Ralph Ellison’s Invisible Man (1952) is a powerful novel about identity, race, and individuality in America. The story follows an unnamed Black narrator who feels “invisible” because society refuses to see him as a real person. Seeking purpose and recognition, he moves from the South to Harlem, experiencing disillusionment in college, politics, and social movements that claim to represent Black progress.
Through his journey, Ellison explores how racism, power, and ideology strip people of their humanity. Ultimately, the narrator retreats underground—both literally and symbolically—to reflect on what it means to define himself on his own terms rather than through others’ expectations.
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