Commentary on Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison

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Ralph Ellison immediately reveals a message in the initial chapter of his piece Invisible Man that communicates through a simple allegory, infused with symbolism. The excerpt, “Battle Royal,” illustrates an unidentified, young, African American character who cleverly seeks to coexist in the white man’s world. However, while the young adult assumes he is “[overcoming] ‘em with yeses, and [undermining] ‘em with grins” (227), the “lily-white men” (227) manipulate the character, dragging him in any direction they please. Similarly, the young adult fails to recognize the real reason he is invited to the Gentlemen’s club: entertainment. He is seen as entertainment. He is seen as a “Nigger.” He is seen as an invisible man. After the main character’s arrival at the Gentlemen’s club the author uses a multitude of symbolism techniques in order to signify the central idea. At first, the stripper’s presence symbolizes how little of a choice women and blacks obtain in a world run by white males. Accordingly, the black men are “threatened if [they] looked and others if [they] did not...

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