The Title In Ralph Ellison's The Invisible Man

The importance of a name or lack thereof has never been exposed in such a prolific manner before The Invisible Man was published. Also, the diversity of the African-American male is showcased in this piece if literature in a way that is second to none.

It was always said that The Invisible Man is an unofficial hand book for the young African American male that has high hopes and aspirations of becoming successful in life. I still remember the day when my grand-mother passes this book down to me before she left for Philadelphia. That was June 11th, 1997. It wasn’t until August of 2005 while we were moving boxes from my old house into our new one when I stumbled upon an old looking book that caught my eye. Since that day, I have read the
As I read further into the book, I started to understand the title more and more. The reader’s first impression of the title may be a Goose Bump story or a fiction story about ghosts and ghouls. Quite the contrary, the main character is visible as you and I but invisible at the same time. He is such a prominent figure in each and every one of his locations but camouflages himself even when he isn’t trying to. The fact that the title is The Invisible Man and the character doesn’t have a name helps each other in intriguing and entertaining the reader. It also forces the reader to read deeper and deeper into the story; I did not get bored with the book until the latter part but was quickly snapped back into a literary trance with the turn of a single page. The fact that the “Invisible Man” is as visible as me made me feel like I was in his shoes while reading the book. I actually commend Mr. Ellison for creating a timeless piece of literature with problems that are still relevant
He is constantly battling with himself when it comes to solutions to his numerous problems. As do I, he is notoriously known for over thinking the smallest of problems. Even though, at times, that helps him out it bothers him. His complexity and honesty is what intrigues other characters of the story and attracts them to him. When I speak of honesty, I am referring to the fact that tat the main character is basically blind to the realities of race relations. That is also showcased when the main character is also known for doing the wrong things with right intentions.

With the main character being highly educated and well-spoken, he is highly insulted when Brother Jack’s (member of the Brother Hood) mistress says that he may not be “black enough” to be the organizations African-American spokesperson. At the same time, this starts to unveil hidden racism within the Brother Hood which would result in the rest of the members turning their back on the main character. All of this is happening while he is dealing with the murder of his best friend, Clifton, and the sudden riots led by his worst enemy, Ras the