Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison is a distressingly honest portrayal of the struggle an African-American man felt as he tried to elevate his position in society in the United States during the 1950’s. The protagonist, a man who name is never revealed to the reader, struggles to find individualism and identity in a time where racism almost always insures the repression of such. The narrator highlights his first-person account with several violent events; the least gruesome of which has an uncomfortable sickening effect on the reader. Bluntness, however, is a tool Ellison uses to effectively express his objective; Ellison strives to show that racism is uncomfortable. A key mechanism in the advancement of this point is violence. Ellison’s gripping tales of race riots, street fights, and torture absorbs readers into his chronicle and shocks them with the protagonist's recurring struggles stemming from the underlying dilemma of racism. As the book progresses, the protagonist learns from his experiences with violence that it is impossible to live his life according to everyone else's directions. The violent experiences ultimately bring him to the realization that he

The protagonist’s search for individualism comes to an end during the race riot in the last chapter of the book. While observing the frenzied mob that has taken to the streets of Harlem, he finally makes the realization that it is “better to live out one’s own absurdity than to die for that of others” (559). This ultimate realization, like all his other steps toward individualism, came only after witnessing acts of terrible violence.

must create a name for himself—and by himself—instead of accepting all the names and characterizations others give him.

A few months after his expulsion, the narrator witnesses the eviction of an elderly black couple from a building in Harlem, and violence begins to play a role in his progression toward individualism. While looking at their possessions strewn haphazardly on the sidewalk, he recognizes that he and they share a culture and that they are being robbed of that culture and history. This knowledge alone, however, is not enough to draw him to action. It is not until he perceives that a violent struggle is about to ensue that he runs forward and presents a spontaneous speech in an attempt to avert the violence.

After years of programming and submission to the ideals of the Brotherhood, the protagonist begins to formulate his own individual ideas about his life. His initial submission is characterized by his acceptance of a new name upon joining the brotherhood, a blatant symbol of his willingness to live his

Some topics in this essay:
Ralph Ellison, Golden Day, Tod Clifton’s, battle royal, live life,