InvisibleMan--summary

SummaryThenarrator—speakinginthevoiceofamaninhis40s—reminiscingabouthisyouth,opensthenovel.Herememberswhenhehadnotyetdiscoveredhisidentityorrealizedthathewasaninvisibleman.Thenarratorrelatesananecdoteconcerninghisgrandfatherwho,onhisdeathbed,shockshisfamilybyrevealinghimselfasatraitorandaspy(tohisrace).Thenarratoralsorecallsbeinginvitedtogivehishighschoolgraduationspeechatagatheringofthetown’sleadingwhitecitizens.Whenhearrived,hediscoveredthathewastoprovidepartoftheevening’sentertainmentforaroomfulofdrunkenwhitemenasacontestant,alongwithnineofhisclassmates,inablindfoldedboxingmatch(a“battleroyal”)beforegivinghisspeech.Theentertainmentincludesaneroticdancebyanakedblondewomanwithaflagtattooonherstomach,whichheandhisclassmatesareforcedtowatch.Afterenduringthesehumiliatingexperiences,thenarratorisfinallypermittedtogivehisspeechandreceiveshisprize:acalfskinbriefcasethatcontainsascholarshiptothelocalcollegeforNegroes(atermEllisonpreferredover“blacks”).Thatnight,thenarratordreamsthatheisatthecircuswithhisgrandfather,whorefusestolaughattheclowns.Hisgrandfatherordershimtoopenthebriefcaseandreadthemessagecontainedinanofficialenvelopestampedwiththestateseal.Openingtheenvelope,thenarratorfindsthateachenvelopecontainsyetanotherenvelope.Inthelastenvelope,insteadofthescholarship,hefindsanengraveddocumentwiththemessage:“ToWhomItMayConcern:KeepThisNigger-BoyRunning.”CommentaryChapter1consistsofsixkeyepisodes:(1)thegrandfather’sdeathbedscene,(2)thenarrator’sarrivalatthehotel,(3)thenakedblonde’seroticdance,(4)thebattleroyal,(5)thenarrator’sspeech,and(6)thenarrator’sdream.(1)Thegrandfather’sdeathbedscene.Althoughitmayappearmerelyincidental,thisepisodeisanintegralpartofthenovelbecausethegrandfather,representingtheancestororghostofslavery,hasamajorimpactonthenarrator’slife.Determinedtoridhimselfofthepast,thenarratorisneverthelesscompelledtocometotermswithhispastbeforehecanhandlehispresentandfuture.Duringthecourseofthenovel,thegrandfather’sspiritappearstothenarratoronseveraloccasions,providinghisgrandsonwithspiritualguidance,representingthelegacyofslaverythatcontinuestohauntblackAmericans,regardlessoftheirsocial,political,oreconomicprogress.(2)Thenarrator’sarrivalatthehotel.Thisepisodeintroducesbetrayal,brokenpromises,andgame-playingthemes.Althoughasayounghighschoolgraduatehenaïvelyassumedhehadsomechoiceinwhethertoparticipateinthebattleroyal,lookingbackontheincident,herealizesthathehadnochoice.Theonlywayhewouldbegrantedtheopportunitytogivehisspeechwastofirstparticipateinthehumiliatingblindfoldedboxingmatch.Thebookcontainsmanyotherinstancesinwhichthenarratorexperiencesasenseofbetrayalasheisforcedtoabidebyarbitraryrulesdevisedbyothers.(3)Thenakedblonde’seroticdance.Overall,thisscenerepresentsAmerica’sdistortedvaluesystem.TheAmericandreamoffreedom,liberty,andequality(symbolizedbytheflagtattoo)hasbeenreplacedbytherelentlesspursuitofmoney,sex,andpower(symbolizedbythecaradvertisingtokens).Introducingtheimageryofpeopleasdollsandpuppets,thenarratordescribestheblondeashavingyellowhair“like...acircusKewpiedoll.”Later,ablowtothenarrator’sheadcauseshisrighteyetopop“likeajack-in-the-box.”Ellisondescribespeopleasdollsorpuppetselsewhereinthebook,animagethatemphasizespowerlessness.(4)Thebattleroyal.Thebattleroyalisabrutalriteofpassagethatthruststhenaïvenarratorintoaviolent,chaoticworldwheretherulesthatgovernasocietydonotapply(thereare“norounds[and]nobellsatthree-minuteintervals”).Byparticipatinginthebattleroyal,thenarratorlearnsthatlifeisastruggleforsurvival,butatthispointhestillbelievesinthephilosophyofBookerT.Washington:thatblackscanachievesuccessthrougheducationandindustry.Symbolically,thesceneintroducesthethemeofstruggleamongblacksforanelusiveprizethatoftenremainsoutofreach.Thebattleroyalsymbolizesthesocialandpoliticalpowerstruggledepictedthroughoutthenovel.Centraltothisstrugglearetheissuesofrace,class,andgender,threeconceptsthenarratormustcometotermswithbeforehecanacknowledgeandaccepthisidentityasablackmaninwhiteAmerica.Tounderscorehismessagethatblacksforcedtoliveinasegregatedsocietyaredeniedtheirhumanrights,Ellisonusestwopowerfulsymbolicelements:thewhiteblindfoldsandthebrasstokens.Thewhiteblindfoldssymbolizethenarrator’sbeing“blindedbythewhite.”Inundatedbywhiteracistpropagandaconcerningtheinferiorityofblacks,thenarratorbeginstointernalizethesedestructivemessages,nolongerseeingthetruth.Madeofbrass,analloyofcopperandzinc,thetokensconsistofacombinationoftwopureelements,symbolizingtheroleofblackAmericans,whorepresentablendofAfricanandAmerican/blackandwhitecultures.Becausenoneoftheboyscanaffordtobuythecarsadvertised,thetokensunderscoretheeconomicinequitybetweenblacksandwhites.Thetokensalsosuggesttheworthless,emptygestureinherentintokenism—thepracticeofincludingaselectfewblacksintowhitesocietywithoutgrantingallblackssocialequalityaswellassocialresponsibility.(5)Thenarrator’sspeech.Thenarrator’sspeechintroducesapatternofironyanddualitythatpervadesthenovel.WhilethenarratorprofessestodisagreewithBookerT.Washington’sviewsonracerelations,hepresentsWa