Racism In The Invisible Man

1697 Words4 Pages

Racism and stereotypes make it difficult for individuals to express their individuality identity. Certain stereotypes can affect people social lives, emotions, and how people interact with their environment” (Rodrigo). Racism can be considered an obstacle to individual identity. The results of stereotypes have a huge impact on how humans sometime feel, such as; not having motivation, courage, dedication or heart to go on. In the “Invisible Man” topics are focus on such as culture stigma, black society, and stereotyping. “I did not understand in those pre- invisible days that their hate and mine too, was charged with fear. How all of us at the college hated the black – belt people, the “peasants,” during those day! We were trying to lift them …show more content…

First, in the novel the narrator does not have have a name throughout the whole novel, his name was not once said. He is living in this world where no one recognizes him, see him, hear him, listens to him UNLESS he is speaking/protesting against an issue on the street, because he is such a great speaker. “They could laugh at him but they couldn 't ignore him.” He is an African American man whose skin color makes him seem invisible. Beyond that, senses of racial emergency seem to appear blatant. “By overcoming these stereotypes the Narrator proves himself not just a stereotypical black man, but a human exemplifying the universal struggle to find his identity” …show more content…

I have also been called one thing and then another while no one really wished to hear what I called myself. So after years of trying to adopt the opinions of others I finally rebelled. I am an invisible man. Thus I have come a long way and returned and boomeranged a long way from the point in society to which I originally aspired," on page 573. The narrator is saying he has been called one thing and another, but no one really wanted to hear him out, he was not seen or heard even being right in front of people, so he accepted the fact that he was “invisible.” The narrator is trying to express his identity individuality. The next quote I choose to support the theme also because it says, “How can he tell this to white men, I thought, when he knows they 'll say that all Negroes do such things? I looked at the floor, a red mist of anguish before my eyes,” from chapter 2. What I got from this quote is the “Invisible Man” is kind of mad because he was not recognized for his attributions as being a black

Open Document