Stereotypes In Invisible Man

Many people wonder what it would be like if they were to be invisible; stealthily walking around, eavesdropping on conversations, and living as if nothing is of their concern. Invisible Man, by Ralph Ellison, is centred on an unnamed fictional character who believes himself to be, indeed, invisible to the rest of the world. He is not invisible in the physical sense, but socially and intellectually. As the book develops, readers are able to experience an authentic recollection of what life is as a black man living in a white man’s world. This man wants to achieve so much, but is severely limited by the colour of his skin. This novel, which has become a classic, addresses the themes of blindness in fighting stereotypes and predestined roles,

For instance, African Americans have a much lower social status than white society. By the time the invisible man arrives in New York he is beginning to feel a glimpse of hope and opportunity for his life. But as soon as he starts looking for a job, his hope drastically drops. There was hardly any work available for this young educated man and no one is eager to consider hiring him. When he does get a low paying job at Liberty Paints he meets Brockway, the engineer, to whom he assists. When Brockway boasts that “Our white [paint] is so white you can paint a chunka coal and you’d have to crack it open with a sledge hammer to prove it wasn’t white clear through” (Ellison 217). He illustrates that American society strives to cover up black identity with white purity, even in a place that is meant to promote equality. Brockway also mentions the constant “fear he has of losing his job”, and proclaims that young, “black college graduates who come to the plant should be grateful to influential white men for providing them with jobs” (SparkNotes Editors). This demonstrates the overall insecurity black men have concerning their jobs and position in society. As a result of being fired from Liberty Paints, the invisible man now is forced to go to the local unemployment centre, which is called the Men’s House, where he intends to stay temporarily. He

At one point, the invisible man realizes that he will never be able to shed the image of a southern boy. While he is heading up north, the narrator is finding that there is a new degree of black freedom compared to the south. But while he is ordering breakfast one morning, the waiter assumes that he would like a stereotypically Southern meal. The waiter thinks that because of how the invisible man looks and acts initially, and according to the way the young white man was brought up, won’t let him order what he pleases. These indicators represent what little freedom to be himself the narrator does have, no matter where he goes. Likewise, some African Americans are still bonded to their past. Being a part of a chain gang in the South and then later escaping, Brother Tarp is introduced as a strange member of The Brotherhood who firmly believes in remembering the past days and continues to suffer from the wounds that he incurred during his nineteen years of slavery; his persistent limp attests to these wounds’ permanence (SparkNotes Editor). Even though it reminds him of the pain, he still carries his shackles as if still bonded to the cruel happenings. He is an example of how, even as he is supposedly free, the past can defy a person’s identity. Thirdly, the invisible man is misidentified as the character Rinehart and this causes him to become