacks. In a vitally important chapter called "Of Our Spiritual Strivings," Dubois writes of a veil under which blacks are born. He writes that in the United States, blacks are given "no true self-consciousness." He adds that this country "only lets, blacks, see themselves through the revelation of the other world. It is a peculiar sensation, this double-consciousness, this sense of always looking at one's self through the eyes of others, of measuring one's soul by the tape of a world that looks on in amused contempt and pity. One ever feels his, or her, two-ness--an American, a Negro." For Dubois, this double-consciousness both gives blacks a "second sight" and hinders their progress toward a simple access to identity. Blacks can never see themselves directly, but only through the eyes of contemptuous white men who are watching for them to fail or to behave foolishly. Ralph Ellison extends the concepts of DuBois and Washington in his novel. He shows that Washington's optimism is not only futile, but also dangerous, for it leads blacks to serve the interests of their enemies and waste their energy that could be used to uplift their people. He also shows that blacks are more than recipients of double-consciousness; he describes them as invisible to white men who only see them as shadows of themselves or as caricatures and stereotypes.
Another race leader important to an understanding of the novel is Marcus Garvey (1887-1940), an advocate for the expatriation of blacks to Africa with the slogan "Africa for Africans." Ras the Exhorter is Ellison’s advocate, a man similar in ideology and approach to Garvey. The Communist Party (referred to in the novel as the Brotherhood) also plays a very large role in the novel. During the time in which the novel is set, the Communist Party had headquarters all over the United States and had launched a short-lived campaign to recruit blacks and to bring their concerns under the umbrella of class struggle. It eventually betrayed its pledges to blacks and Ellison's novel responds to that betrayal with great force. Third groups who appear peripherally in the novel are the black Muslims, who are repeatedly noticed by the narrator for their common manner of dress and behavior. Since they also offer a similar neglect of individuality, Ellison dismisses their strategy as unsatisfactory as well.
Social or Marxist Theory
Marxism was developed toward the end of the Revolutions of 1848 by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels. The two had goals for the working class to overthrow the bourgeoisie (the upper class). Marx, ironically, was an advocate for justice among the lower class, although he was a professor, which typically was an occupation held by the bourgeoisie. The Marxist history focuses on social class struggle, ethnicity, and race, as well as society’s potent impact over the different groups. “Invisible Man” is a novel that richly exhibits issues between different classes, races, and ethnicities, whether it be through the narrator’s experiences or simple references and statements. For example, the “superiority” of the Caucasian race is seen on when the narrator says that “[Mr. Norton] was the type of white man he[the narrator] feared (Ellison 41).” Though it has decreased tremendously, there has always been some sort of tension between Caucasians and African-Americans. In chapter five, this tension is described when the preacher says, “[B]lack folk and white folk [are] full of fear and hate, wanting to go forward, but each fearful of the other (Ellison 119).” Here, it is clear that tension puts restriction on progress of society as a whole. Tension between races was so bad that people even made assumptions that every one of the opposite race was against them. The elderly African-American woman being evicted claims, “It’s all the white people… against us.” Ras the Exhorter even expressed his disgust for white people when he asked the narrator why he was a part of the brotherhood. While some from different races are able to tolerate each other, some absolutely despise each other. For instance, the narrator was able to cooperate well with Mr. Norton; in fact, Mr. Norton made it appear as though he wanted the narrator to become a part of his fate. In contrast, Dr. Bledsoe had no respect for the narrator. The reader can surely assume this after reading the letter that Dr. Bledsoe wrote in order to discourage employers from hiring the narrator. Invisibility is a significant motif in the novel. The narrator’s invisibility is made clear by the end of the novel because he remain nameless. The reader can see the difference in how different races are seen through the naming of the Caucasian characters. Through several examples, Ellison clearly portrays the differences between races and ethnicities after World War II.