Biographical Criticism

Biographical Criticism The novel Invisible man can be interpreted through many other literary criticisms but in order to achieve a more concrete interpretation of the novel, biographical criticism should be used. Biographical Criticism is the best choice for this novel because Ellisons experiences of his life, beliefs, and the time period in which he was raised, have direct influence on his writing of Invisible man. After reading Invisible Man and doing research on Ralph Ellison’s life it is clear that the two are heavily connected. Unlike many other Black protagonists in works of literature at the time, the character of the narrator, who remains nameless throughout the novel, is an educated and articulated young man who is also very self-aware, this character symbolizes Ellison in that they share many of the same attributes and struggles in their lives. An example of a struggle they share is their struggle to be accepted in society. Much like the nameless character in his novel Ellison received a lot of hatred in his early life because of his color. When Ellison was just eight he was humiliated by his white peers who threw money a his feet and forced him to scramble for the money, this event that haunted Ellison plays a apart in the novel when the narrator is forced to collect money on an electric rug. It’s important to understand that the two events are connected because both events involved money that the narrator and Ellison never received which plays on the view that Ellison shared, which stated that African Americans at that time were merely puppets fighting over worthless accomplishments that did nothing in the advancement of the African American people. When the personal beliefs of an author are shared by the main protagonist or any other notable character in that such authors work, it becomes another aspect of Biographical Criticism. The Invisible Man is full of Ellisons beliefs system and many of his beliefs are exercised through the