"Invisible Man" Comparative Essay
Their Eyes Were Watching God and Invisible Man Essay
Life has never been easy for African-Americans. Since this country's formation, the African-American culture has been scorned, disrespected and degraded. It wasn't until the middle of the 21st century that African-American culture began to be looked upon in a more tolerant light.
This shift came about because of the many talented
African-American writers, actors, speakers and activists who worked so hard to gain respect for themselves and their culture. Two writers were on the front lines of this movement, Zora Neale Hurston and Ralph Ellison. Their novels, Invisible Man and Their Eyes Were Watching God, probed deeply into the life and culture of the
African-American, something that was practically unheard of. But not only did their novels shed light on the
African culture, but they also shifted away from the traditional Romantic style of writing. Instead of focusing on religion or society, these novels focused on self-awareness, pride, and finding happiness. The merit of these novels pervades every page, but can especially be found in the themes, diction, and characterization. Both novels shared two similar themes: the pursuit of happiness and self-actualization. These themes had to be dealt with tenderly in an intolerant, white-culture society. Both Hurston and Ellison did this beautifully, in that their stories were not forceful nor preachy, but merely simple, candid tales of the lives of two ordinary
African-Americans. Also, both authors refused to make their stories a fairy tale. At the end of each novel, neither Janie nor Invisible Man are as happy as they'd like to be. But, both novels focus not on the bittersweet end, but rather what the characters learned before they reached the end. Janie realized that her strength was in herself and her pride, with or without Tea Cake. And Invisible Man realized that "My problem was
Life has never been easy for African-Americans. Since this country's formation, the African-American culture has been scorned, disrespected and degraded. It wasn't until the middle of the 21st century that African-American culture began to be looked upon in a more tolerant light.
This shift came about because of the many talented
African-American writers, actors, speakers and activists who worked so hard to gain respect for themselves and their culture. Two writers were on the front lines of this movement, Zora Neale Hurston and Ralph Ellison. Their novels, Invisible Man and Their Eyes Were Watching God, probed deeply into the life and culture of the
African-American, something that was practically unheard of. But not only did their novels shed light on the
African culture, but they also shifted away from the traditional Romantic style of writing. Instead of focusing on religion or society, these novels focused on self-awareness, pride, and finding happiness. The merit of these novels pervades every page, but can especially be found in the themes, diction, and characterization. Both novels shared two similar themes: the pursuit of happiness and self-actualization. These themes had to be dealt with tenderly in an intolerant, white-culture society. Both Hurston and Ellison did this beautifully, in that their stories were not forceful nor preachy, but merely simple, candid tales of the lives of two ordinary
African-Americans. Also, both authors refused to make their stories a fairy tale. At the end of each novel, neither Janie nor Invisible Man are as happy as they'd like to be. But, both novels focus not on the bittersweet end, but rather what the characters learned before they reached the end. Janie realized that her strength was in herself and her pride, with or without Tea Cake. And Invisible Man realized that "My problem was