Book Review: Invisib

Invisible Man is a novel published in 1952 by Ralph Ellison. It remains the only novel published during his lifetime and is widely regarded as one of the greatest works in American literature, as well as a milestone in African American literature. In 1953, it received the National Book Award for Fiction, becoming the first novel by a Black writer to earn this honor. The protagonist of Invisible Man is a young Black man whose name is never revealed. Growing up in the Jim Crow South, he navigates a racially segregated world, enduring racial stereotypes and discrimination while striving for professional success. As a high school senior, he is invited to deliver his graduation speech at a gathering of white citizens in his hometown. However, he soon discovers that the event is a pretext for forcing young Black men to participate in a blindfolded boxing match and then scramble for fake coins on an electrified rug. At the end of the evening, he receives a briefcase containing his acceptance letter to a Black college. Years later, he angers the college’s president by taking a respected white founder of the institution to impoverished areas around the campus, rather than showcasing its more “presentable” side. As punishment, the president sends him to New York for the summer, ostensibly to learn how to interact professionally with white people. The president provides sealed letters, claiming they are recommendations to influential white figures in the city. Upon arrival, he discovers that the letters actually inform the recipients that he has been expelled and should not be offered employment, leaving him stranded in the city without savings. To earn money, he takes a job at a paint factory, where an explosion injures him and lands him in the factory hospital. There, he undergoes a forced lobotomy before being released and promised compensation. Soon after, he finds another job with an organization called the Brotherhood, working as a community activist and speaker. Drawn to the Brotherhood’s strict moral code, he temporarily enjoys the work and befriends other activists in Harlem. Months later, growing disagreements and debates with the Brotherhood lead to his being sent out of town. Upon returning, he finds that the Brotherhood has abandoned its work in Harlem, leaving the community without resources and in despair. Enraged by the Brotherhood’s actions and the unjust death of a fellow activist, he organizes a funeral that sparks a strong protest in the Harlem community against white authorities. The protest escalates into a race riot, and he realizes that the Brotherhood intends to make him a scapegoat for the unrest. Disillusioned by the people and organizations he once respected, he ultimately decides to define his own identity rather than allowing others to control it. During the riot, he falls through a manhole and seizes the opportunity to “disappear.” His disappearance allows him to live a quiet life in Harlem for several years before he reemerges, ready to reengage with new social causes. Invisible Man is a powerful exploration of identity, race, and societal expectations, capturing the struggles of a Black man in a divided America. Ellison’s masterful storytelling and profound themes continue to resonate, making this novel an enduring classic.